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Showing posts from June, 2019

Avengers: Endgame Makes $5.5 Million With Re-Release, As Toy Story 4 Stays No. 1 At US Box Office

The latest box office report is in, and Disney's Toy Story 4 was again the best-performing movie of the weekend in the United States and Canada. It made $57.9 million over the Friday-Sunday period, falling 52 percent from its opening-weekend haul of $118 million last weekend . Toy Story 4 has now made $236.9 million in the US/Canada so far. Globally, Toy Story 4 has now made $496.5 million. All of the box office numbers come from Entertainment Weekly . In other news, Annabelle Comes Home landed at No. 2 with $20.4 million. It's the worst-performing Conjuring universe movie to date; and that includes the earlier Annabelle movies that opened in the US and Canada to $37.1 million and $35 million respectively. Another notable premiere was the re-release of Avengers: Endgame. It made $5.5 million, and combined with more money from overseas, its total box office stands at $2.76 billion. It's about $27 million behind Avatar ($2.78 billion) for the all-time record, and box offic
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Avengers: Endgame's Re-Release Not Enough To Dethrone Avatar

Avengers: Endgame returned to theatres this weekend with bonus footage , but it still hasn't passed Avatar as the biggest box office smash of all time--and it may never. That's according to "box office insiders" who spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the matter. The re-release pulled in $5.5 million in the US and Canada this weekend and a further $2.3 million from overseas markets. In total, Endgame has now made $2.76 billion worldwide. That's about $27 million short of Avatar's $2.78 billion record. The box office insiders told THR that Endgame will not surpass Avatar in the immediate future, if ever. The suggestion there is that it's theoretically possible the movie will be re-released again down the road, though nothing is confirmed. After all, Avatar was re-released after it initially premiered, and that second run helped it make $33 million more. Endgame returned to theatres not only in an attempt to catch up to Avatar's box office record,
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Amazon's Lord Of The Rings Show To Film In New Zealand

Amazon's new Lord of the Rings TV show will film in New Zealand, just as Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies did. This is according to The New Zealand Herald , which reports that a "huge" part of the show will be made in the country; Auckland and Queenstown were specifically called out as potential filming locations. An Auckland films industry senior member told the publication that at least two different New Zealand film production companies, Kumeu Film Studios and Auckland Film Studios, are already doing pre-production work on the show. In fact, it's reported they've been working for more than a year already on the project in various endeavors such as building studio locations. It was previously rumored that the Amazon Lord of the Rings TV show may film in Scotland. It's still possible the production will shoot in other locations outside of New Zealand. The NZ Herald reported that a "huge" part, but presumably not all, woul
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How Apex Legends' Daily And Weekly Challenges Will Work

Respawn Entertainment has detailed the Apex Legends Season 2 Battle Pass challenge system. On the game's website lead product manager Lee Horn said the implementation "should allow for significantly greater Battle Pass progress with less grind over less time for players who return on a regular basis and maximize their challenge resets." Challenges for Apex Legends will be split into two types: daily and weekly, and completing them will contribute towards leveling up your Battle Pass. To minimize the grind, Respawn has said over half of the challenges will grant a Battle Pass level. The rest of the challenges will grant the player Stars which, when combined with match experience points, will work towards fulfilling a repeatable weekly challenge that also grants a full Battle Pass level with each completion. Importantly, Horn notes that Stars are XP specific to the Battle Pass and don't impact account level progression. Daily challenges come in the form of three tas
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God Of War Reboot Considered Dropping Kratos -- "He's Annoying, He's Done"

The God of War reboot for PlayStation nearly cut Atreus , and now game director has confirmed that there were discussions about doing away with the main hero as well. In an appearance at Gamelab in Spain this week, Barlog said people were telling him that Kratos had to go. "Early in discussion, people were saying we had to get rid of Kratos," Barlog said, as reported by Eurogamer . "It was like, 'He's annoying, he's done.'" Barlog went on to say that Kratos was purposefully designed at the start of the series to be unlikeable. Some people on the team thought it was time for him to go, Barlog said. Developers suggested they create a new protagonist. In the end, Barlog got his way in part because he came up with a story about Kratos' evolution and rescuing himself from his dark desires. Kratos does star in the new God of War for PS4, and his relationship with Atreus was among the most meaningful and interesting elements of the title. "It
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Call Of Duty: Black Ops Dev Responds To Report About Working Conditions

Call of Duty: Black Ops developer Treyarch has responded to a Kotaku report in which numerous developers reveal what they describe as a brutal work environment. Studio heads Dan Bunting and Mark Gordon released an email to staff in the wake of the report, informing employees that they are planning "significant improvements" for work-life balance. The email goes on to state that Treyarch plans to improve working conditions through "better project planning, streamlined production processes, and rigorous decision-making timelines." Bunting and Gordon added that they are committed to "increased transparency." The studio heads encouraged developers to speak with their managers if they have concerns, and if that doesn't work, they should reach out to Bunting and Gordon. "Game development is a wildly complex art and it requires a diverse set of people and skill sets to do it successfully. It's important for all of us to foster a studio culture t
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Surely A Big Coincidence That Target Announces Its Own Big Sale At The Same Time As Amazon Prime Day

Target is taking direct aim at Amazon Prime Day by launching its own storewide Deal Days sale, which competes directly with Amazon's mega annual sale on July 15 and 16. As if the dates didn't make clear enough Target's intent here, no membership is required to take advantage of the sale, alluding to Amazon requiring a Prime subscription to take advantage of its sale. Target REDcard holders will also get an additional 5% off of everything, and there will be free, two-day shipping on all orders $35 and up (and all orders period for REDcard holders). We'll keep you posted on all the best gaming and tech offers as the dates grow closer, both for Target Deal Days and Amazon Prime Day. In the meantime, Target is now offering a sale with 30% off games for PS4, Xbox One, and Switch if you order online and then pick-up in the store. Soon after Target announced Deal Days, Amazon revealed that it is matching prices on many of the games included in Target's pick-up sale, bu
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Amazon Just Hijacked Some Great Switch, PS4, And Xbox Game Deals From Target

Target is offering deep discounts on games this week to encourage use of its in-store pickup feature. The 30% off is a sweet deal if you can make it out to a store, but if you're not near a Target or just don't feel like making the trip, Amazon is price-matching many of the same deals. And since it's Amazon, you don't need to go anywhere. The result is some great deals on games for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. To take advantage of the Target deals, you'll need to order online and select "Order Pickup" at checkout. The feature lets you swing by a Target store and grab your purchase at the customer service area. If you don't mind waiting a few days, though, you can get many of the same deals through Amazon. There is one wrinkle, though. Amazon's sale price doesn't reflect the discount price, but many of the games have coupons and other promotions that take off the difference and match Target's sale prices. Some promotional prices ar
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A New Fallout 76 Patch Is Out Now

During Bethesda's E3 2019 press conference , we learned about a new expansion coming to Fallout 76 . The Wastelanders DLC doesn't land until this fall, but the online action-RPG has received a new update for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One that addresses a variety of issues, including graphics, loot, performance, and more. Patch 10.5 went live Tuesday, June 25, and is a little under 3GB on console and 1GB on PC. The fixes are geared toward all game modes, with a handful specifically targeting Nuclear Winter , a battle royale beta mode which has seen an extension . Bethesda has outlined several fixes in the graphics department, like changing the blocky appearance of some shadows, dealing with visual corruptions on the Storm wall, and making adjustments to the Power Armor's headlamp eye color. Additionally, lighting inside Vault 51 is brighter, which should make navigation more manageable. Loot has seen some alterations as well, such as adjustments to the rate of supply c
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Pokemon Go July Community Day Details, Featured Pokemon Announced

Now that June is nearly behind us, Pokemon Go developer Niantic has shared the first details for the game's next Community Day. July's event will take place on Sunday, July 21, and this time around, the featured Pokemon will be another starter from Ruby and Sapphire : Mudkip. Throughout July's Community Day, Mudkip will appear in the wild much more frequently than it normally does, making this a good opportunity to stock up on Mudkip Candy. You'll also have your first opportunity to catch a Shiny Mudkip during the event, and any Mudkip you evolve all the way into its final form, Swampert, up to an hour after the Community Day ends will know an event-exclusive move it couldn't otherwise learn in the game, although Niantic hasn't announced what that is yet. On top of increased Mudkip spawns, Niantic is offering a couple of bonuses during July's Community Day as well. As usual, any Lure Module you use during the event will remain active for three hours rathe
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Amazing Game Of Thrones Complete Series Box Set Details Revealed

Game of Thrones might have completed its run on HBO, but many fans will still want to own the final season on Blu-ray and DVD. Details have now been revealed of Season 8's upcoming physical release, as well as an amazing set which collects the entire series. All of these sets are due to arrive in December. The biggest release is Game of Thrones: The Complete Collection. As well as including all eight seasons of the show, this collection includes the exclusive Game of Thrones: Reunion Special, a two-part reunion show with cast members from the final season. Hosted by Conan O'Brien, this special was filmed in front of a live audience and features stars such as Kit Harington, Emilia Clarke, and Sophie Turner, plus former cast members like Sean Bean, Jason Momoa, and Mark Addy. The Complete Collection also features a wealth of bonus content. These include all-new deleted and extended scenes, animated histories, behind-the-scene featurettes, audio commentaries, and the documenta
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Nintendo, Sony, And Microsoft Write Joint Letter Opposing Trump Tariffs

The three major console manufacturers--Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony--have penned a joint letter voicing their opposition for tariffs that would impact Chinese goods including game consoles . The three say the proposed tariffs on video game consoles would cause harm to consumers, developers, retailers, and manufacturers, risk job losses in the industry, and stifle innovation. "While we appreciate the Administration's efforts to protect U.S. intellectual property and preserve U.S. high-tech leadership, the disproportionate harm caused by these tariffs to U.S. consumers and businesses will undermine—not advance—these goals," the letter states. The letter goes on to note that in 2018, more than 96% of video game consoles imported in the US were manufactured in China, and that moving 100% of manufacturing to the US or another country would cause "significant supply chain disruption" and increase costs "even beyond the cost of the proposed tariffs." &qu
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July 2019 PS Plus: The Free PS4 Games Available Next Month

Sony has revealed the games PlayStation Plus subscribers will be able to download for free in July. The first is something for the sports fans out there: Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 , while the second is Horizon Chase Turbo , which is described on the PlayStation Blog as "a love-letter to the iconic, just-one-more-go racers of the arcade's golden age." While Horizon Chase Turbo may not be familiar to you, it's available at no additional cost if you're already paying for PlayStation Plus, so worth taking a shot on anyway. Pro Evolution Soccer 2019, on the other hand, will no doubt be familiar to you. The latest entry in Konami's beloved soccer sim series is also one of its best and earned a 9/10 in our review. "For as long as EA continues to develop FIFA and hold a monopoly over official licences, PES will be the scrappy underdog just hoping for a surprise upset, even when it's fielding the likes of London Blue and PV White Red," said Richard Wake
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World Of Warcraft's Huge Rise Of Azshara Update Now Live

The second major update for World of Warcraft 's Battle for Azeroth expansion has arrived. Rise of Azshara is now live, and it introduces a wealth of new content and features to the long-running MMO, including new locations, Heritage armor, a mount equipment system, and much more. Among the biggest additions to the game are two new zones to explore. The first is Nazjatar, the capital city of the naga and the home of the eponymous Azshara, who serves as the final foe in a new eight-boss raid called Azshara's Eternal Palace. The second new zone is the city of Mechagon. Here you'll be able to take on a new Mythic-difficulty dungeon called Operation Mechagon, which culminates with a battle against the city's mad king. Rise of Azshara also introduces a new type equipment known as Benthic gear, which will help you during your exploits in Nazjatar. As you explore the naga capital, you'll acquire a new kind of soulbound currency called Prismatic Manapearls. These can be
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Spider-Man: Far From Home VR Experience Is Available Now--And Free!

Spider-Man: Far From Home continues the journey of Tom Holland's Peter Parker in theaters on July 2, but in the meantime it's getting a free VR tie-in experience, which is available right now on Steam and on PSVR . The experience is published by Sony, and developed by CreateVR, who also worked on VR tie-in experiences for Spider-Man: Homecoming and the Ghostbusters reboot. Check out a trailer for the Spider-Man: Far From Home VR Experience below. Where the previous Spider-Man VR tie-in for Homecoming was more stationary, this experience finally brings one of the essential Spider-Man fantasies into VR: swinging from building-to-building through the streets of New York City. You can choose from one of four outfits that Spider-Man has worn in the MCU and swing through the city, facing off against some giant robot foes. In addition to releasing on PSVR and Steam (for both HTC Vive and Oculus Rift), Sony will be taking the experience to select Regal Cinemas in North America thr
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PlayStation Plus Sale On PS4 Heads Up Weekly PSN Deals (US)

Another week means a fresh set of deals for PS4 games on the PlayStation Store. This week the headline event is a PlayStation Plus Specials Sale , offering deep discounts on more than 300 games and DLC packs--as long as you're a member of Plus, the PlayStation service that grants you access to online play. The lineup of game offerings for sale include a wide array of games, especially ones from Ubisoft. If you've been waiting to get your hands on some of the back catalog of Assassin's Creed , South Park , or Far Cry , now may be the time. You can also catch up with bundles for The Division and Watch Dogs franchises, and the Persona Dancing: Endless Night Collection ($60). Other standouts include low prices on some Battlefield games and the excellent campaign for Titanfall 2 ($7.50). If you're more in the mood for a strategy game, Mutant Year Zero ($21) is on sale. You can also pick up Burnout Paradise Remastered ($5) or Dead by Daylight ($15), or get in a more
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Yes, A One Punch Man Game Now Exists

After a four-year hiatus, Saitama and Genos returned to being superheroes for fun in One Punch Man Season Two. Prolific anime video game publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment seeks to capitalize on the momentum, announcing a One Punch Man video game that is "coming soon" to PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Developed by J-Stars Victory Vs and Jump Force creators Spike Chunsoft, One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows is a 3D arena fighter set in the One Punch Man universe. The game features 3v3 battles with series characters like Fubuki, Genos, Mumen Rider, Speed-o'-Sound Sonic, and Saitama. A Hero Nobody Knows looks just like the anime, with all the over-the-top action expected of the titular character's exploits. Check out the announcement trailer below. Herve Hoerdt, senior vice president of marketing at Bandai Namco's Europe branch, said A Hero Nobody Knows is a great way to jump into the eponymous anime, while "fans of the series can play as some of their
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New Rick & Morty Season 4 Episode To Premiere At Adult Swim Festival

The most recent season of the acclaimed animated show Rick & Morty premiered way back in October 2017, and it's been a long wait for fans to get news of when the series will return. Last month it was finally confirmed that Rick & Morty Season 4 will premiere in November , and now it has been announced that one of the new episodes will debut at the second Adult Swim Festival in the same month. As reported by Deadline , the festival takes place in Los Angeles and runs from Friday, November 16 to Saturday, November 16. The episode won't have been screened on TV at that point. The festival is described by Adult Swim as a "one-of-a-kind, 360° fan experience," and will also feature a discussion with acclaimed animator Genndy Tartakovsky, panels, meet and greets, merchandise, and games. Although Season 4 will arrive more than two years after Season 3, there is a lot more Rick & Morty on the way. In May 2018, it was revealed that Adult Swim renewed the show for
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Fortnite 9.30 Content Update Now Live, Here Are The Patch Notes

Fortnite 's 9.30 content update is now live on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices. As developer Epic's patch notes detail, this week's update not only marks the start of the 14 Days of Summer event , it also introduces yet another new gun to the game and makes some balance adjustments to a handful of existing weapons and items. Fortnite has received some unique weapons over the past few seasons, but this week's addition to the arsenal is a classic: the Revolver, which Epic describes as "simple, reliable, [and] powerful." It comes in Epic and Legendary variants and can be found as floor loot or in chests, vending machines, supply drops, or Loot Carriers. To make room for the Revolver, Epic has vaulted a handful of older weapons, namely the Impulse Grenades, Rift-to-Go, Pirate Cannon, and rare Tactical Assault Rifle. The developer has also slightly reduced the availability of the Flint Knock Pistol and the Semi-Auto Sniper Rifle, while a fe
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First Bond 25 Footage Revealed

Bond 25 might have suffered a somewhat troubled production so far, but filming is well and truly underway. While we're yet to receive a proper trailer or even a final title, production company Eon has now released a behind-the-scenes video for the new film. The teaser, which you can watch below, gives us a first glimpse at Daniel Craig's fifth (and likely final) adventure as James Bond. Alongside Craig in the trailer is director Cary Fukunaga, Jeffrey Wright (Felix Leiter), and Lashana Lynch (Nomi). Filming of Bond 25 hit a snag earlier in June when a controlled explosion went wrong on set, injuring one person. Craig also needed about two weeks of downtime to recover from an ankle injury and surgery sustained while filming in Jamaica. Despite that, the production team said at the time that the movie will not be delayed . James Bond 25, or whatever it ends up being called, hits theatres in April 2020. In addition to Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, and Lea Seydoux will
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Wii U Just Got An Update, And Yes It's 2019

The Wii U has been a dormant part of the Nintendo hardware lineup, in favor of the newer and much more successful Nintendo Switch. But it isn't entirely dead and gone yet, as the company still issues occasional firmware updates. Like one this week, in the year 2019. The Nintendo Support site doesn't list the update yet, but Nintendo Everything reports that the firmware update brings the system up to version 5.5.4. The update doesn't mention what exactly it does, but it likely adds "improvements to overall system stability and other minor adjustments have been made to enhance the user experience." That has been the trend for Wii U updates since the last major feature addition in 2014. The last system update came in September 2018. It's unsurprising that Nintendo hasn't paid much attention to the Wii U since the Nintendo Switch launched. Two years into the Switch, the newer system has already almost tripled the hardware sales of the Wii U, and nearly do
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Amazon Prime Day 2019 Dates Announced: Get Ready For Major Gaming Deals

Brace yourselves, gamers: The biggest shopping event of the summer is going down in just a few weeks. Amazon has officially announced the dates and times for Prime Day 2019 , its annual sitewide sale akin to Black Friday. Prime Day 2019 will begin July 15 at 12 AM PT / 3 AM ET / 8 AM BST / 5 PM AET and run for exactly 48 hours, ending on July 17 at midnight PT. Last year's sale ran for 36 hours, so this year's Prime Day will be the longest-running yet. And that doesn't even account for all the pre-Prime Day deals that are likely to pop up between now and July 15. First of all, to take advantage of Amazon Prime Day 2019, you'll have to be a Prime member. Amazon's annual premium membership comes with a one-month free trial; after that, it costs $119 a year (or $13 per month). If you're a currently enrolled student, you can take advantage of Prime Student , which has a six-month free trial and afterward costs only $59 a year (or $6.49 per month). Besides access t
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Thor Ragnarok Director Taiki Waititi Is Working On An Animated Flash Gordon Movie

New Zealand director Taiki Waititi is one of the most in-demand filmmakers currently working. Following the success of Thor: Ragnarok , Waititi has produced the TV spin-off from his vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows, directed the soon-to-be-released World War II satire Jojo Rabbit, and is also set to helm the long-awaited live-action movie version of Akira. It's now been reported that he's involved with a new animated Flash Gordon film. According to Deadline , Waititi has been brought on board to "crack" a new version of Flash Gordon. The site states that Waititi won't necessarily direct or write the movie, but is involved in the early development stages. A new Flash Gordon movie has been in the works for several years, with both Matthew Vaughn (Kingsman) and Julius Avery (Overlord) attached a various stages. Flash Gordon is an intergalactic adventurer who first appeared in comic strips in 1934. There were TV adaptations in 1954 and 2007, and a Hollywoo
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