2019: The Year Of Acquisitions

Ubisoft Buys Green Panda Games

Ubisoft Buys Green Panda Games

In July, Assassin’s Creed publisher Ubisoft scooped up the French studio Green Panda Games by acquiring 70 percent of the “hyper-casual” company’s outstanding shares to give it majority ownership. Green Panda, which has 30 employees, created and published mobile game like Sushi Bar, Terrarium, Emoji Craft, and Golf Inc. Tycoon. The company says its games have reached 85 million people worldwide, and that is no doubt part of the reason why Ubisoft wanted to bring it on board. This was just the latest move from Ubisoft to invest further into mobile games. In 2016, the company acquired mobile/social game studio Ketchapp, while Ubisoft also operates an internal mobile game business; one of its biggest and best-known franchises is Hungry Shark.

Nintendo Switch NES Controllers On Sale For Switch Online Members

You can get a NES-style controller for Nintendo Switch now at a significantly reduced price. Nintendo is selling its “Nintendo Entertainment System Controllers” for $30, half-off its usual price of $60. The offer is available to Nintendo Switch Online members, so you’ll have to sign in to the store page to see the reduced price.

The pack includes two wireless NES controllers with rechargeable batteries, modeled after the original blocky NES controllers. They’re meant for the NES games available through Nintendo Switch Online, which is likely why they’re a member exclusive.

Nintendo Switch NES ControllersNintendo Switch NES Controllers

The release of new NES games has slowed lately, as Nintendo announced it would no longer be announcing monthly games upon the release of the Super NES library. Just recently, though, the company did announce a new set of games for both Super NES and NES libraries. On December 12, the NES library on Switch will add Crystalis and Journey to Silius. Those join Star Fox 2, Super Punch Out!!, Kirby Super Star, and Breath of Fire II on the SNES library. Nintendo offers a Super NES controller too, but it’s out of stock.

For more on how Nintendo’s handheld-console hybrid performed over the last 12 months, read our Nintendo 2019 Report Card.

Now Playing: Top New Games Out On Switch, PS4, And Xbox One This Month — December 2019

It Looks Like Untitled Goose Game Is Honking Its Way To PS4 And Xbox One

It appears as though Untitled Goose Game is waddling over to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 just in time for Christmas. Originally released on Nintendo Switch and PC back in September, the quirky puzzle game puts you in the webbed feet of a troublesome goose and is reportedly coming to Microsoft and Sony’s consoles on December 17, 2019.

Achievements for Untitled Goose Game on Xbox One have been obtained from Microsoft’s servers by TrueAchievements, with the equivalent PlayStation 4 Trophies turning up thanks to Exophase. Release information points to the December launch date and also mentions an Xbox One X Enhanced option for all of those 4K goose visuals.

Predictably, Untitled Goose Game has been fodder for all kinds of memes and mods since its release–including one that plops the titular bird into Resident Evil 2. It’s a good game in its own right, though. James O’Conner awarded it an 8/10 in GameSpot’s review, saying, “The important thing is that Untitled Goose Game is a hoot. It’s a comedy game that focuses on making the act of playing it funny, rather than simply being a game that features jokes. Wishing that it was longer speaks to how much fun I had with it. There’s nothing else quite like Untitled Goose Game; it’s charming and cute despite being mean, and both very silly and very clever. It’s also probably the best non-racing game ever to feature a dedicated ‘honk’ button.”

Now Playing: Acting Like A Jerk In Untitled Goose Game

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Hideous Mario, PlayStation, And Star Wars Christmas Sweaters Are On Sale At GameStop

GameStop’s Deal of the Day focuses on Christmas sweaters–the extremely ugly variety. The ugly Christmas sweater has become a thing over the years, and this trio of sweaters certainly have the undeniable eye-sore look. Normally sold for the ridiculous price of $35, you can pick up these Super Mario, Star Wars, and PlayStation ugly sweaters for $15.

Each of these sweaters is awful in their own way. If you have an ugly sweater party coming up or just want to wear a more hideous sweater than your uncle at the family Christmas party, any of the three will work quite well. GameStop’s Deal of the Day on ugly sweaters ends at 9 PM PT / 12 AM ET.

Super Mario Bros. Holiday Sweater -- $15Super Mario Bros. Holiday Sweater — $15

Super Mario Bros. Merry Mario Holiday Sweater — $15 ($35)

I wouldn’t describe the 8-bit-style Mario in the center of the wreath as ugly. The surrounding nonsense is what makes this sweater decidedly ugly. The designers of this sweater decided to cram practically every object and item from early Super Mario games onto this sweater. This fact really comes into focus when you look at the hideous backside. “Merry Mario,” I guess.

PlayStation Holiday Sweater -- $15PlayStation Holiday Sweater — $15

PlayStaton Holiday Sweater — $15 ($35)

This PlayStation-themed sweater is ugly in a different way. I actually think the many symbols representing controller buttons work, especially on the sleeves. The worst part of this sweater is the giant PlayStation logo and baffling blank space surrounding it.

Star Wars Holiday Sweater -- $15

Star Wars Holiday Sweater -- $15

Star Wars Holiday Sweater — $15

Star Wars Holiday Sweater — $15 ($35)

Though ugly, this sweater also has a fairly funny joke on it: The Death Star at the top of the tree. Get it? I laughed when I noticed it, at least.

Pokemon Go December 2019 Field Research Task List

A new month is underway, which means there’s a new batch of Field Research tasks in Pokemon Go for December 2019. Unlike Special Research quests, which are assigned by Professor Willow, Field Research tasks are distributed through PokeStops. You’ll receive Field Research by spinning Photo Discs, and each mission you complete will net you rewards like XP, items, and even Pokemon encounters.

Field Research tasks typically run the gamut from making a certain number of Great throws to catching specific types of Pokemon. There is no daily limit to how many Field Research tasks you can complete, but only the first one you clear each day will reward you with a stamp. If you can amass seven stamps, you’ll achieve a Research Breakthrough, which will net you even more rewards, as well as an encounter with a rare Pokemon.

Like last month, every Research Breakthrough you achieve in December will result in an encounter with a Legendary Pokemon, namely either Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Groudon, or Kyogre. Even if you already have these Legendaries in your collection, you’ll want to achieve as many Research Breakthroughs as you can this month, as you’ll also have a chance to encounter their Shiny forms.

You can see the updated list of Pokemon Go’s Field Research tasks below. This isn’t the only new content available in Pokemon Go this month, however. The game’s first evolution event runs from December 5-12, giving you a chance to get more evolutionary items like the Sinnoh Stone, while December’s Community Day weekend takes place on December 14 and 15 and brings back all previous featured Pokemon.

Pokemon Go December 2019 Field Research Tasks

Catching Tasks

Field Research Task Rewards
Catch 5 Pokemon with Weather boost Poliwag or Vulpix encounter; 200 Stardust, 3 Razz Berries, 1 Pinap Berry, or 5 Poke Balls
Catch 10 Pokemon with Weather boost 500 Stardust, 6 Razz Berries, 2 Pinap Berries, or 5 Great Balls
Catch 10 Pokemon Magikarp encounter
Catch 5 Fairy Pokemon Marill encounter
Catch 5 Normal Pokemon Zigzagoon encounter
Catch 3 Fire, Water, or Electric Pokemon Doduo encounter
Catch 4 Grass or Ice Pokemon Seel encounter
Catch 15 Pokemon Sandshrew encounter
Catch 3 different species of Dark Pokemon Poochyena enounter
Catch 3 different species of Psychic Pokemon Drowzee encounter
Use 5 Berries to help catch Pokemon Snorunt encounter; 500 Stardust, 6 Razz Berries, 2 Pinap Berries, or 5 Great Balls
Use 5 Razz Berries to help catch Pokemon Swinub encounter
Use 10 Nanab Berries while catching Pokemon Scyther encounter
Catch a Dragon Pokemon Dratini encounter; 1,500 Stardust, 3 Rare Candies, 2 Gold Razz Berries, or 10 Ultra Balls
Catch a Ditto 1,500 Stardust, 3 Rare Candies, 2 Gold Razz Berries, or 10 Ultra Balls

Battling Tasks

Field Research Tasks Rewards
Battle in a Raid Spoink encounter; 200 Stardust, 5 Nanab Berries, 5 Potions, or 2 Revives
Battle in a Gym Mankey or Makuhita encounter; 200 Stardust, 5 Nanab Berries, 5 Potions, or 2 Revives
Battle another trainer Electrike encounter
Battle a team leader 2 times Natu encounter
Win a Gym battle Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle encounter; 500 Stardust, 10 Nanab Berries, 3 Super Potions, or 4 Revives
Battle in a Gym 5 times Machop encounter; 500 Stardust, 10 Nanab Berries, 3 Super Potions, or 4 Revives
Use a super-effective Charged Attack in 7 Gym battles Electabuzz encounter; 1,000 Stardust, 1 Rare Candy, 3 Hyper Potions, 6 Revives, or 1 Max Revive
Win 5 Raids Aerodactyl encounter
Win a level 3 or higher Raid Kabuto or Omanyte encounter; 1,000 Stardust, 1 Rare Candy, 3 Hyper Potions, 6 Revives, or 1 Max Revive
Win 3 Gym battles Jynx encounter; 1,000 Stardust, 1 Rare Candy, 3 Hyper Potions, 6 Revives, or 1 Max Revive
Use a super-effective Charged Attack in a Gym battle 500 Stardust, 10 Nanab Berries, 3 Super Potions, or 4 Revives
Win a Raid 500 Stardust, 10 Nanab Berries, 3 Super Potions, or 4 Revives
Win 3 Raids 1,500 Stardust, 3 Max Potions, 8 Revives, or 3 Max Revives

Throwing Tasks

Field Research Task Rewards
Make 3 Great throws Gastly, Buneary, Anorith, or Lileep encounter; 200 Stardust, 3 Razz Berries, 1 Pinap Berry, or 5 Poke Balls
Make 5 Nice throws Voltorb encounter; 200 Stardust, 3 Razz Berries, 1 Pinap Berry, or 5 Poke Balls
Make 3 Nice throws in a row 500 Stardust, 2 Pinap Berries, 5 Great Balls, or 2 Ultra Balls
Make 3 Great throws in a row Onix encounter; 1,000 Stardust, 1 Rare Candy, 9 Razz Berries, 3 Pinap Berries, 10 Poke Balls, or 5 Ultra Balls
Make 3 Great curveball throws in a row 1,500 Stardust, 1 Rare Candy, 9 Razz Berries, 3 Pinap Berries, 10 Poke Balls, or 5 Ultra Balls
Make 5 Great curveball throws in a row Spinda encounter
Make an Excellent throw 500 Stardust, 2 Pinap Berries, 5 Great Balls, or 2 Ultra Balls
Make 3 Excellent throws in a row Larvitar encounter
Make 5 curveball throws in a row 500 Stardust, 6 Razz Berries, 2 Pinap Berries, or 5 Great Balls
Make 2 Nice curveball throws in a row 200 Stardust, 3 Razz Berries, 1 Pinap Berry, or 5 Poke Balls

Hatching Tasks

Field Research Task Rewards
Hatch an Egg Exeggcute or Hoppip encounter; 200 Stardust, 3 Razz Berries, 1 Pinap Berry, or 5 Poke Balls
Hatch 3 Eggs Magmar encounter; 1,000 Stardust, 1 Rare Candy, 9 Razz Berries, 3 Pinap Berries, 10 Poke Balls, or 5 Ultra Balls
Hatch 5 Eggs Chansey encounter; 3 Rare Candies

Misc. Tasks

Field Research Task Rewards
Transfer 3 Pokemon Sableye encounter
Trade a Pokemon Bronzor encounter
Evolve a Pokemon Cubone or Eevee encounter
Earn 3 Candies walking with your Buddy Ponyta encounter
Take 5 snapshots of Eevee Gulpin encounter
Power up Pokemon 5 times Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle encounter
Send 10 Gifts to friends Sneasel encounter
Spin 10 PokeStops or Gyms 200 Stardust, 3 Razz Berries, 1 Pinap Berry, 5 Silver Pinap Berries, or 5 Poke Balls

Now Playing: The Most Disturbing Pokemon In The Pokedex

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Marvel’s Animated Tigra & Dazzler Show Loses Entire Writing Team

While there’s plenty of excitement about the various Marvel shows in development for Disney+, things aren’t quite as healthy for some of the other Marvel series made elsewhere. Following the cancellation of Cloak and Dagger and the news that the live-action Ghost Rider show won’t be happening, it’s been reported that the animated Tigra & Dazzler Show has run into problems.

According to Variety, Tigra & Dazzler Show showrunner Erica Rivinoja has left the series, along with the entire writing staff. Rivinoja and her team reportedly differed from Marvel on the creative direction of the series, and the studio is now looking for a new showrunner to take the project in a different direction. Variety notes that the writers could return, depending on who Rivinoja’s replacement is.

Tigra & Dazzler Show was one of four new animated Marvel series that are being developed at Hulu. The others are M.O.D.O.K, which will be co-written by comedian and actor Patton Oswalt, Hit-Monkey, from Blade of Glory directors Josh Gordon and Will Speck, and Howard The Duck, from filmmaker and comic book icon Kevin Smith. When the shows were first announced in February, it was reported that the plan was for all four sets of heroes to come together for a Hulu special titled The Offenders.

Ghost Rider was also being developed for Hulu, with Gabriel Luna set to reprise his role as Robbie Reyes from Agents of SHIELD. However, in September, the whole show was cancelled due to “a creative impasse” that “could not be resolved.’ Another supernatural-themed Marvel series, titled Helstrom, is still happening at Hulu however.

As for Marvel shows on Disney+, Falcon and Winter Soldier recently started production. Other upcoming series include Loki, WandaVision, Hawkeye, and She-Hulk. For more check out GameSpot’s guide to every Marvel movie and show to watch right now on Disney+.

Now Playing: Best Marvel Cosplay At NYCC 2019

New Trailer For Lost In Space Season 2 Arrives

The Robinson family is back, and per usual, things are not going great for them. Season 2 of the Netflix original series Lost in Space is arriving on December 24, and the final trailer for the new season has arrived.

Robot is gone and the family is trying to find it, but Will still has some sort of connection to the creature they befriended in Season 1. And just like the title of the show states, they are also… lost in space and trying to make their way home. Check out the newest trailer below.

Obviously, the family has a lot to contend with, including more robots, except these ones aren’t too friendly. The Jupiter 2 is on an ocean planet, and they must work together–even with Dr. Smith–to try and make it back to the Resolute to reunite with the other colonists. They need to find safe passage in order to reach Alpha Centauri, but of course, that’s not going to be easy, as there are threats everywhere.

Lost in Space stars Toby Stephens as John Robinson, Molly Parker as Maureen Robinson, Maxwell Jenkins as Will Robinson, Mina Sundwall as Penny Robinson, Taylor Russell as Judy Robinson, Ignacio Serricchio as Don West, and Parker Posey as Dr. Smith. Season 2 is executive produced by Zack Estrin, who formerly produced and wrote Prison Break.

Season 2 of Lost in Space arrives on December 24.

Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Says Control Is Coming To Xbox Game Pass

Phil Spencer, head of Xbox and the guy currently playing Microsoft’s next-gen console (codenamed Project Scarlett) at home, says Remedy’s sci-fi shooter Control is coming to Xbox Game Pass.

The Xbox boss casually revealed the news during a recent Extra Life stream on Mixer. When discussing his favourite games of the year with developers from 343 Industries, Spencer said, “I thought Control was really good. It didn’t reach enough people, so I’m glad to see that it’s coming to Game Pass so hopefully more people will play it.” You can watch him discuss Control around the 44-minute mark.

It’s a surprising tidbit to reveal during a mellow live stream, especially since Microsoft just announced a slew of new games coming to Xbox Game Pass during the month of December–Control not included. It’s another feather in Game Pass’s cap, though, and as Spencer said, it should hopefully result in a wider audience playing the game. Remedy recently expressed its satisfaction with Control’s sales performance, even though it failed to top the charts when it launched back in August. But its inclusion on Game Pass gives more people an opportunity to play one of 2019’s best games.

Now Playing: Control Video Review

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Disney’s Mulan Remake Gets Spectacular Full Trailer

While this year’s Dumbo was a box office disappointment, the huge success of Aladdin and The Lion King proved that there is still plenty of interest in Disney’s live-action remakes of its animated classics. Next up is Mulan, which releases in March 2020. The full trailer has now been released.

While July’s first Mulan teaser mostly showcased the movie’s visuals and action, the new trailer lays out more of the plot too. Mulan is a teenage girl in ancient China who disguises herself as a man to take her aging father’s place in the Imperial army, who must fight against invaders. It looks absolutely spectacular, with some huge battle scenes and martial arts action, plus the inspiring story of a young girl standing up for her family. Check it out below.

Unlike recent Disney live-action movies, Mulan will take a slightly different approach in that it’s not a direct adaptation of the 1998 animated movie. It also takes influence from the original 6th Century poem “The Ballad of Mulan,” and director Niki Caro has confirmed that that the movie won’t contain any songs. And before you ask, Eddie Murphy’s talking dragon Mushu will be absent too.

Mulan stars Liu Yifei in the lead role, and the cast also includes a number of high profile Asian stars, such as Donnie Yen, Jet Li, and Gong Li. It hits theaters on March 27, 2020.

The only other Disney live-action remake with a confirmed release date is the 101 Dalmatians spin-off Cruella, which will star Emma Stone and releases in May 2021. But there are plenty more in the works, including The Little Mermaid, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, and a sequel to The Jungle Book.

Now Playing: Disney’s Mulan – Official Trailer

Control Was Developed With A Modest $30 Million Budget

Despite near-universal praise from critics, Remedy Entertainment’s Control didn’t quite top the charts when it was released back in August of this year. Remedy CEO Tero Virtala isn’t particularly worried, however, as he says Remedy is pleased with how the game is selling.

In an interview with gamesindustry.biz, Virtala revealed that the sci-fi shooter was developed over the course of three years with a modest budget of just under $30 million. “We don’t quite require the same huge lifetime numbers as many other games with bigger development budgets,” Virtala explained. “Therefore, even though Control didn’t have chart-topping sales right from the get-go, we are in a good position with steady sales. We always take the long view here.”

Virtala pointed to the longevity of digital distribution as one of the reasons launch sales aren’t as important as they used to be. “Nowadays, the majority of sales for many games are generated over a long period of time in digital stores–and Control continues to sell, which is good,” he continued. “We are bringing more free and paid content to the game. It has the proven high-quality and uniqueness, and the word-of-mouth that keeps growing. There is still a big audience out there that hasn’t yet heard of Control. These are all factors that support the longer-term sales.”

Virtala expressed his satisfaction with Control’s success, especially considering it’s a new IP that was mostly self-funded. The game’s director, Mikael Kasurinen, echoed this sentiment, adding that Remedy is “extremely proud of Control, not just from the perspective of quality and creativity, but also in how we changed the culture of production and development. We haven’t done a game as fast since Max Payne 2.

“What makes it even more impressive is that Control involves a lot of new technology, a new approach to the world structure, and is also not a sequel–a rarity nowadays.”

With two story add-ons due in 2020, Remedy isn’t done with Control just yet either.

Now Playing: Control – Spoiler Chat

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