Monthly Archives: January 2018
Star Trek Is Star Wars Now
Full spoilers follow for Star Trek: Discovery.
When Star Trek: Discovery first debuted this past September, it was immediately declared to be a different animal from the Star Trek shows we had previously seen. Not only was the general aesthetic updated, but the very structure was to be far more modern; the storytelling was to be open and long-form, the characters constantly seeking definition, and, most distressingly to some old-school Trekkies, it was to be all about the war between the Federation and the Klingons. Star Trek, previously a show about diplomacy, peace, and optimism, was going to boldly tackle war, aggression, and combat. It was to be a show, it seemed, about the breakdown and failure of diplomacy. It was a show fixated on war.
Go Loud With These Desktop PC Speakers
You have a screaming fast gaming PC, a beautiful adaptive-sync monitor, and a macro’d-out gaming keyboard and gaming mouse. But when you start up your favorite game, the thin and tinny sound from the gaming monitor’s speakers is just…blah. You could use a gaming headset of course, but sometimes you want to feel the bass of your weapons from big, heavy drivers instead of the tiny ones in your headset. If this is you, then it’s time to add some computer speakers to your gaming setup.
Star Wars Battlefront II Misses Sales Expectations
After a controversial release, Star Wars Battlefront II has fallen short of expected sales and will be bringing back microtransactions.
The Wall Street Journal reports EA's latest Battlefront game sold 9 million copies, which falls 1 million short of the company's 10 million sales projections.
While it's reportedly expected between 1 and 3 million more units will sell by the end of fiscal 2018, these sales still put the sequel behind its predecessor, which had hit 14 million by the end of fiscal 2016 (March 31, 2016) after a late 2015 release.
WSJ also shares that EA's finance chief Blake Jorgensen says microtransactions, which were pulled after the game's release, will make a return "in the next few months." EA had indicated, at the time of their removal, that microtransactions would eventually return to the game.
A Pong TV Game Show Is in the Works
A TV game show based on the 1972 classic video game Pong is in the works.
Variety reports Atari will develop the show, called Million Dollar Pong, with Scott Sternberg, the unscripted veteran producer behind shows like Kid's Wheel of Fortune, The Gong Show, Hollywood Squares, Catch 21, and more.
The show will be produced by Scott Sternberg Productions, with Jeff Mirkin producing for Atari. A network isn't attached yet and a release has not been set.
"Pong is a cultural touchpoint for generations of people," Sternberg said. "It's not often we get the chance to develop a game show concept around such an iconic brand. I can't wait to give people the chance to see, experience and play a brand new Pong."
Black Panther: Filmmakers, Stars React to Movie Premiere
Ahead of its February 16 release, select filmmakers and actors were treated to an advanced screening of Disney and Marvel Studios' Black Panther. Those in attendance shared their reactions on social media, and the consensus is clear: Black Panther is another hit for the MCU.
Ant-Man director Peyton Reed and Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn both praised the film, with Reed calling it "beautiful, soulful, thoughtful and of the moment."
First look at Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween Sequel
Jamie Lee Curtis has shared the first look at Laurie Strode in the upcoming Halloween sequel.
Lee Curtis shared an on set photo on Instagram with director David Gordon Green to celebrate the first day of production. "First shot! First day. Same slate. Same Laurie. David Gordon Green directing from his script. Happy Halloween 2018 everyone. See you 10/19/18," Curtis wrote.
Jamie Lee Curtis and director David Gordon Green, image via Instagram.
EA Confirms New Battlefield for 2018
Electronic Arts has confirmed previous reports that BioWare's upcoming game Anthem has been delayed to 2019, and in its place a new Battlefield game will debut this fall.
EA officially confirmed Anthem will release in Q1 2019, or Q4 of its 2019 fiscal year, during the company's Q3 earnings call today. However, EA denied to The Wall Street Journal that the delay was due to the game's development being behind schedule, as reported in a previous Kotaku piece. Instead, the 2019 release is, according to WSJ, a factor of EA's decision to release a new Battlefield game this October.
New Overwatch Patch Nerfs Mercy and Junkrat
The latest Overwatch patch sees a nerf for two of the game's popular heroes across all platforms.
The patch notes for the update detail changes to Junkrat and Mercy, which had been previously available for PC on the Public Test Realm server.
Overwatch's most-played hero Mercy is no stranger to changes after having her ultimate completely reworked last year to change her Resurrect into a secondary ability. Last November we saw more attempts to balance the mechanic and now this latest patch nerfs her new ultimate ability Valkyrie.
Emily Blunt Cast in The Rock’s Jungle Cruise Movie
Disney's Jungle Cruise movie has reportedly cast Mary Poppins Returns star Emily Blunt.
Variety reports Blunt will star alongside Dwayne Johnson, who has been attached to the project since 2015. Blunt's role in the film is currently not known and the movie is yet to have a release date.
Jungle Cruise will be directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (The Shallows, Orphan), who reportedly chose this project over potentially directing Suicide Squad 2. Michael Green (Logan) wrote the most recent draft of the screenplay, with the original script by J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay. Filming will begin this May.
Amazon Will Air Jack Ryan Trailer During Super Bowl
Amazon will air a 60-second commercial for its upcoming Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan series during Super Bowl LII.
Variety reports the trailer, which has been released ahead of time on YouTube, will be the first Super Bowl ad Amazon will air for a TV series or movie. The commercial will debut right after Justin Timberlake's halftime show.
The trailer focuses on John Krasinski in the title role of Jack Ryan and teases what the CIA analyst will be going up against in this first eight-episode season. The story follows Jack who, after his first field assignment, "uncovers a pattern in terrorist communication that launches him into the center of a dangerous gambit with a new breed of terrorism that threatens destruction on a global scale."