New Anthem Trailer Breaks Down Javelin Customization And Progression

BioWare released a new trailer for Anthem, its upcoming third-person shooter/action RPG. The video is the first part of a series devoted to explaining the gameplay mechanics and features of Anthem.

In this first part, BioWare discusses the upcoming game’s story, progression, and customization. The bulk of the video is devoted to the latter two topics, and discusses the different playstyles, loadouts, and abilities of Anthem’s four Javelins: Ranger, Interceptor, Colossus, and Storm.

You’ll start with the Ranger in Anthem, but you’ll have the chance to build all four Javelins–and multiple versions of them too–by the time you’re done with the game’s story. Ranger is built for precision play, relying on a variety of abilities and weapons to target specific enemies. Interceptor is fast and has the strongest melee attacks, allowing it to launch into battle and deal massive damage before ducking out of harm’s way. Colossus is best suited for the front lines, and can withstand devastating attacks with its heavy armor and massive shield. Finally, Storm’s elemental attacks makes it one of the most powerful Javelins, but it’s lack of armor ensures it remains a glass cannon.

Each Javelin can be customized to fulfill multiple roles. Ranger, for example, can be outfitted to survive on its own with a balanced assortment of weapons for solo play. However, if playing with a team, you could either customize the suit with tech that makes it your squad’s damage dealer or pick support abilities that ensures everyone remains alive.

BioWare ended the trailer promising that the next part in the series would offer details on “the expanding shared world of Anthem and its massive end game, including a look at [the game’s] strongholds.”

Anthem is scheduled to release on February 22 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. If you pre-order the game, you can play an exclusive VIP demo on January 25.

Netflix Talks About Competing With Fortnite

Having increased its number of subscribers and overall revenue for the latest quarter, Netflix is doing quite well as of late. But now the company says it could have done even better if it weren’t for a little game called Fortnite.

In the “Competition” section of a letter to investors today, Netflix succinctly said, “We compete with (and lose to) Fortnite more than HBO” as it relates to screen time.

Analyst Michael Pachter of Wedbush Securities thinks Netflix’s popularity measurement against Netflix was “downright idiotic.” Time is a finite commodity, and Pachter points out that Netflix also competes against school, work, and defecating.

Not everyone agrees with Pachter’s point, however, as Amazon Studios’ former head of strategy Matthew Ball argues that Fortnite’s huge popularity is impacting Netflix. He shared how he probably would have finished the new season of Narcos were it not for all the time he spent playing Fortnite. Looking at your own life, you can probably remember a time when your latest obsession–be it a video game or anything else–impacted how much time you spent with another activity. It’s impossible to confirm specifically how Fortnite is impacting Netflix viewing, but few games have ever been as popular as Fortnite, so there has surely been some effect.

For its part, Netflix acknowledged that there are “thousands of competitors” in the marketplace trying to entertain consumers, and Fortnite is just one of them. The company said it is not focused on responding to competitors but rather on improving the experience and value of the offering, which would theoretically get more people to sign up.

Netflix has 139 million subscribers by the network’s latest count. The company continues to pour money into new, original shows to help separate itself from the onslaught of new competitors in the streaming space. One of Netflix’s newest shows is Space Force from Steve Carell and other key minds behind The Office.

Would You Pay More For SNES On Switch? – NVC EP 440

Weeeeeelcooooome to Nintendo Voice Chat Episode 440!

On this week’s show, Brian AltanoPeer SchneiderZachary Ryan, and Max Scoville talk about the potential of Super Nintendo games being added to Nintendo’s NES Online app as well as their overall online service charge. Long story short, an alleged data mine on Switch points to the possibilities of SNES games coming to Nintendo’s wildly successful console/handheld hybrid.

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Netflix Calls Fortnite a Bigger Competitor Than HBO

In a quarterly report released today, Netflix claimed that it competes for screen time with Fortnite more than it does HBO.

In the report, Netflix discussed its penetration into overall screen time, which includes TVs and mobile devices that are used for television and movie viewing, video games, and more. Netflix said, “We earn consumer screen time, both mobile and television, away from a very broad set of competitors. We compete with (and lose to) Fortnite more than HBO.”

While the comparison may seem odd, as Netflix is clearly more in line content-wise with HBO, this comment is all about overall consumer screen time, so anything taking up a TV or mobile device, including video games, is seen as competition in this realm. With Fortnite being one of the most popular games in the world, it’s naturally eating into competing services’ screen times.

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Action Comics #1000 Was the Top-Selling Comic of 2018

Diamond Comics recently revealed the best-selling comics and graphic novels of 2018. Superman proved to be the mightiest hero of them all, as Action Comics #1000 beat out all challengers to become the top-selling comic of 2018.

According to Comichron’s estimates, Action Comics #1000 sold a total of 504,243 copies last year. That issue’s success was fueled both by the Man of Steel’s 80th anniversary and the fact that it featured the first DC work by writer Brian Michael Bendis since ending his exclusive contract with Marvel.

Amazing Spider-Man #800 followed in second place, with an estimated 439,465 copies sold, followed by the wedding-centric Batman #50 at 412,541 copies sold.

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A Monopoly Movie Is Coming, And Kevin Hart Will Star In It

Yet another classic board game is being turned into a movie, as Hunger Games studio Lionsgate is making a Monopoly film, and now we’ve learned who will star in it.

Actor and comedian Kevin Hart, who has made headlines recently for his past tweets that got him fired as the newest Oscars host, will star in a live-action version of the board game that destroys relationships and family bonds.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film has been in the works for more than a decade already, and it’s been through what’s described as a “hellish development process.” The latest script is said to involve a woman and her young son who go back in time to thwart a corrupt businessman. Whether or not that’s still the story for this newest version with Hart is unclear.

When the movie was officially announced in 2015, Lionsgate released a synopsis that is either the best or the worst depending on your attitude. Here it is:

“The story centers on a boy from Baltic Avenue who uses both Chance and Community in a quest to make his fortune, taking him on a fun, adventure-filled journey. It’s about making your own luck, what makes you truly rich and, of course, avoiding Jail time!”

It was previously announced that Andrew Niccol, who picked up an Academy Award nomination for The Truman Show, would write the screenplay for the Monopoly movie, but it’s not clear if he remains attached. According to a press release, the movie will be a “big, crowd-pleasing event film.”

Lionsgate goes on to say that the Monopoly movie will be “a film for all ages, visually sumptuous, heartwarming, and full of action and adventure.”

Monopoly is just the latest board game to be spun into a movie. The Peter Berg-directed Battleship movie starring Alexander Skarsgard, Rihanna, Liam Neeson, and Taylor Kitsch, was released in 2012. Before that, there were films based on Dungeons & Dragons, Ouija, and Clue. Looking ahead, movies based on Tetris and Catan are in the works.

As for Hart, one of his next big movies is the sequel to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which is also based on a board game.

Netflix Reveals Viewership Numbers on New Releases

Netflix’s original and syndicated programing has been exploding lately, and the streaming giant has shared just how successful its last few months have been.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix’s subscriber base has reached 139 million accounts worldwide. Revenue for the last three months of 2018 was up 27 percent, reaching a total of $4.19 billion.

Leading the charge for this success is Sandra Bullock and Susanne Bier’s Netflix original thriller Bird Box, which according to Netflix Film’s Twitter account has been viewed by over 80 million accounts, up from over 45 million in its first week.

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