biteho.com

While Andy Serkis was only just named director of the upcoming sequel to the Venom movie, lots of work is being done on the project already. Serkis appeared at the TCA press tour to discuss his upcoming turn as the Ghost of Christmas Past in FX’s A Christmas Carol, and also took the time to speak briefly about the film.

“I’m right in the beginning stages, so I’ve got some very clear ideas about the journey, [and what] I’d like to see visually, and how we can take the characters into another direction,” he explained.

However, Serkis also revealed that Tom Hardy, who stars as the titular Venom, is hard at work on the film’s story. “Tom was very involved with the writing–with [screenwriter] Kelly Marcel–of the new story,” he said. “So it’s very much centered around their take.”

For now, though, Serkis is simply looking forward to what’s to come. “I’m excited to work with all the great actors who are involved. It’s a fantastic franchise,” he said. “I’m really honored to have been asked to direct it. And it feels like it’s a very, again, very contemporary story. And it’s I think it’s going to be, hopefully, a story piece of cinema.”

Still, even with a massive project like Venom on the horizon, Serkis has no plans to stop acting altogether to focus on directing. “I love doing both. I absolutely love doing both,” he admitted. “And man, it’s a wonderful thing to be able to go from the intimacy of playing a single character and seeing the world through that character’s point of view to stepping back and envisioning and being part of creating, you know, the whole picture.”

A release date for Venom 2 has not been officially announced.

The old adage “good things don’t last forever” could not be more accurate, as Capcom has announced that DuckTales Remastered will leave digital storefronts very soon. The classic platformer is scheduled to be delisted beginning Thursday, August 8.

In a blog post on Capcom’s official website, the publisher explains DuckTales Remastered will be “75% off on most platforms” before getting removed digitally. It will remain purchasable until August 8 at 5 PM PT (for Xbox 360 and Xbox One via backwards compatibility), August 9 at 8 AM PT (for PS3), and August 9 at 4:59 PM PT (for Wii U). PC doesn’t have a specified date, but DuckTales Remastered will be delisted at 4:59 PM PT on the platform.

Capcom notes that those who bought DuckTales Remastered digitally can redownload it even after its removal (unlike Konami’s P.T., which was totally removed from the PlayStation Store back in May 2015). Further, those who own physical versions can install and play as normal. DuckTales Remastered can be purchased physically for $10 USD (on the Wii U) or $15 USD (on the other platforms) at GameStop.

In our DuckTales Remastered review, we said, “WayForward Technologies focused on the wrong elements in their attempt to bring DuckTales to the modern era. Getting the cartoon voice actors to reprise their roles is kind of neat, but now there are way too many tedious story segments. Meanwhile, the action has been made worse because of the less responsive controls, and there haven’t been any elements added to make the simple combat and jumping more interesting. DuckTales Remastered will make you doubt happy memories from your childhood, or leave you baffled as to why people were nostalgic for such dull platforming in the first place.”

The final Pokemon Go Fest of the summer is now underway in Yokohama, Japan. As part of the event, special Pokemon like Shiny Poliwag and hat-wearing Pikachu are spawning in the wild around the world, but players at the venue have spotted another unusual sight: Team Rocket Leader Giovanni.

It appears the enigmatic Team Rocket boss is photobombing pictures that are taken using Pokemon Go’s AR Snapshot function. A similar situation occurred during Chicago’s Pokemon Go Fest this past this past June. During that event, Team Rocket grunts would similarly appear in screenshots that players took at the venue.

As we know, the villainous team would make their proper debut in the game several weeks after Chicago’s Pokemon Go Fest, which suggests that Giovanni is likewise on his way to the game. What his exact role will be is still unclear, but it seems like a safe bet that players will somehow be able to challenge him to a battle.

Team Rocket grunts are still periodically appearing in Pokemon Go. The evil trainers can be found at certain PokeStops, and when the Photo Disc at one of these stops is spun, they’ll emerge from hiding and challenge players to a battle using their Shadow Pokemon. If players can defeat the Rocket grunt, they’ll have a chance to rescue one of their Shadow Pokemon, which can then be purified for various benefits. You can read more in our Team Rocket Shadow Pokemon guide.

Even if you aren’t able to attend Yokohama’s Pokemon Go Fest in-person, you still have a chance to take part in the festivities. As previously mentioned, Shiny Poliwag will appear in the wild around the world for the duration of the event, and each day you’ll have another chance to capture a Pikachu wearing a different hat. Niantic is also holding global challenges that all players can contribute to, with another chance to encounter the Legendary Suicune awaiting if the challenge goals can be met.

In addition to Pokemon Go Fest, a gift-themed event is now underway in Pokemon Go. As part of the event, you’ll have a chance to hatch a Shiny Bonsly from the Eggs you receive in gifts. Rayquaza has also returned to Raid Battles until September 2, and this time, you may encounter its Shiny form. If you need help taking the Legendary on, be sure to check out our Rayquaza guide.

Apex Legends is changing the game for a limited time starting next week. The battle royale game has always been multiplayer-only, but for a while you can try to make a name for yourself all by yourself.

Respawn promoted the “Iron Crown Collection Event” on Twitter, teasing that the Solos mode will launch August 13 and end on August 27. A Reddit post from community manager Jay Frechette said that the team will be watching the community’s reaction and gauging feedback to the new mode.

“We’ll talk more about Solos when it’s live and you’ve had a chance to play it,” Frechette said. “For now we’re going to put it out there and see what happens and what kind of feedback we get.”

This would appear to be the fulfillment of a recent promise during an earnings call to “deliver one of the most fan-requested features” in an August event. At the time the community suspected it could be a solos mode. This event is coming in-between seasons, as Season 3 is set to launch sometime before the end of September. In the same earnings call, EA CEO Andrew Wilson said Season 3 is “shaping up to be even bigger” than Season 2.

We’re also expecting to see something else from Respawn in late September. The studio is planning to reveal a VR game at Oculus Connect, which is scheduled for September 25-26. Respawn has already said this isn’t its “premium” Titanfall game, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that this won’t be set in the Titanfall universe. It has had success in expanding the universe with Apex Legends, so the studio may be planning to do it again.

After the twin-shootings in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas that left 31 people dead and many others injured over the weekend, President Donald Trump and other government officials have pointed the finger to video games as the cause for the mass shootings. Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick disagrees, succinctly calling these politicians “disrespectful” in the wake of the mass shootings.

In an interview with Barron’s (via Business Insider), Zelnick called on government officials to address the “uniquely American” problem that is gun violence. “We’re just sickened and saddened by these senseless tragedies,” Zelnick said. “That said, blaming entertainment is irresponsible. Moreover, it is highly disrespectful to the victims and their families. The fact is entertainment is consumed world-wide…but gun violence is uniquely American. So we need to address the real issues.”

On Monday, August 5, President Trump asked for society to stop glorifying violence. He gave a speech suggesting that “the gruesome and grizzly video games that are now commonplace” are why mass shootings are becoming normalized.

The Entertainment Software Association (the organization behind E3) refuted President Trump’s statement, saying “numerous scientific studies have established that there is no causal connection between video games and violence.” The organization told GameSpot that “more than 165 million Americans enjoy video games, and billions of people play video games worldwide. Yet other societies, where video games are played as avidly, do not contend with the tragic levels of violence that occur in the US.”

Blaming entertainment–especially video games–as the cause for violent acts in society is not new. Back in the 1990s, former U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman spearheaded a campaign against titles like Grand Theft Auto and Mortal Kombat. At the time, Lieberman called on the regulation of violent video games, saying, “The player is rewarded for attacking a woman, pushing her to the ground, kicking her repeatedly and then ultimately killing her, shooting her over and over again. I call on the entertainment companies–they’ve got a right to do that, but they have a responsibility not to do it if we want to raise the next generation of our sons to treat women with respect.”

Disclosure: Strauss Zelnick was appointed to chairman of the CBS board of directors in 2018. CBS is the parent company of GameSpot and CBSi.

In the wake of two mass shootings over the weekend in the US, which together left more than 30 people dead and over 50 injured, President Trump has blamed social media, mental illness, and video games for the numbers of similar tragedies that have gripped the country in recent months and years.

“We must stop the glorification of violence in our society,” the president said. “This includes the gruesome and grisly video games that are now commonplace. It is too easy today for troubled youth to surround themselves with a culture that celebrates violence. We must stop or substantially reduce this, and it has to begin immediately.”

In response, industry body the Entertainment Software Association has disputed the claim that video games contribute to real-world violence. “As we shared at the White House video game meeting in March 2018, numerous scientific studies have established that there is no causal connection between video games and violence,” the organization told GameSpot. “More than 165 million Americans enjoy video games, and billions of people play video games worldwide. Yet other societies, where video games are played as avidly, do not contend with the tragic levels of violence that occur in the US.”

The shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio took place over the weekend. They killed 22 and nine people, respectively. Prior to his attack, which took place in a Walmart store, the suspected Texas shooter Patrick Crusius reportedly wrote: “Don’t attack heavily guarded areas to fulfill your super-soldier CoD fantasy. Attack low-security targets.”

Prior to Trump’s comments, the International Game Developers Association and its affiliated Foundation issued a joint statement distancing video games from the latest attacks. “Our deepest condolences and hearts go out to the victims and families affected by the tragic events in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas,” the two organizations wrote. “Society has endured too many senseless acts of violence and horrific mass shootings. Blaming video games distracts from the broader issues at hand. There is an overwhelming amount of research that finds there is no evidence linking video games to violence. Video games do not cause violence, and we support efforts to discontinue this misguided information.”

As CBS News points out, there have been more mass shootings than days in the US this year, leaving 8,796 people dead from gun wounds in 2019 alone. While Trump was quick to blame social media, mental illness, and video games, all three are found across the world with far fewer shooting incidents elsewhere. More firearms are found per resident in the US–where there are 1.2 guns per person–than in any other country.