Xbox Shows Off Robot White Controller, Which Comes With Series S

The Xbox Series S has been unveiled, and the lower-spec $299 unit is set to launch on November 10 alongside the Xbox Series X. Alongside the new system, which comes in a white chassis, Microsoft has also unveiled a new controller color to match it.

The “robot white” controller is what you’ll get in the box if you buy a Series S, and aside from the color it’ll be the same as the controller included with the Series X. That means you’ll get an improved D-Pad, a textured grip across the triggers and bumpers, and a share button.

If you prefer this design to the black controller bundled in with the Series X, the good news is that this controller will be available separately, too. It’s also compatible with the Xbox One and PC, so if you just want a new controller with a share button for your current systems you can pick one up.

Individual pricing for the new controllers has not been announced yet. The Series S/X will also be compatible with Xbox One controllers, including the Elite controller.

While we now know quite a bit about Xbox’s next-gen launch, we are still waiting on a final release date and price for Sony’s PS5. Like Microsoft, Sony is releasing two versions of the console, but they will be identical except for either having or omitting a disc drive. Their new controller is the DualSense, and it seems that PS5 games will not be playable with a DualShock 4.

Now Playing: Inside The Xbox Series S – Trailer

Stardew Valley 2 Might Happen Some Day, Developer Says

Stardew Valley developer Eric Barone is currently working on Update 1.5, another huge free upgrade to the farming game. When it releases, it will include new endgame content and lots more, growing the already very generous game even further. Now Barone has touched on whether there will be more Stardew Valley–whether through more updates or a full sequel.

Speaking to Game Informer, Barone touches on the game’s future, saying that he’s not sure what’s next after 1.5, but that there will probably be more Stardew Valley. “I’m not willing to commit to Stardew Valley 1.6,” he said, but also said that he doesn’t think the next update “will be the end of Stardew Valley.” But he hasn’t decided on a path forward just yet.

I would not be surprised if there’s another Stardew Valley update, or multiple updates, or a Stardew Valley 2,” Barone said. “Who knows? There’s isn’t currently a Stardew Valley 2; after 1.5, I’ll decide what the next step for Stardew Valley is.”

Barone notes that he has other solo projects on the go right now, but that that “there will probably be another step for Stardew Valley” at some point in the future.

If you want a physical copy of Stardew Valley, you can currently pre-order this beautiful special edition.

Now Playing: Stardew Valley – Multiplayer Trailer

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GameStop Has Closed Nearly 400 Stores This Year

GameStop has closed hundreds of stores so far this year, and more closures are planned.

During the company’s latest earnings call, CFO Jim Bell confirmed all the key numbers. In the past three months, GameStop closed 206 stores worldwide. For the year to date, GameStop has closed 388 stores worldwide, and this includes shutting down all of its operations in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden.

GameStop now operates 5,122 stores globally, and this is 602 fewer than this time last year. For the current fiscal year, GameStop plans to close a total of 400-450 stores.

“These closures, along with the growth in our online business and expanded omni-channel capabilities, will allow us to more efficiently and profitably service our customers,” Bell said.

GameStop closed these stores as part of an effort to “de-densify” the business and reduce costs. The retailer also confirmed on an earnings call that it has sold its corporate jet, though the company did not confirm how much money it got for it.

GameStop lost more than $100 million for its latest quarter, which is actually significantly better than the loss of $415 million that the company lost during the same period last year.

With the PS5 and Xbox Series S/X coming soon, it’s a big year for GameStop, as the company is historically known to be a market-leader in terms of new hardware sales. GameStop will be among the many retailers that will offer the Xbox All Access subscription program for the new Xbox consoles. The company will also offering its own leasing program, management said on the call, but the full details are not available yet.

Additionally, management said on the earnings call today that they are excited that the PS5 and Xbox Series X have disc drives, which is good news for GameStop’s pre-owned business. There will also be an all-digital PS5 and a disc-free Xbox Series S console.

Now Playing: Inside The Xbox Series S – Trailer

Spider-Man: All The Upcoming Movies In The Spider-Verse We Know About

GameStop Q2 Earnings Sees Net Loss Of $111 Million, Stock Drops 4%

GameStop is the biggest video game retailer in the world, but the publicly-traded company has experienced instability in recent years due to shifts in games consumption, particularly the decline of the used game market. The company released its official earnings report for Q2 (June-August in this case) today, and while the numbers aren’t quite as dismal as last year, they’re still not promising either.

Overall, GameStop reported a net loss of $111 million, compared to $415 million from the same period last year. However, net sales dropped from $1.2 billion to $900 million–a decrease of 26.7%–which can likely be attributed in part to store closures caused by the ongoing coronavirus crisis. There was a 13% reduction in total store operating days due to COVID-19, and a 10% reduction in the overall number of stores. The company did champion a 800% increase in e-commerce sales, which represents 20% of its net sales. The company’s stock decreased by more than 4% due to the report.

GameStop made national headlines back in March when the retailer tried to declare itself an essential business, with the company’s management ordering staff to resist efforts by authorities to close their stores. GameStop later went back on this claim, closing stores to in-person retail and offering curbside pickup instead. The retailer plans to close more than 300 stores this year. The upcoming launch of the PS5 and Xbox Series X will be a boon to the company in the short-term, but it’s still unclear what effect that will have in the long-term.

Now Playing: PS5 And Series X Launch Lineup Wishlists | Generation Next

Fargo’s Chris Rock Explains How COVID Helped His Performance For Season 4

Like most movie and TV productions during the COVID-19 pandemic, FX’s Fargo came to a halt back in March while shooting Season 4. However, a new premiere date of September 27 was announced by the network last month, and this long break was actually good for the star of the new season, Chris Rock.

During an FX event for the press, Rock discussed just what it was like working on a TV show in the midst of a pandemic. “I got in the car. I kissed my wife. She went over the bridge. No that’s that Will Smith movie. I’m sorry,” Rock said during the press event, referring to Smith’s I Am Legend. “It was definitely frustrating to stop when we stopped because you feel like you’re on a roll. But you know, you’re eight shows in, and you’re also exhausted.

“It allowed me–I don’t know about everybody else–to like recharge my battery. And, you know, and I saw a couple of the episodes, I was like, ‘Okay, let me work on my game.’ I don’t know if anybody’s following basketball right now but the Miami Heat is like, ‘Oh they had a break, and now they’re better than everybody,’ even though they weren’t before–like the break helped them more than everybody else. So the break helped me. Honestly, I think my last two shows are my best.”

The transition for comedians to actors isn’t foreign, as Eddie Murphy, Whoopi Goldberg, Jim Carrey, Robin Williams, Jamie Foxx, Richard Pryor, and many others have done this with varying levels of success. When it comes to Rock, he doesn’t look at these roles as comedic or serious. “I believe everything that’s good is good because it’s taken seriously. So I don’t really like the term ‘serious acting.’ I think Jim Carrey when he’s being in Dumb and Dumber is acting funny, very seriously. I’m attracted to the storytelling and the filmmaking.”

This is, however, a different role for Rock, who plays Loy Cannon in Season 4 of FX’s Fargo. Cannon is the head of an African American crime family in 1950s Kansas City. “I was just happy to be offered a decent part that was well-rounded. I gotta say [Fargo producer] Warren Littlefield has offered me decent parts for years. And it just hasn’t worked out. And this is the first time it really worked out but aside from Warren Littlefield, no one ever offers me decent parts. It was actually great to play somebody like my age, too. It’s like I kind of got really famous at 35 or whatever 37, and everything that’s offered to me it’s like I’m kind of like a man boy. So, it was great to actually play a grown ass man.”

You can see Rock as Loy Cannon in Season 4 of Fargo when it airs on FX on Sunday, September 27 at 9 PM. The first two episodes will air that night, and subsequent Sundays will air new episodes at 10 PM, with them landing on Hulu the following day.

How To Get Wolverine’s Fortnite Skins — Week 2 Challenge Now Live

Wolverine has a special unlockable skin in the Fortnite Season 4 battle pass. Players will need to complete an additional challenge every week in order to unlock the skin and a number of other special cosmetics. Once players complete these challenges they’ll be able to take on Wolverine’s special Awakening Challenges in order to unlock a special emote for the character.

How To Unlock Wolverine’s Skins

Fortnite Season 4 Wolverine Skin
Fortnite Season 4 Wolverine Skin

Fortnite’s Wolverine skin comes in multiple styles: a standard one with his trademark yellow and blue suit and then a ‘classic’ one with a red and yellow suit. You can also unlock a special loading screen, back bling, weapon skin, icon, glider, and harvesting tool by completing the weekly Wolverine challenges.

Wolverine Unlock Requirements:

  • Wolverine
    • Buy Season 4 Battle Pass
    • Complete all Wolverine challenges

    Wolverine (Classic)

    • Buy Season 4 Battle Pass
    • Unlock the Wolverine skin
    • Complete 10 challenges from Week 5 or 6

Wolverine Challenges And Rewards

Fortnite Adamantium Slash Loading Screen
Fortnite Adamantium Slash Loading Screen

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Fortnite Season 4 Players Want To Fish In Peace

Fortnite: Chapter 2’s Season 4 is full of all sorts of exciting Marvel content. Players are fighting Stark Robots at randomly placed Quinjets while others are trying to complete Marvel Awakening Challenges to unlock special superhero cosmetics. It’s an exciting season–although some players just want to fish.

“I was fishing in [Team] Rumble the other night and someone came up and shot me, then immediately realized I wasn’t a threat and crouch apologized lol,” said Redditor Assliam. “They dropped a shield, I told them it was okay by dropping a few floppers, they left, and I continued my fishing.”

Epic added fishing to the game when it launched Chapter 2 in October 2019. The studio has steadily made fishing deeper by adding new types of fish like the Thermal Flopper that gives players thermal vision, Hop Flopper that lets them jump higher, and the Fire Flopper that makes players faster. The 14.00 update that brought all of Season 4’s Marvel changes also brought dozens of new fish species.

The studio also added an Animal Crossing-like fish catalogue for players to fill out with all the fish in-game.

Fishing is actually a viable strategy in all game modes. Grabbing a fishing pole and hunkering down near a body of water can net you rare weapons, health, and a full shield. A lot of players don’t care about winning though–they just want to finish their catalogue in a quiet section of the map far away from any fighting. Players can fish in Party Royale and the Battle Lab, but there’s something more exciting about fishing in an active server.

“I glided the entire way to the edge of the circle, far away from any fighting to fish in [Team Rumble],” said Redditor MadCapRaven. “I couldn’t even hear gunfire, I was that far away. I got one fish and cast my line for the second. Dude glides down and one-shots me. Ugh.”

This flood of peaceful fishing is part of several updates that have given Fortnite players more to do than fight. They ferried each other around as taxi drivers and even ran their own gas stations after the Joy Ride update added cars. Fortnite’s fishing system has secrets too–like the incredibly rare Mythic Fish–that some players have spent months trying to catch. People have become so hooked on trying to catch the biggest flopper among their friends that some unspoken rules have emerged.

“I have to commend the understanding of some people. There was fight between 3 or 4 [people] from each side and no one gave two shits that I was there fishing,” said Redditor DrSeuss19. “Just absolute fucken chaos around me and I just chilled there while fishing.”

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Netflix & Chills 2020: 23 Horror Titles to Watch This Halloween

It’s that time fo the year again and with so many stuck inside this season, what better way to spend your time than binging through Netflix’s latest Halloween offerings. The streaming service is promoting 23 new spooky and Halloween-themed titles to watch throughout the chilly season. Netflix has already released some of these titles with more dropping each week leading up to Halloween.

Check out the 23 titles below to see what awaits you on Netflix in the coming weeks. Netflix has also provided us with a synopsis for each of these upcoming titles.

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#Alive (Now Streaming) – Netflix Film

#Alive Netflix FilmSynopsisOh Jun-u wakes up and finds a note from his mom that says his family went on vacation without him. He turns on the TV and the news anchor says that an outbreak is spreading nationwide, with the infected showing signs of cannibalism. Suddenly wifi is disconnected and what Jun-u can only hear is his father’s message that he must stay alive. The world goes crazy and everything is destroyed by the zombies. After more than 15 days without any social connection, Jun-u notices a laser beam coming from outside of his balcony window. Kim Yu-bin who lives on the other side of the apartment complex is the one with the laser pointer. They try to communicate using hand signals, determined to find ways to escape from an apartment complex which is now full of zombies.

The Babysitter: Killer Queen (Sept. 10) – Netflix Film 

The Babysitter: Killer Queen Netflix FilmSynopsisTwo years after defeating a satanic cult led by his babysitter Bee, Cole continues to be haunted by the horrific events of that night. Everyone in his life thinks he has lost his mind since Bee and all of her friends disappeared, making Cole’s story hard to believe. He is still hopelessly smitten with his best friend and next-door neighbor Melanie – the only one who believes his story  – who convinces him to forget the past and come to a party thrown at a nearby lake. But when old enemies unexpectedly return, Cole will once again have to outsmart the forces of evil and survive the night.

The Paramedic (Sept. 16) – Netflix Film

The Paramedic Netflix FilmSynopsisAfter an accident leaves him confined to a wheelchair and wallowing in depression unable to face his new life, Angel decides to channel his rage, getting even with those who, in his eyes, has betrayed him. Particularly the woman who left him when he needed her the most.

The Binding (Oct. 2) – Netflix Film

The Binding Netflix FilmSynopsisWhile visiting her fiancé’s mother in southern Italy, a woman must fight the mysterious and malevolent curse intent on claiming her daughter.

Vampires vs. The Bronx (Oct. 2) – Netflix Film

Vampires vs. The Bronx Netflix FilmSynopsisA group of young friends from the Bronx fight to save their neighborhood from a band of vampires.

Hubie Halloween (Oct. 7) – Netflix Film

Hubie Halloween Netflix FilmSynopsisHubie Dubois (Adam Sandler) thanklessly spends every Halloween making sure the residents of his hometown, Salem, celebrate safely and play by the rules. But this year, an escaped criminal and a mysterious new neighbor have Hubie on high alert. When people start disappearing, it’s up to Hubie to convince the police (Kevin James, Kenan Thompson) and townsfolk that the monsters are real, and only he can stop them. Hubie Halloween is a hilarious family film about an unlikely hero with an all-star cast including Julie Bowen, Ray Liotta, Noah Schnapp, Steve Buscemi, and Maya Rudolph, produced by Happy Madison.

A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting (Oct. 14) – Netflix Film

A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting Netflix FilmSynopsisWhen high school freshman Kelly Ferguson (Tamara Smart) reluctantly agrees to babysit Jacob Zellman (Ian Ho) on Halloween, the last thing she expects is to be recruited into an international secret society of babysitters who protect kids with special powers from monsters. To keep Jacob safe from harm, Kelly teams with no-nonsense chapter Vice President Liz Lerue (Oona Laurence), tech genius Berna Vincent (Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson), creature expert Cassie Zhen (Lynn Masako Cheng), and potions master Curtis Critter (Ty Consiglio) to defeat a Boogeyman known as “The Grand Guignol” (Tom Felton), a glamorous witch named “Peggy Drood” (Indya Moore) and their legion of mysterious monsters. Based on the first installment of Joe Ballarini’s popular scary book series of the same name,  A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting is directed by Rachel Talalay, produced by Ivan Reitman and Amie Karp, with Naia Cucukov, Tom Pollock, and Ilona Herzberg executive producing. Alessio Scalzotto, Tamsen McDonough, Ashton Arbab, Crystal Balint, and Ricky He also co-stars in this action-packed adventure about working together to overcome your fears.

Rebecca (Oct. 21) – Netflix Films

Rebecca Netflix FilmSynopsisAfter a whirlwind romance in Monte Carlo with handsome widower Maxim de Winter (Armie Hammer), a newly married young woman (Lily James) arrives at Manderley, her new husband’s imposing family estate on a windswept English coast. Naive and inexperienced, she begins to settle into the trappings of her new life but finds herself battling the shadow of Maxim’s first wife, the elegant and urbane Rebecca, whose haunting legacy is kept alive by Manderley’s sinister housekeeper Mrs. Danvers (Kristin Scott Thomas). Directed by Ben Wheatley (High Rise, Free Fire) and produced by Working Title Films (Emma, Darkest Hour), REBECCA is a mesmerizing and gorgeously rendered psychological thriller based on Daphne du Maurier’s beloved 1938 gothic novel.

Cadaver (Oct. 22) – Netflix Film

Cadaver Netflix FilmSynopsisCadaver is a Norwegian psychological horror film that takes us on a journey where humanity is being put to a test and stars among others Gitte Witt, Thorbjørn Harr, Thomas Gullestad) and Kingsford Siayor. In the starving aftermath of a nuclear disaster, Leonora (Gitte Witt), Jacob (Thomas Gullestad), and their daughter Alice (Tuva Olivia Remman) are on the edge of survival. One day, the local hotel invites survivors to attend a theatre play, with a meal included, as a charitable effort to help those in need. Left with no choice, the family of three decide to go to the hotel, where the director, Mathias (Thorbjørn Harr), introduces the entire hotel as the stage. Attendees are given masks to help separate them from actors, but the play takes an eerie turn when audience members start to disappear. The line between reality and theatre quickly gets blurred, until Alice disappears in front of Leo and Jacob, and there’s no longer room for doubt: Something is very wrong with Mathias’ hotel.

Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight (Oct. 28) – Netflix Film

Screen Shot 2020-09-09 at 2.45.54 PMSynopsisAddicted to technology, a group of teens attends a rehabilitation camp in the forest, but a sinister force there intends to take them offline forever. From 1-2-3 Production.

His House (Oct. 30) – Netflix Film

His House Netflix FilmSynopsisAfter making a harrowing escape from war-torn South Sudan, a young refugee couple struggles to adjust to their new life in a small English town that has an unspeakable evil lurking beneath the surface.

The Day of the Lord (Oct. 30) – Netflix Film

The Day of the Lord Netflix FilmSynopsis

Menéndez is a retired priest who lives in his dark and ruinous apartment turning his back on the world. He suffers from a crisis of faith and is haunted by horrible nightmares and acts of his past that torture him.

One day, he receives the visit from Sebastián, an old friend who knows Menéndez’s past business. He claims his daughter is possessed by the devil and begs for Menéndez’s help to exorcise her, although he’s well aware of the aggressive methods the priest uses.

Pushed by Sebastián’s insistence and his inner conflict, Menéndez takes this case as a chance for redemption. He has a new goal in life but is she really possessed or will she suffer a senseless torture?

Ratched (Sept. 18) – Netflix Original Series

Ratched Netflix Original Series

SynopsisFrom Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, RATCHED is a suspenseful drama series that tells the origin story of asylum nurse Mildred Ratched. In 1947, Mildred arrives in Northern California to seek employment at a leading psychiatric hospital where new and unsettling experiments have begun on the human mind. On a clandestine mission, Mildred presents herself as the perfect image of what a dedicated nurse should be, but the wheels are always turning and as she begins to infiltrate the mental health care system and those within it, Mildred’s stylish exterior belies a growing darkness that has long been smoldering within, revealing that true monsters are made, not born.

Oktoberfest: Beer & Blood (Oct. 1) – Netflix Original Series

Oktoberfest: Beer & Blood Netflix Original Series

Synopsis1900: A rich newcomer with a shady past arrives in Munich determined to crash the local Oktoberfest with his own brewery. But when his daughter falls in love with the heir to a rival brewery, a violent chain of events is unleashed that will threaten both families’ futures.

To the Lake (Oct. 7) – Netflix Original Series

To the Lake Netflix Original Series

SynopsisFacing the end of civilization when a terrifying plague strikes, a group risks their lives, loves — and humanity — in a brutal struggle to survive. From Akson Studio.

The Haunting of Bly Manor (Oct. 9) – Netflix Original Series

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SynopsisFrom The Haunting of Hill House creator Mike Flanagan and producer Trevor Macy comes THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR, the next highly-anticipated chapter of The Haunting anthology series, set in 1980s England. After an au pair’s tragic death, Henry Wingrave (Henry Thomas) hires a young American nanny (Victoria Pedretti) to care for his orphaned niece and nephew (Amelie Bea Smith, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) who reside at Bly Manor with the estate’s chef Owen (Rahul Kohli), groundskeeper Jamie (Amelia Eve) and housekeeper, Mrs. Grose (T’Nia Miller). But all is not as it seems at the manor, and centuries of dark secrets of love and loss are waiting to be unearthed in this chilling gothic romance. At Bly Manor, dead doesn’t mean gone.

La Révolution (Sometime in October) – Netflix Original Series

La Revolution Netflix Original Series

Synopsis1787, France. While investigating a series of mysterious murders, Joseph Guillotin – the future inventor of the world-famous ‘Guillotine’ – uncovers an unknown virus: the Blue Blood. The disease, quickly spreads amongst the French aristocracy, driving them to murder ordinary people and soon leads to a rebellion… What if the French Revolution didn’t happen the way we were told?

Unsolved Mysteries: Volume 2 (Oct. 19) – Netflix Original Series

Unsolved Mysteries: Volume 2 Netflix Original Series

SynopsisIn six new episodes, Unsolved Mysteries profiles more unexplained disappearances, tragic events, and bizarre occurrences.  Perhaps one viewer holds the key to solving these cases. Detectives, journalists, and family members offer intriguing theories in this gripping series, from the creators of the original docuseries, Cosgrove/Meurer Productions, and 21 Laps Entertainment, the producers of Stranger Things.

The Worst Witch: Season 4 (Oct. 1) – Netflix Original Series

The Worst Witch Season 4 Netflix Original Series

SynopsisA series of challenges push Mildred and Ethel’s magical powers to the limit as they compete for the honor of being named Head Girl.

A Go! Go! Cory Carson Halloween (Oct. 2) – Netflix Original Series

A Go! Go! Cory Carson Halloween Netflix Original Series

SynopsisCory, Chrissy, and Freddie are on the hunt for king-sized candy bars this Halloween! But are all the treats worth the trek to the spooky side of town?

StarBeam: Halloween Hero (Oct. 6) – Netflix Original Series

StarBeam Netflix Original Series

Synopsis: Greedy Captain Fishbeard is stealing everybody’s Halloween treats for himself, but StarBeam and Boost have some tricks up their sleeves to save the day!

Super Monsters: Dia de los Monsters (Oct. 9) – Netflix Original Series

Super Monsters: Dia de los Monster Netflix Original Series

SynopsisSuper Monsters visit Vida’s home town for a Dia De Los Muertos parade where they meet some new Super Monsters.

The Last Kids on Earth: Book 3 (Oct. 16) – Netflix Original Series

The Last Kids on Earth Netflix Original Series

SynopsisAs the four pals continue to live it up with their monster allies, Jack worries a newly discovered radio transmitter may put an end to the fun.

Other titles include:

  • Available Oct. 1: A.M.I., Cape Fear, Evil: Season 1, House of 1,000 Corpses, We Have Always Lived in the Castle
  • Available Oct. 16: Unfriended
  • Available Oct. 18: ParaNorman

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Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.