biteho.com – Page 8038

Preorder and Save on Godzilla, Batman and More Blu-ray Special Editions

Physical media remains my preferred type of media. There’s a lot to be said for the convenience of digital, but I like to hold something in my hands and display it on my shelves.

Right now there are some absolutely incredible Blu-ray collections available for preorder, but better still, their prices are reduced to entice you into claiming one for your own. Amazon’s preorder price guarantee is pretty slick: basically, if you preorder now and the price drops between the time you placed your order and the release date, Amazon will honor the lower price. If you wait too long and the price goes back up, you’re out of luck. What I’m saying is, order now. Amazon doesn’t charge you until the item ships.

Marvel’s Avengers: 53 New Details About Gameplay, DLC, and More

Marvel’s Avengers is shaping up to be one of 2020’s biggest games for PS4, Xbox One, Stadia, and PC, and we finally got hands-on time (and gameplay video) from at Gamescom 2019. The demo of Marvel’s Avengers is exactly what was shown off during Square-Enix’s E3 2019 press conference, but there were many Marvel’s Avengers details revealed at Gamescom 2019 that gave us some insight into what to expect from Marvel’s Avengers’ story, character customization, gear, multiplayer, DLC, and more.

Marvel’s Avengers Setting

The game takes place five years after the cinematic trailer that we saw during E3, where the Avengers were blamed for a tragedy that struck the San Francisco Bay Area. Your task is to reassemble each of Earth’s mightiest heroes.

Wreckfest Review

After a generation jam-packed with realistic racers that have made it their mission to teach us to drive clean and race fair, Wreckfest arrives like a sharp but needed kick in the shins. Forget driving etiquette; this is the automotive equivalent of a bar brawl, and it’s absolutely outstanding. Assembled by Finnish destruction racing specialists Bugbear, Wreckfest rekindles the door-slamming spirit of their original FlatOut games and brings it back to life inside the best demolition derby game in over a decade.

Don’t be deceived by Wreckfest’s overt focus on wildly exaggerated, metal-rending mayhem. This isn’t a strictly arcade smash-’em-up carved from the Burnout block; it’s a true successor to the likes of Destruction Derby, the original FlatOut, and the criminally underrated Test Drive: Eve of Destruction (known as Driven to Destruction to those of us outside North America).

Gears Tactics Coming To Xbox, Says Coalition Head

When Rod Fergusson appeared on stage to debut Gears Tactics at E3 2018, he called it “a true Gears of War PC experience in a completely different genre.” That appeared to imply that it would be a PC exclusive, but now Fergusson has said that it’s coming to Xbox too.

In response to a fan on Twitter, Fergusson said that Splash Damage is working on the game. That studio is known for its work on Gears of War 4 and the Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, so it has experience in the Gears universe. In response to a second question, whether the game will ever come to Xbox, he simply says “yes.”

Speaking about tactics, who’s the team behind it?? Is it @CoalitionGears or a different studio?? And the second question will we ever get the game on Xbox??

— Jassem (@jassem73) August 21, 2019

The tweet seems self-explanatory, though it’s notable that the one-word answer doesn’t promise the Xbox version will launch alongside the PC version. It doesn’t even necessarily promise the game for Xbox One, so there’s a chance it could be targeting the next generation Xbox Scarlett. GameSpot has reached out to Microsoft for clarification.

Targeting both platforms makes sense, though, as much of Microsoft’s first-party line-up has been dual platform recently. It also would add value to the Xbox Game Pass, which gives access to both Xbox and PC games (plus a Gold subscription) with its “Ultimate” tier.

Gears Tactics is a prequel that takes place 12 years before the first Gears of War game, and it was one of three Gears games that debuted at E3 2018. The other two were Gears Pop, a mobile game based on the cute collectibles that has just released recently, and Gears 5, the next numbered entry that is due in September.

Fortnite Has Finally Nerfed The B.R.U.T.E. Mech

Fortnite: Battle Royale‘s overpowered mechs have finally been cut down a peg or two. An update recently went live for the multiplayer shooter, introducing sweeping changes that nerf the B.R.U.T.E. mech’s powerful weaponry and expansive movement.

The new mech has been a source of much chagrin in the Fortnite community since its introduction at the beginning of Season 10. An earlier patch reduced the frequency with which the mech would appear in competitive game modes, and Epic followed this up by explaining that they added the controversial vehicle to help players who were struggling to win. After further outcry, however, Epic has now addressed some of the player base’s vocal concerns. The mech hasn’t been vaulted as many had hoped, but this is a positive step in the right direction.

In a blog post last night, Epic detailed the balance adjustments recently applied to the pesky metal killing machines. The B.R.U.T.E.s now fire six rockets in a single charge as opposed to 10, and have seen the blast radius shrink by 42%. Rockets also now fire 56% slower, which Epic says will “allow the players on the receiving end of the missile volley to have more time to react and protect themselves.” The developer added that “B.R.U.T.E.s will continue to be a strong option against structures, but less lethal against players.”

In terms of movement, the dash cooldown has been increased by two seconds, while boosting in the air will give you decreased velocity by 33%. “The adjustment here reduces the ability to close gaps quickly while in the B.R.U.T.E. while also increasing the ability to land shots on target for players facing the B.R.U.T.E.,” Epic added. “In general we hope to shift B.R.U.T.E.s away from being highly mobile and put more emphasis on their already defensive nature.”

The B.R.U.T.E. no longer grants materials to the driver and passenger when stomping or dashing through the environment, either. “Our goal is to add more tension between being in and out of a B.R.U.T.E. as well as reduce instances where players can farm faster than intended without exposing themselves to danger.”

Finally, mech spawn rates have been changed in Fortnite’s core modes after the change was previously implemented in its competitive modes. There’s now a possibility that no mechs will spawn at the beginning of each storm phase, and if they do there will be fewer than before.

As a counter to all of these nerfs, the mech has also received some slight buffs. The material cost of using the gunner’s overshield has been decreased from 200 to 75, and the mech’s overall health has seen a slight boost from 1000 up to 1250. This plays into Epic’s reworking of the mechs as a defensive vehicle. “With the above changes, users of the B.R.U.T.E. need to play a bit more strategic than before, so we want to give a little bit longer of a window to do so.”

These changes probably won’t placate everyone, but they should hopefully lead to Fortnite matches feeling a little bit fairer.

Star Wars TV Show The Mandalorian’s Stylish First Poster Released

The first poster for The Mandalorian has been revealed. The first ever live-action Star Wars TV show will premiere on Disney+ on November 12, which is the launch day of the upcoming streaming platform.

It’s a simple but stylish poster, that shows the main character, a lone gunman played by Pedro Pascal (Game of Thrones) walking away from his ship on a desert planet with the sun setting–or possibly rising–behind him. The character’s Mandalorian armor will be very familiar to fans, as it’s the same type as worn by Boba and Jango Fett in the Star Wars movies. Check it out below.

The first trailer for The Mandalorian is yet to be released online, but likely to appear very soon. The show will focus at this weekend’s Disney’s annual D23 convention. However, fans at Star Wars Celebration back in April were given an early look at the show–check out GameSpot’s report on this first teaser.

The Mandalorian also stars Gina Carano (Deadpool), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad), Emily Swallow (Supernatural), Carl Weathers (Predator), Omid Abtahi (American Gods), Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man), and Nick Nolte (Affliction). The showrunner is Lion King director Jon Favreau, and the line-up of directors for individual episodes includes Taika Waititi (Thor Ragnarok), Deborah Chow (Jessica Jones), Dave Filoni (Star Wars: The Clone Wars), and Jurassic World star Bryce Dallas Howard.

In related news, it was reported last week that Ewan McGregor is in talks to reprise his role of Obi-Wan Kenobi for another potential Disney+ Star Wars show. There’s also a show centered around the Rogue One character of Cassian Andor in the works for the service. For more on Disney+, check out GameSpot’s guide to everything that will be available on day one.

Two More Epic Games Store Freebies Have Been Announced

Fez is currently free on the Epic Games Store until August 29. After that, both Celeste and Inside will be available for free until September 5.

The two critically revered games should not be missed, especially for the absurdly low price of absolutely nothing. Oscar Dayus reviewed Celeste for GameSpot in January 2018, rewarding the tough-as-nails but incredibly heartfelt platformer a score of 9/10.

“It’s a testament to convincing writing and ingenious design that after playing Celeste I felt like I’d been on the same journey as Madeline,” the review concludes. “Her struggle is one made easy to empathize with, her low points painful to watch, and her high notes exhilarating to experience. Her tale is delicately told and beautifully illustrated, confidently coalescing with the satisfying, empowering game it lies within. Not bad for a game about climbing a mountain.”

There’s even free DLC on the way for Celeste, though creator Matt Thorson is reluctant to announce a release date after numerous delays. The new content will feature over 100 new levels that form a continuous chapter, featuring new items and mechanics, and a daunting difficulty that’s tougher than the game’s current hardest levels.

Inside, meanwhile, received an 8/10 from reviewer Alex Newhouse back in 2016. “This is a beautiful, haunting, and memorable game, a worthy follow-up to Limbo,” the review says. “Its puzzles, although rarely difficult, are engaging complements to the story. The real achievement of this game, though, is the way that it crafts its narrative: detailed environments convey the bizarre world that you travel through; introspective moments are filled with minimalist sound design and just the barest touches of music; and the things you must do to complete your journey force you to confront the realities of humanity, freedom, and existence. The puzzles might not bring you back to play it again, but the opportunity to learn more about the world alone is enough motivation to return to Inside’s dystopia.”

Playdead’s Limbo, the eerie puzzle-platformer from 2010, was recently free on the Epic Games Store, too. If you picked it up and fancy more from the Danish studio, Inside is a fantastic follow-up with one of the best ending sequences in recent memory.

Epic recently implemented new changes and improvements to the Epic Games Store. The company also opened a new development studio in Germany led by the former founders of Factor 5, the creators of Star Wars: Rogue Squadron.

Riot Games Settles Gender Discrimination Class Action Lawsuit

Riot Games has had a turbulent 12 months. In August of last year, Kotaku published a story alleging that the League of Legends developer has a toxic and sexist workplace environment. This was followed up earlier this year when five lawsuits were filed against the company from employees who state the studio has violated the California Equal Pay Act. Each of the five lawsuits cites in-house sexism influencing hiring practices and creating a “bro culture” within Riot Games. When the company responded by filing a forced arbitration against two of the cases, more than 150 employees staged a walkout in protest.

One of the lawsuits–a class action that alleged claims of gender discrimination in pay and promotion, sexual harassment, and retaliation against women working at Riot offices in California–has, in principle, been settled outside of court

“We realize that this is a path that many companies in our position may not have chosen,” a Riot statement says, “but we felt it was the strongest statement we could make to Rioters, and prospective Rioters, that we’re prepared to go over and above in order to move forward. Both sides believe that this proposed settlement, once finalized, is fair for all parties involved. In addition, we’re hopeful that the settlement will allow us to continue our momentum (as described here and here) in making Riot a leader in inclusive workplaces.”

Riot says it has been working to review and address the concerns that were raised in the lawsuits. “We will continue to strive to be a great company and one that cares about its employees and its players,” the statements goes on to say. “After extensively reviewing these issues, we can confidently state that gender discrimination (in pay or promotion), sexual harassment, and retaliation are not systemic issues at Riot.

“But, what we also learned during this process was that some Rioters have had experiences that did not live up to our values or culture. In addition, we’ve encountered considerable fatigue among Rioters, who have been drained by constant engagement with the internal and external dialogues emerging from these lawsuits and recurring media cycles.”

Finalizing the settlement is still in its early stages so details are sparse, but Riot has expressed a desire to be transparent with its communication. “We’re continuing to work with the class plaintiffs and their counsel to finalize the details. Most importantly, we want to emphasize that any proposed settlement will be subject to the Court’s oversight, and the Court will need to review and approve all details of any agreement. We want to be respectful of this process.”

You can find the full joint press release from the plaintiff’s counsel and Riot Games below:

Preliminary Settlement Agreement Reached in Lawsuit Filed by Women Against Riot Games

August 22, 2019 – LOS ANGELES – All parties have reached an agreement in principle today to resolve the class action case against Riot Games.

“This is a very strong settlement agreement that provides meaningful and fair value to class members for their experiences at Riot Games,” said Ryan Saba of Rosen Saba, LLP, the attorney representing the plaintiffs. “This is a clear indication that Riot is dedicated to making progress in evolving its culture and employment practices. A number of significant changes to the corporate culture have been made, including increased transparency and industry-leading diversity and inclusion programs. The many Riot employees who spoke up, including the plaintiffs, significantly helped to change the culture at Riot.”

The parties will now move toward seeking court approval of the proposed settlement, and we will provide additional details about its terms when that filing takes place.

“We are grateful for every Rioter who has come forward with their concerns and believe this resolution is fair for everyone involved,” said Nicolo Laurent, CEO of Riot Games. “With this agreement, we are honoring our commitment to find the best and most expeditious way for all Rioters, and Riot, to move forward and heal. Over the past year, we’ve made substantial progress toward evolving our culture and will continue to pursue this work as we strive to be the most inclusive company in gaming.”