Death is such a major part of video games, but rarely in a way that's constructive--it's most commonly a failure mechanic for you or the ever-present goal for you to enact on others, regardless of whether you're facing other players or NPCs. A story-driven game's most dramatic moment may use the death of a beloved character to create a severe emotional response and plenty of horror games rely on surprising character deaths to produce jump scares. But that's usually the extent to what games do with death. So in the few cases when games actually do deal with death and grief as a reality, it's almost always surprising.Video games should talk about death more. And I don't mean just show it; more games should really talk about it and explore how normal it is. Video games too often gloss over or demonize death but that's not an accurate reflection of real life. We're all going to die someday, as are everyone we know. And as frightening as that may be, those deaths will probably be boringly normal. So too, in turn, are the emotions associated with coming to terms with that, whether it's depression, grief, anger, or acceptance.It can be difficult to talk about death, especially in the western part of the world where it's almost considered a taboo topic for everyday conversation, but that's all the more reason that people should. Continuing to shy away from the uncomfortable nature of death and grief prevents the normalization of both.Several games have already started the conversation by putting you into the role of a caretaker of the deceased--encouraging you to think about dying and to normalize the associated feelings. The upcoming cozy management game about dying, Spiritfarer, is one such example. The Thunder Lotus Games title sees you play as Stella, a ferrymaster who sails through a purgatory-like setting in search of lost souls to befriend before helping them move on to the afterlife. Laundry Bear Games' A Mortician's Tale takes a less mystical approach, having you play as a funeral director, Charlie, who prepares bodies for burial. Giant Sparrow has also created an experience where you care for the dying in What Remains of Edith Finch--a more figurative case where you ensure a dead family is remembered by helping its last surviving member, Edith, tell their stories."I think it's funny the way that, in a lot of art forms, you'll see several people exploring the same area suddenly, and it's just like something that bubbles up, and maybe that's some of what we're seeing in games right now," What Remains of Edith Finch creative director Ian Dallas said in an interview with GameSpot. "A lot of people have had similar reactions and thoughts, and now we're starting to see the fruits of that on the developer side."In regards to how Thunder Lotus Games decided to approach death positivity in Spiritfarer, creative director Nicolas Guérin said, "We stumbled into the idea of trying to talk about death in a positive way, which is [a subject] we should all be trying to do more with … Death is terrible. It sucks. It's something that we can't really escape and it's actually pretty tough to casually talk about."For a game centered around death, Spiritfarer's visuals are remarkably positive. The world is illustrated in bright colors, a cheery soundtrack accompanies the rhythmic hum of your ferry's engine, and you can seemingly just hug people whenever you want. Despite half of its story taking place in a morgue, A Mortician's Tale also steers clear of gore and morbid imagery, presenting its world in a muted-purple and the characters with exaggerated proportions. What Remains of Edith Finch puts a surreal, almost otherworldly spin on its terrifying tales, which Dallas thinks helps transform the game into a collection of "campfire stories."So none of them are doom and gloom all the time, and the three don't try to meddle with their death-positive message by getting into the nitty gritty of religion and faith. "We made sure that the game was agnostic and not taking sides about who's right and who's wrong [when it comes to] heaven and stuff like that," Guérin said. "The only position we take is to say that death is okay. It's okay to be fragmented. It's okay to feel lost in grief. It's okay to have all those negative emotions."The key to conveying this message, according to Guérin, is to not preach to the player. You can't just tell someone to believe that it's okay to talk about death or that they should allow themselves to feel sad when someone dies. You make a good game and then include this message within its mechanics, encouraging players to act through the movements of a character. In Spiritfarer, for example, you literally can't continue through the game without talking to the spirits you encounter, which leads you to learn their stories, befriend them, and want to walk them through their own lingering grief. The grieving process and personal stories for each spirit are different, allowing you to engage with a range of experiences and emotions for what it's like to care for someone in their final moments. Then the game takes them away from you one at a time, just like death does in real life, and you're forced to acknowledge that they're gone forever (at least until you start a new playthrough, of course)."It's something that I think more designers should be doing," Guérin said. "[I] want to make [stories] that only games can achieve, using game mechanics to say something that can only be experienced in that specific medium." For Guérin, video games offer opportunities to talk about death and grief in ways that movies and books simply can't--largely because games can force someone to interact as a part of the story instead of allowing them to passively observe.It's a sentiment shared by A Mortician's Tale game designer Gabby DaRienzo. "A Mortician's Tale is meant to be an accurate-but-gentle game about being a funeral director, and we wanted to make sure all the mechanics in the game supported this. As a funeral director supporting those in grief, your job is largely to listen rather than speak," DaRienzo said."A Mortician's Tale is a death-positive game--meaning that our goal was to speak as openly and gently about the topic of death, grief, and the funeral industry as possible," she continued. Charlie's story is very linear, without much in the way of choice--but the game uses its on-the-rails gameplay loop and simple mechanics to create a powerful story. "In the game, we force players to go through a daily loop--reading emails, preparing the bodies of the deceased, and attending their respective funerals," DaRienzo said. "This goes on, day after day, and the player becomes accustomed to this mundane loop. When a day comes that Charlie is tasked with preparing the body of a man in which no one attends his funeral, the player is suddenly thrown for an emotional loop."The scene in question certainly rocked me the first time I played through A Mortician's Tale. I was struck by how sad it was that, in the urn of ashes in front of me, lay the remains of a man who apparently had nobody in his life--or at least no one who cared. It's one of the few moments in A Mortician's Tale where you have a choice: you can walk around the room, return to your work station and prepare the next body, or go up to the urn and give a little nod of respect. I chose the latter, even though I knew next to nothing about the deceased--seeing as I had no one to ask about who he was. And although I mostly did it because I felt bad for the dude, a small part of me wanted to do it for me. In the event I die alone, I'd like to hope that at least one person (even if they don't know me) will take the time to remember that I was here and that I mattered, much like Charlie did for this man. It's something I hadn't really thought about before that moment, and I've had small realizations like this for most of the indie games I've played that revolve around death and grieving."I think it's easiest to see and understand death on the effect it has on everyone around us," A Mortician's Tale writer Kait Tremblay said. "I mean, that's how we know and understand death, right? Our experiences are always focused through how it affects us and so writing A Mortician’s Tale definitely focused on this: what does death leave behind, how do we pick up the pieces, how do we find our way through mourning, and understand our feelings about what has happened? Because we have to keep living and we have to find a way of accepting death, and that's kind of what A Mortician’s Tale is about, in some respects, right? It's about that conversation, about understanding death, and finding a way through it, so focusing on the mourners embodies this."Granted, taking a harder look at the uncomfortable emotions surrounding death is not going to make any of those feelings suddenly easier to deal with or make the grieving process for a loved one any less sad. But at the very least, death and grief deserve to be treated as things that are normal. Your calm acceptance of a loved one's passing is just as valid as breaking down in tears--and how you continue to deal with the grief in the aftermath isn't likely to be exactly the same with every death in your life. Video games can't and shouldn't handle the complete burden of normalizing what it means to come to terms with dying and grieving for a lost loved one, but considering how many kids do play them, they're an excellent portal for broaching the subject and informing people they are allowed to dig deeper, ask questions, and embrace their emotions.I wish that, as a kid, I would have had something like Spiritfarer, A Mortician's Tale, What Remains of Edith Finch, or any of the other games that put you into the role of a caretaker of someone who is dead or dying (Blackwood Crossing, To the Moon, and That Dragon, Cancer, just to name a few more). Media that is strictly educational is fine, but it's hard to absorb something when it feels like you're being preached at. These games do for death what games like Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice do for mental illness--they're not hitting you over the head with the message you should normalize something that has been demonized for years as something scary and evil. They're just good games, ones that also happen to use their mechanics to lead you towards making your own conclusions."It's nice that games are reexamining some of the elements that have been with us for a long time, but have just gotten this patina of conventional ways [in how] they're handled," Dallas said. "[Like] enemies just flicker away when they die--that's an approach to death that we just think [to include] automatically. I think that's fine for [certain] games, but there's so much more interesting stuff to explore that I'm happy to see other games moving into.""I'm pretty sure tons of triple-A developers want to do games like this too; they want to tackle complex subjects," Guérin added, speaking to his experience as a game designer at Electronic Arts and level designer director at Ubisoft. "It's just that the system is not working for them--in the sense that you have to sell a shit ton of those games and make sure that you can recoup your investment … You have to make sure that everything you do pleases a much larger crowd."Guérin went on to point out that the triple-A games that are beginning to go into topics like this are the ones that can afford to. They're either games like Red Dead Redemption 2, which are made by studios that already have a proven track record of broaching complex content, or they're games like The Last of Us, first-party exclusives that are usually allowed to be a bit more experimental. Still, he adds, triple-A games are rarely allowed to be as niche as an indie game. "Triple-A games are awesome but they need to [fit] on a broader spectrum," Guérin said.It's unlikely that we'll soon see as many triple-A games tackle death and grieving as well and as thoroughly as the indie games that are doing so already. But as more games like Spiritfarer make a splash at E3 and ones like What Remains of Edith Finch and A Mortician's Tale leave lasting impacts, it increases the chances of more studios choosing to change how we experience death and grief in games. "[These games] are about dying, but at the same time [saying] dying is okay," Guérin concludes. "It's normal. It's human. You know, people who die still watch football matches and TV. They don't stop doing everything … Enjoying life is part of the message as well."To stay up to date on Nicolas Guérin, check out Spiritfarer--which is due to release in 2020. Gabby DaRienzo is now an artist at Drinkbox Studios, the developers behind games like Severed and Guacamelee. Kait Tremblay has taken her talents to Ubisoft Toronto, where she's lead narrative designer for Watch Dogs Legion--recently delayed to the latter half of 2020. Ian Dallas is still at Giant Sparrow, leading the charge on the indie studio's third game.Info from Gamespot.com

The Discovery Channel has announced a new TV show that pits humans against bears in what's being billed as a unprecedented competition program.The network has given the green light to a show called Man vs. Bear, which is a competition show where "humans will be entering the bear's territory and take them on in a competition like never attempted."Three grizzly bears--whose names are Bart, Honey Bump, and Tank--will compete against three humans in challenges involving speed, strength, and stamina. Each episode will feature five different competitions that are apparently based on what bears do in the wild. Some of the competitions include a tug-of-war between bear and man and another strength test involving pushing big logs. In the final round, the human competitors will square off against the biggest bear, Bart, who stands more than 8 feet tall and weighs 1,400 pounds.All of the bears live in a sanctuary in Utah, which is where the competition will take place. One of the competitors is an MMA fighter named Ira, who spoke frankly about the challenge: "Competing against bears is both scary and exciting," Ira said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Man vs. Bear will feature a commentary team comprised of CBS Sports Radio broadcaster Brandon Tierney and animal expert Casey Anderson."Grizzlies are extremely clever and lightning fast animals. Do these humans stand a chance? And will the humans be able to prove that they’re the ultimate predators…or simply prey?" reads a very ominous-sounding description by Discovery Channel.Man vs. Bear premieres December 4 on Discovery Channel.Believe it or not, this won't be the first human-versus-bear TV show. Fox aired a show called Man vs. Beast in the early 2000s, and one of the episodes featured competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi trying to eat more hot dogs than a 1000-pound Kodiak bear.CBS is GameSpot's parent company. Info from Gamespot.com

Australia's top consumer law regulator has announced that some people who bought Fallout 76 will be able to request a refund after ZeniMax acknowledged missteps related to the game.The Australian Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (ACCC) said in a news release that ZeniMax, which owns Bethesda, "acknowledged they were likely to have misled consumers about their consumer guarantee rights in relation to the online action game Fallout 76."ZeniMax's European and Australian divisions "accepted that their actions were likely to have contravened the Australian Consumer Law." Some people complained to the ACCC that ZeniMax staff denied them refunds after they experienced bugs and other network issues with the controversial always-online Fallout game. This runs against Australian Consumer Law."ZeniMax has acknowledged that they are likely to have misled certain Australian consumers about their rights to a refund when they experienced faults with their Fallout 76 game," ACCC Commissioner Sarah Court said in a statement.ZeniMax will offer refunds to Fallout 76 purchasers in Australia who requested refunds between November 24, 2018 and June 1, 2019. Players will lose access to Fallout 76 once they accept the refund."When a consumer has purchased a product that has a fault which amounts to a major failure, the Australian Consumer Law provides them with the right to ask for their choice of either a repair, replacement, or refund," Court said.In addition to paying out refunds, the ACCC said ZeniMax is updating its customer service documents to better reflect Australian consumer protections.Fallout 76 was released in November 2018 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and the reviews were generally unkind to the role-playing game. Unlike previous entries in the series, Fallout 76 adopted an always-online, multiplayer-focused approach, which did not resonate with everyone.Bethesda continues to update and support the game with new content and features, including a battle royale mode. Most recently, Bethesda spurred more controversy when it launched a $100-per-year subscription service for private servers. At E3 this year, Bethesda boss Todd Howard spoke candidly about Fallout 76's struggles, saying the game "missed the mark." Info from Gamespot.com

Ubisoft has announced its first games for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Scarlett. In an earnings call this week, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot confirmed that the five games it plans to launch in Fiscal Year 2021 will be released on both current-generation and next-generation consoles.These include Watch Dogs: Legion, Rainbow Six Quarantine, and Gods & Monsters, as well as two further titles that have not been announced yet. Ubisoft's Fiscal Year 2021 runs April 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021. The PS5 and Xbox Scarlett are each scheduled for release in Holiday 2020."The five titles will be on this generation and next generation of consoles, and they will take full advantage of all the new features that are coming with the machines," Guillemot said, as reported by IGN. "Which are actually going to be extremely interesting for players, as you'll be able to download new content a lot faster. Players will experience better framerate, so there are lots of very good elements that will come with those new machines."Watch Dogs: Legion, Rainbow Six Quarantine, and Gods & Monsters were all recently delayed, and are now scheduled to release during FY21.With the PS5 and Scarlett coming in Holiday 2020 we may well see even more cross-generation games from Ubisoft and other publishers. During the last major console transition from PS3 to PS4 and Xbox 360 to Xbox One, cross-gen titles included Watch Dogs and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag from Ubisoft, as well as high-profile shooters Battlefield 4 and Call of Duty: Ghosts.For more on the PS5 and Scarlett, check out GameSpot's breakdown of the key specifics about each next-generation system.Info from Gamespot.com

Will there ever be another Game of Thrones series? It's been a bit of a rollercoaster ride for potential shows based in Westeros. Recently, one prequel series got the plug pulled, and now, there's yet another GoT series that's gotten the greenlight for HBO called House of the Dragon.During the WarnerMedia investor event, which mainly covered the upcoming streaming service HBO Max, the upcoming 10-episode GoT series was announced. The story will be based on George R.R. Martin's book Fire & Blood and take place 300 years prior to the events of Game of Thrones. The series will tell the story of House Targaryen."The Game of Thrones universe is so rich with stories," explained Casey Bloys, president of HBO programming. "We look forward to exploring the origins of House Targaryen and the earlier days of Westeros along with Miguel, Ryan and George."Miguel Sapochnik (Game of Thrones, House) will direct the pilot and additional episodes for the series. Saopchnik will serve as showrunner alongside House of the Dragon writer Ryan Condal (Rampage).No news as to when House of the Dragon will debut on HBO. Info from Gamespot.com

Just when you thought you were starting to grasp how the upcoming Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover might play out, Arrow is here to take a quick turn, unraveling almost any theory you could possibly have. As the CW series continues its final season, the episodes are designed mainly to continue setting the stage for the massive Crisis event that kicks off in December.However, after the latest episode--titled "Leap of Faith"--everything had changed. Warning: The following contains spoilers for Arrow Season 8, Episode 4, "Leap of Faith." If you don't want to know what happened, stop reading now.In the final moments of the episode, Mia (Katherine McNamara), William (Ben Lewis), and Connor (Joseph David-Jones) were transported from their future to present day, right in the middle of the Arrow cave. It's there that they lay their eyes on Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) and the rest of the team. "Dad?" Mia asks through tears, realizing she's meeting her father for the first time.This is just the latest twist in the Monitor's (LaMonica Garrett) plans for Oliver and the multiverse as a whole, with Crisis on Infinite Earths getting closer. After sending Oliver on several missions, he's now brought the Green Arrow his own children to help in the upcoming fight.We already knew the crossover would be loaded with familiar faces, including multiple Superman, along with the stars of The CW's other superhero shows--from Legends of Tomorrow to Black Lightning. Adding the future Team Arrow to the mix, though, is a wrinkle Oliver is likely going to have some trouble with. After all, how focused will he be on the task at hand if he's also watching over his son and daughter on the battlefield?Of course, it also makes you wonder what will happen after Crisis on Infinite Earths. We already know a spin-off of Arrow is being developed with Mia at the center, joined by Dinah (Juliana Harkavy) and Laurel (Katie Cassidy Rodgers). Is it possible that series could be set in present-day, which would mean Mia is sticking around long-term? That's a question that will hopefully be answered before the Arrow series finale.Arrow airs Tuesdays on The CW.Info from Gamespot.com

As Mayans MC barrels toward its Season 2 finale, the titular motorcycle club is in a precarious position. After the Sons of Anarchy brokered a deal between the Mayans and a rival club they are on bad terms with, violence broke out, leaving Coco (Richard Cabral) blinded and Riz (Antonio Jaramillo) barely holding onto life.Warning: The following contains spoilers for the ninth episode of Mayans MC Season 2, titled "Itzam-Ye." If you've yet to watch the episode and don't want to have major plot points spoiled, stop reading now.As dire as circumstances seemed after the altercation, they only got worse in the episode that followed, "Itzam-Ye." To protect the deal made with the rival club, the Mayans voted against retaliation as it looked like Riz was going to survive the altercation. After the vote, though, he didn't. Riz is dead, and the vote is null and void. Bishop (Michael Irby) says that much himself when he proclaims it's time to go to war with the other club.What he doesn't know, though, is how Riz died, and it's that secret that will likely be a significant plot point should Mayans MC continue into Season 3. Upset with the vote not to carry out vengeance against the rival club, Taza (Raoul Trujillo) cut off Riz's oxygen supply, killing him.Anyone who's seen Sons of Anarchy knows that violence like this between fellow club members does not stand. Should Taza's misdeed come to light--and it obviously will at some point--it's not going to be pretty. That's something to think about in the future, though.For now, war is coming in the Season 2 finale and the Mayans MC is going to be charging into enemy territory looking for blood. It'll be interesting to see what role, if any, the Sons of Anarchy play in the dispute. After all, they are the ones that first brokered the deal between the two clubs, and it's their relationship with Irish gunrunners that stands to be destroyed should this deal fall apart, which it's clearly going to.Now, it's just a matter of who else has to die before this dispute is settled. Thankfully, you won't have to wait long to find out. The Season 2 finale of Mayans MC airs next Tuesday on FX.Info from Gamespot.com

Call of Duty League, Activision's big Call of Duty eSports push, will begin on January 24, 2020. The event will take place over the Call of Duty League Launch Weekend at the Minneapolis Armory, and will see teams competing in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. It's the first event of what promises to be a major new league for competitive Call of Duty.The event will see 12 teams play off over three days in five-on-five matches, with a best-of-five format. The exact ruleset will be announced closer to the event. Teams from Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Florida, London, Los Angeles, Minnesota, New York, Paris, Seattle, and Toronto taking part. The Call of Duty League website has further details on the teams competing, and lets you sign up for updates in the lead up to opening weekend.The Call of Duty Challengers Open will take place over that same weekend, allowing amateur teams to compete in an open bracket tournament that will be determined by a series of online tournaments, beginning next month. There's a prize pool of over $1 million on offer in the open.The cost of entry is reportedly $25 million per team, which has prevented eSports organization 1000 Thieves from competing. The specifics of the prize pool have not yet been announced, but expect a major top prize.If you're looking to sharpen your own skills in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, we've compiled a list of tips for beginners. It's also useful to know your different perks inside and out. In our review-in-progress of the game, Kallie Plagge wrote that the multiplayer in Modern Warfare "is up to par, with a variety of game types for different kinds of players."Info from Gamespot.com

There won't be an NBA Live 20, as EA Sports has announced that the company is looking to the future and planning ahead for a next-generation basketball experience instead. This news was delivered by EA CEO Andrew Wilson during a quarterly earnings call, as reported by IGN. NBA Live 20 had been scheduled as a Q4 2019 release, but that is no longer the plan.Last year's NBA Live 19 was a huge step forward for the series after a few rocky entries, but the NBA Live series has struggled to compete with the NBA 2K games for a long time now. The decision to not release an entry in the series this year.The official Twitter account for NBA Live released a statement, explaining that while they were "excited by our progress", a new title will not release in 2019. "Alongside the NBA and NBPA, we have our sights set on creating something fresh for the next generation of players and platforms," the statement reads.pic.twitter.com/lVhcKgks9k — EA SPORTS NBA LIVE (@EASPORTSNBA) October 29, 2019The series has had a tumultuous history: back in 2012, NBA Live 13 was cancelled just six days before it was due to be released. NBA Live 20 never actually surfaced, though - gameplay footage was never shown, so it's unclear how far along development the title was.During the same quarterly earnings call, EA announced that Apex Legends will be treated as an annual shooter going forward, as it and other live service games were performing above expectations.Info from Gamespot.com

Sony has detailed its financial results for Q2 2019, which is the three months ended September 30 and revealed the PlayStation 4 shipped 2.8 million units worldwide in this timeframe. This figure is slightly down from Q1 2019, when the console shipped 3.2 million units. However, the figure is enough to make the PS4 the second best-selling console of all time.As confirmed in July 2019, the PS4 reached the 100 million units shipped milestone and, combined with the numbers from Q2 of 2019, that brings it the total up to 102.8 million units, edging the PS4 past the performance of the original PlayStation. However, the PlayStation 2 remains the best-selling console of all time at over 150 million units.Overall, it's been a strong lifecycle for the PS4, which is now in its seventh year on the market. Sony has begun detailing its successor, the PS5, so the clock is ticking for the PS4. Despite this, there are some big games on the way, including Naughty Dog's The Last of Us 2.The Last of Us 2 was recently delayed into Spring 2020, with director Neil Druckmann stating the extra time would allow the developer to polish the game. "It was during the last few weeks, as we were closing out sections of the game, that we realized we simply didn’t have enough time to bring the entire game up to a level of polish we would call Naughty Dog quality," he explained. "At this point we were faced with two options: compromise parts of the game or get more time. We went with the latter, and this new release date allows us to finish everything to our level of satisfaction while also reducing stress on the team."While we’re relieved that we won’t have to compromise our vision, we’re disappointed that we weren’t able to avoid this exact situation. We wish we could’ve foreseen the amount of polish we needed, but the size and scope of this game got the better of us. We hate disappointing our fans and for that we’re sorry." Info from Gamespot.com

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is off to a pretty explosive start. Activision announced that its first three days on the market have topped the same period's sales of any other Call of Duty this generation and it has also become the top selling new game release of 2019.The company also boasted that it has already brought in more than $600 million in worldwide sell-through and topped PS4 digital pre-orders and three-day digital sales records. It also beat the company's internal digital sales records, as well as its records for biggest Call of Duty launch on PC. The company notes this is counting both retail and digital sales units, including sales of the charity Defender Pack. Sales of that DLC go to benefit the Call of Duty Endowment."Through the first three days, Modern Warfare has more total players and total hours played than any Call of Duty opening release in the last six years," said Activision president Rob Kostich, in the announcement. "Congratulations to Infinity Ward and all our teams involved on an incredible game and its spectacular launch. We also want to thank the community for your incredible support. The launch of Modern Warfare is only the start. There's much more to come."The reference to post-launch content alludes to a planned Battle Pass system that will be adding new cosmetic rewards on a regular schedule. The Battle Pass isn't available yet but Activision says it will be live later in 2019. The first League season will kick off in 2020.If you're one of those early adopters, check out our tips to get you started, and a guide to every perk. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare CoD: MW Dev Discusses Controversial Plot Points Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare Launch Is The Series' Biggest In Six Years Target Has Buy 2, Get 1 Free On Video Games, Blu-Rays, Board Games, And More Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare Spec Ops Beginner's Guide Amazon's Buy 2, Get 1 Free Deal On Games Is Back (PS4, Switch, Xbox One) Ground War Goes Live In Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare Tonight Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare -- All Returning Characters And What They Mean For The Future Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare Review Roundup - Is It Worth Playing? Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare Review In Progress - Shock And Awe Outer Worlds, Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare Will Be $49.94 On Release Day (PS4, Xbox One) Info from Gamespot.com

Death Stranding has often been equal parts mysterious and inscrutable, but if there's one aspect that was never in doubt, it's that Hideo Kojima's next game would be cinematic. The Metal Gear Solid producer has been known for his film-like presentations and performances featuring recognizable actors. The Death Stranding launch trailer is here, and unsurprisingly, it's practically a movie trailer.Clocking in at almost eight minutes, the trailer (above) features a ton of exposition and story content to whet your appetite for the game. We see the lead character, Sam (Norman Reedus) interacting with several characters and introducing details of the world.That's no surprise, given that Mad Max: Fury Road director George Miller says he sees the makings of a great filmmaker in Kojima's work. That usually includes heavy use of cutscenes, and given the length of this trailer, it seems likely we'll see plenty in the full game.Death Stranding launches on PS4 on November 8. If you'd rather wait for the PC version, Kojima recently announced it will be coming next summer. Meanwhile, reviews will begin dropping on November 1 at 12:01 AM PT, so you won't have to wait much longer to learn more about it. Death Stranding News Here's When You Can Read Our Death Stranding Review Guide: Death Stranding Steelbook, Pre-Order Bonuses, Collector's Edition, And More Death Stranding Explained: Story, Characters, Gameplay, and More Info from Gamespot.com

There has only been one live-action Batman show to date: the 1960s ABC series starring Adam West. While it would be awesome if DC brought a new live-action series to TV, it's never a bad time to revisit the unique and endlessly charming series that, despite running for just two years and three seasons, racked up 120 episodes. Amazon has Batman: The Complete Television Series on Blu-ray for $46 (was $90). But if you want to hang with West in Gotham City, you'll have to move quickly. The box set is only on sale today until 3 AM PT / 12 AM ET.Batman: The Complete Television Series (Blu-ray) -- $46 ($90)See at AmazonThe series isn't currently included with any popular streaming services, which usually makes it hard to watch for a reasonable price. This box set includes every episode as well as three hours of bonus features.Adam West's Batman was quite different than more recent depictions of the Caped Crusader. The show had a campy style, lighthearted showdowns with villains such as Joker and Penguin, and plenty of goofball shenanigans between West and Burt Ward, who played Robin.There's no denying that Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy was gritty and serious, and it's probably safe to say that Robert Pattinson will be closer to Christian Bale than West when he dons the black cape in The Batman. In this respect, the Batman television series is great for younger audiences, as it even includes charming educational moments like Batman stressing seatbelt safety.Despite the stark difference in tone compared to modern Batman adaptations, the Batman TV series is one of the most entertaining superhero shows. The series has since been alluded to in numerous shows, including SpongeBob Squarepants where Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy do their best Batman and Robin schtick.Info from Gamespot.com

Following a controversial decision to ban a professional Hearthstone player who expressed support for Hong Kong protests on an official stream, Blizzard lost at least one advertiser. Mitsubishi Motors Taiwan ended its sponsorship of Blizzard esports events just two days after the decision was announced, reports The Daily Beast.Hearthstone fans on Reddit first noticed that the Mitsubishi logo had disappeared from the signage in an official broadcast, and Mitsubishi spokesperson Erica Rasch has reportedly confirmed the move. The report also followed up with other notable sponsors, including Coca-Cola and ASUS, both of which did not respond. The streaming platform Twitch, which airs many esports events, says its relationship with the collegiate league has not been impacted.The controversy began in early October, when competitive player Ng Wai Chung aka Blitzchung expressed support for Hong Kong protests during an official broadcast interview. Blizzard found this in violation of its rules, rescinded his prize winnings, and banned him for a full year.The news sheds more light on the many types of pressure Blizzard faced immediately following its decision. The penalty determination led to widespread protests, long-time players swearing off the game, statements from US Senators, walkouts from employees, sharp criticism from high-profile players, and now we know, advertisers cutting ties. Shortly after, the company issued a statement partially rescinding its punishment, giving back Chung's monetary winnings and reducing his ban to six months.In the statement, Blizzard president J. AllenBrack denied that the decision was motivated in any way by its relationships with China, and said that an opposing message delivered in a similar way would also receive punishment.Currently, Blizzard is preparing to show what's next for Hearthstone, and many of its other games, at its annual BlizzCon event. But the controversy hasn't ended entirely, as activists are planning to protest outside the convention.Info from Gamespot.com

As October comes to a close, it's almost time for another selection of free games for Xbox Live Gold subscribers. November's Games with Gold offerings include two Xbox One games, an Xbox 360 game, and an original Xbox game.Kicking off the Xbox One fun is Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter, an adventure game released in 2016. You play as Holmes, investigating five self-contained cases with his adopted daughter. The game uses a mechanic for piecing together clues called the deduction board. Make the right connections and crack the case, but moral quandaries crop up along the way. The Devil's Daughter is free throughout November.Starting November 16, you can download The Final Station, a 2016 apocalyptic side-scrolling shooter that juggles two different styles of play. Edward Jones is trying to outrun the apocalypse by train. When moving full speed ahead, your job is to keep the train on track and tend to weary passengers. When the train stops at each station, the game shifts to side-scrolling action, with an emphasis on inventory management. The Final Station is up for grabs until December 15.The best game of the bunch is actually the original Xbox game, Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter. The 2002 action game takes place just before Attack of the Clones. Entirely comprised of aerial ship battles, each mission has a mix of destroy and protect objectives. Starfighter shouldn't be missed, and you can grab it until November 15.The final free game for November is Joy Ride Turbo, a 2012 cart racing game for Xbox 360 that puts your Xbox avatar in the driver's seat of one of 42 cars. Joy Ride Turbo features the typical staples of the genre, including zany courses and power-ups. It's available to claim from November 16 to November 30. Both Joy Ride Turbo and Jedi Starfighter can be played on Xbox One thanks to backwards compatibility.As a reminder, you can still claim Tembo the Badass Elephant and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge through tomorrow; Friday the 13th: The Game will remain free until November 15.Free Games With Gold, November 2019Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter | Nov. 1-30 (Xbox One)The Final Station | Nov. 16-Dec. 15 (Xbox One)Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter | Nov. 1-15 (Xbox)Joy Ride Turbo | Nov. 16-30 (Xbox 360) Info from Gamespot.com