In the wake of a pair of mass shootings, video games have gotten renewed scrutiny as contributing to a culture of violence. President Trump's first address following the tragedies put the blame partially on video games, which Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick called irresponsible. Zelnick has now doubled-down on this statement in a second interview, saying it's disrespectful to criticize entertainment.In an interview with Mad Money's Jim Cramer, Zelnick reiterated his earlier comments about gun violence, and went a step further by suggesting that entertainment is a positive element enjoyed by most people, including the victims of violence and their families."The truth is it's disrespectful to the victims and the families to point the finger at entertainment," he said. "Entertainment is part of people's daily joy. It's consumed worldwide, and it's the same worldwide. Gun violence is uniquely American. That has to change and that will only change if we address the real issues."Pushed by Cramer on whether he would pull a video game from shelves if the evidence showed video games were responsible for real-world violence, Zelnick answered, "In the same way that I wouldn't choose to market substances that cause people to get sick."Zelnick's comments echo a similar argument across the games industry--that games are enjoyed worldwide, but America has far more mass shootings, and therefore there must not be a causal link between the two. Still, retail giant Walmart has pulled some violent media signage, including but not limited to video games.Meanwhile, in a different political arena, video games have been criticized for loot boxes. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently held an open forum on the issue, where the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced a new policy across several platform-holders and publishers to disclose loot box odds.Info from Gamespot.com

The next Need for Speed game will be announced very soon. A countdown clock on EA's website teases that the announcement will come at 6 AM PT on August 14. Apart from the Need for Speed logo, there is no further information available on the teaser website.The announcement tomorrow comes right on schedule, as EA already said it planned to reveal the new Need for Speed soon ahead of a proper showing at Gamescom the week after.The new Need for Speed game is expected to launch on console and PC before the end of March 2020. There have been rumours and speculation about the title of the game--references to Need for Speed: Heat have appeared online--but nothing is confirmed at this stage.The most recent Need for Speed game, Payback, launched in 2017 to a mixed reception, including a 5/10 in GameSpot's review. The series is developed by EA's Ghost Games which has offices in Sweden, England, and Romania.What are you hoping to see from the new Need for Speed? Let us know in the comments below!Info from Gamespot.com

We're quickly approaching the end of Destiny 2's Season of Opulence and the launch of Shadowkeep, the next big expansion. If you're still working your way up to the Power level cap of 750 ahead of Shadowkeep, the weekly Ascendant Challenge and its Powerful gear drop are always handy.This week, the curse has been reset in the Dreaming City, which means the Shattered Throne dungeon is no longer available--a bummer for anybody who needs to finish it to snag the Masterwork for their Solstice of Heroes Majestic armor. It also brings us back to Week 2's challenge, which is available for one more day before Tuesday's weekly reset. Below, you'll find a complete guide on where you need to go and what to do to complete this week's bounty to earn Powerful gear.The Ascendant Challenge always involves you heading through a portal to the Ascendant Plane, but the particulars of what you're doing are entirely different from week to week. To start out, you'll need a consumable item called the Tincture of Queensfoil. With a Tincture in hand, make your way to the Garden of Esila area near the southernmost point of the map, as seen in the image below. Consuming the Tincture will provide you with the Ascendance buff that allows to see a Taken portal that's somewhat hidden on a cliffside. Jump in, and you'll be teleported to the Ascendant Plane's Forfeit Shrine.Once you're there, you'll have to fend off Taken--or just avoid them--while trying to secure three Arc Charges around the area. Once you pick one up, head toward the center starting area, near the giant Blight ball. Walk into the bright point at the bottom to dunk the charge you're holding. Repeat the process two more times and you'll receive an endless supply of Super energy that will help you to kill all of the remaining Taken in the area. Once they're dealt with, you can complete the bounty (netting you Dark Fragments and Powerful gear) and open a chest.Given that the bounty (not the chest) offers Powerful gear--a reliable way of increasing your Power level--this is an activity you'll definitely want to take part in once you're able. But bear in mind it is a challenge, so be sure to come prepared. It can be done solo, but having multiple teammates to grab charges and draw the enemies' attention can help immensely.Meanwhile, if you're hunting still hunting gear in The Black Armory, be sure to check out our guides to getting Izanagi's Burden and the Jotunn fusion rifle. Also, don't bother collecting Powerful gear bounties to turn in next week when the new season starts--Bungie is dropping an update that changes things so you can stockpile gear drops for a big boost as soon as the level cap rises. You'll have to play through Season of the Drifter content like everyone else to raise your level to the new cap.Info from Gamespot.com

Pokemon Go players will soon have another chance to add a fan-favorite Legendary to their collection. As a reward for completing enough Global Challenges during the recent Pokemon Go Fest event in Yokohama, Japan, Suicune, one of the three Legendary dogs from Pokemon Gold and Silver, is returning to the game for a special Raid Day on Saturday, August 17.Suicune hasn't appeared in Pokemon Go very often, which makes this weekend's Raid Day a good opportunity to add one to your collection if you've previously missed it. That's not the only reason to be excited for the event; you'll also be able to encounter a Shiny Suicune in Raids. The Legendary will only be around for a brief time, however, so to help you prepare for the event, we've rounded up all the most important details about this weekend's Suicune Raid Day below.What Time Does Suicune Raid Day Start?Much like Pokemon Go's monthly Community Days, this weekend's Suicune Raid Day will take place around the world for three hours, from 4-7 PM local time. During that window, the Legendary Pokemon will appear in Gyms as a five-star Raid boss. Once the event ends, Suicune will leave the game again, giving you only a couple of hours to catch it.Shiny SuicuneSuicune will be a common sight in Gyms during Saturday's event, so you should have no trouble finding a Suicune Raid during the aforementioned hours. Even if you've previously captured Suicune, you'll want to participate in a few Raids, as you may come across a rare Shiny Suicune during the event. This variant sports a blue mane rather than a purple one, making it look even more majestic.However, the odds of finding a Shiny Legendary in Pokemon Go are quite rare, and there's no definitive way of knowing in advance if a Raid will produce a Shiny Suicune. If you're hoping to snag a Shiny one this weekend, you'll need to be persistent and participate in as many Suicune Raids as you can during the event.Pokemon Go: Legendary Rayquaza Guide - Counters, Shiny Rayquaza, And How To Catch TipsPokemon Go Team Rocket Guide - How To Catch & Purify Shadow PokemonHow To Participate In RaidsBefore you can jump into a Raid Battle, you'll first need to have an item called a Raid Pass. Fortunately, you can get one of these for free from the first Photo Disc you spin at a Gym each day. You can typically only carry one of these free Raid Passes at a time, but Niantic will be giving out up to five free Raid Passes during the Suicune Raid Day, so everyone should be able to participate in a few Raids without any trouble.Once you've gotten a Raid Pass, you'll need to physically head to a Gym where a Suicune Raid is taking place and challenge the Legendary to a battle. Five-star Raid Bosses like Suicune are very powerful, so you'll need to team up with several other players in-person if you're hoping to bring the Legendary down. If your group manages to defeat Suicune, each player who participated in the Raid will receive a handful of Premier Balls along with a chance to catch it.Tips For Battling SuicuneSuicune is a pure Water-type, which makes putting together a team of counters fairly easy. Water Pokemon are vulnerable to Grass and Electric Pokemon, so you'll want to use as many of those types as possible when challenging the Legendary. Magnezone, Luxray, Electivire, and Leafeon should all prove to be effective against Suicune; however, you'll need to be careful when using Grass-types, as Water Pokemon typically know Ice-type attacks that hit them for super-effective damage.While Dragon Pokemon don't have a type advantage over Water Pokemon, they do resist Water attacks, which makes them a good option for rounding out your team. However, Fire, Rock, and Ground Pokemon all have a significant disadvantage against Water-types, so you should avoid using those when challenging Suicune.Other Pokemon Go BonusesIn addition to the Suicune Raid Day, Niantic has made a few other bonuses available in Pokemon Go as rewards for completing the latest batch of Global Challenges. From August 13-20, you'll earn triple the normal amount of Stardust for each Pokemon you capture or hatch. You'll also receive 3,000 Stardust for participating in Raids, and any Star Pieces you use during the week will last for an hour rather than 30 minutes.Info from Gamespot.com

It was revealed at San Diego Comic-Con that The CW's upcoming show Batwoman would introduce an iconic Batman villain. Tommy Elliot, known to many DC Comics fans as Hush, will arrive in Batwoman's first season. That's exciting news, but it's also a bit confusing. After all, Hush has such a personal connection to Batman, as a childhood friend-turned-enemy of Bruce Wayne's and Wayne isn't on the show.Speaking to GameSpot at the TCA press tour showrunner Caroline Dries cleared up exactly how the show will tackle the character. "In the comics, he's obsessed with Bruce Wayne, and you get to understand a little tease of that relationship. And what helps us is that Kate and Tommy knew each other from growing up, because Kate was intimately engaged in Bruce's life," Dries explained. "And so Tommy is the perfect villain for the time of the series, which [is when] Kate put on the [Batman] costume. People are just seeing little snippets of this person, and they think it's Batman. That's great for people who love Batman [because] Batman is back. But if you're a Batman villain, you're thinking, 'Is that good?'"The arrival of Batwoman, bringing a familiar Batman vibe back to Gotham City, is sure to catch the eye of several notable villains. Tommy, though, having such a close connection to Bruce, and by extension Kate, should prove to be interesting. According to Dries, it should also serve as a bridge between Kate and her cousin."Tommy, as you'll see the way the story unfolds, is sort of the perfect marriage between a Bruce Wayne/Batman/Kane Kane story," she said.Hush won't be the only familiar Batman character making an appearance on Batwoman. It was also revealed at San Diego Comic-Con that Burt Ward, who played Robin on the original Batman TV show, would take part in the upcoming Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event. He'll be joined by Kevin Conroy, the Batman: The Animated Series star, who has been cast as an older version of Bruce Wayne.Batman premieres October 6 on The CW.Info from Gamespot.com

There's nothing worse than taking your Nintendo Switch on a long plane ride or some other extended outing, only to have the battery die after a couple hours (depending on how much battery the game uses). Luckily, Nintendo has finally answered this problem with a newer Switch model that extends the console's battery life, upgrading it from roughly 2.5-6.5 hours of playtime to 4.5-9 hours of charge. The new model is available at some retailers now, and if you were hesitant about shelling out another $300 USD just to improve your battery life, GameStop's latest trade-in offer could make you reconsider.Assuming you no longer need your original Switch, you can trade in the launch model for $225, up from the usual $200, as part of a limited-time deal at GameStop stores. Of course, that trade value is for a Switch in "full working condition." This brings the $300 Switch revision to $75, though you don't have to use the trade value exclusively towards it. This trade-in offer is valid until September 15.The Switch revision's upgraded battery life may be the star of the show, but the Tegra X1 processor also runs cooler, which in turn keeps your Switch from heating up as much. However, it's important to note that this is not a Switch Pro or equivalent to the upgraded consoles that the PS4 and Xbox One got. You won't see any increases in performance or loading time.Of course, if you'd rather trade your old Switch in for a Nintendo Switch Lite, then you can use your $225 trade credit towards a pre-order for that instead. The Switch Lite costs $200 and releases on September 20, five days after this trade-in promotion ends, so you will need to live without your console for a little bit. You can pre-order the Switch Lite here. However, if you'd prefer to not trade in your Switch at all, or just don't own one yet, you can purchase the new Switch through the links below.Best BuyNintendo Switch with Neon Joy-ConNintendo Switch with Gray Joy-ConAmazonNintendo Switch with Gray Joy-ConInfo from Gamespot.com

Key Points:Changes are coming to Destiny 2's microtransaction store, Eververse. Game director Luke Smith says microtransactions are important for live-service games like Destiny.New class-specific content like Titan armor and more is coming to Eververse.Eververse is moving from the Tower to the Director where it can be accessed more easily.Destiny 2 director Luke Smith wrote an incredibly in-depth and detailed blog post today in which he covered numerous hot-button issues about Bungie's sci-fi space game. One of the topics that he touched on was microtransactions. Smith started off by stating that microtransactions are important for live-service games like Destiny, in that the money derived from microtransactions helps fund other parts of the game."MTX is a big part of our business being a live game," Smith said. "I'm not going to say 'MTX funds the studio' or 'pays for projects like Shadowkeep'-- it doesn't wholly fund either of those things. But it does help fund ongoing development of Destiny 2, and allows us to fund creative efforts we otherwise couldn't afford. For example: Whisper of the Worm's ornaments were successful enough that it paid [dev cost-wise] for the Zero Hour mission/rewards to be constructed (this sh** matters!)."Destiny 2's microtransaction store, Eververse, lets you spend real money to acquire Silver, which you can then spend to buy things like shaders and bright engrams, as well as emotes and various other extras. Looking ahead, Eververse will move to the Director, which means players will no longer need to visit the Tower to access it.Additionally, new class-specific content is coming to Eververse; one example provided was a store sub-page for Titan armor. Another consumer-friendly change is that gear sets will have a reduced Silver cost when a player already has some of the items included in the set.Smith also talked about how Bungie plans to separate cosmetics from gameplay where possible. Players can still earn things like weapons and perks from gameplay, while Eververse will be the place to go to buy cosmetics.You can read Smith's full blog post to learn more.In other Destiny news, the game is migrating from Battle.net to Steam after Bungie and Activision ended their partnership, while cross-save functionality goes live on August 21. Destiny 2's next expansion, Shadowkeep, and the new free-to-play version of Destiny 2 are due to launch in October.For more on what's happening in Destiny 2 right now, have a look at the story below.Destiny 2 Ascendant Challenge Week 2 Guide (August 13-20): Where To Go And What To Do Info from Gamespot.com

The last year of Destiny 2 has seen developer Bungie execute on a series of experiments with the way its live-service action-MMO delivers new content. Three content drops over the last year, part of the game's Annual Pass, have seen new activities and mechanics added to the game and a big expansion on ways to level up in the game. Now we know that those mechanics might not all be permanent additions to the game--and first on the chopping block is one of the two versions of Destiny 2's Gambit mode.Destiny 2 director Luke Smith gave a huge look back over the last year of Destiny 2 in a new post on Bungie's blog, dubbed "Director's Cut." It's actually the first of multiple parts taking a hindsight view on Destiny 2's second year of content and the improvements the developer could make in the future. In the post, Smith looks back at Season of the Drifter and its signature activity, Gambit Prime, and the way it improved on the original version of Gambit added in the Forsaken expansion. Smith also suggested that eventually, one of those modes would be removed."In the future, we're going to have to make a choice: Which Gambit is the Highlander of Gambits. Prime or Classic," Smith wrote. "This isn't just about removing stuff from Destiny 2--but the game cannot grow infinitely forever--it's about focusing refinements and evolutions to the Gambit ecosystem. We think Gambit is sweet and deserves more ongoing support and we want to ultimately focus that support on whichever mode ends up being the Highlander. There can be only one."Destiny 2 Dev Explains How Microtransactions Are Good For The GameSmith also noted feedback from Destiny 2 players that the Season of the Drifter was too focused on the Gambit activities. Gambit Prime itself had a problem as well--it was meant to encourage players to take on different play styles during matches, based on specific armor sets. But that armor wound up being difficult to get for many, which meant that not everyone got to experience Prime the way Bungie intended for it to be played.The post left two big questions: Which Gambit version will end up being the Highlander, as Smith put it, and when will one be removed from the game? It's a safe bet that nothing will change until at least the release of the Shadowkeep expansion in October. But with Bungie refining Destiny 2 and making some big changes to the game with the next expansion, it's very possible that we could know which Gambit will be the One to Rule Them All come October 1--or sooner, if it's covered in Smith's continuing posts. Info from Gamespot.com

Diablo 3 is more than seven years old, but Blizzard has kept it alive with ports and a slew of updates that have essentially made it a live game. More is on the way, as the developer has now shared a look at its plans for Diablo 3's future, including a commitment to communicate better with the fans.First and foremost, Blizzard says the addition of themed seasons has been a huge boon to the game. These special rule sets added some variety for players who enjoy making regular Diablo runs but may have been growing tired of having a similar seasonal experience every few months. Blizzard says that Seasons 16 and 17 were among the most successful seasons overall; with Season 16 on PC almost tied Season 11, when the game introduced the Necromancer class.To that end, Blizzard says it is working on more Themed Seasons, new sets for each class, and dozens of Legendary powers, along with the usual suite of balance changes. It also said that some quality-of-life and gameplay system updates are on the way too."These updates won't arrive all at once, so if you don't see something for your class right away, don’t worry; there's something coming for everyone," the blog states.Blizzard also says that it plans to continue using the condensed public test realm (PTR) format, which limits the testing phase to a single week. The studio said it will give credit to great feedback from the community that results in actual changes to the game. Finally, Blizzard committed to "more frequent presence and interaction from our community team" to be more communicative.This news comes as Blizzard prepares to wrap up Season 17 of the loot-based action RPG and roll into Season 18. Though the announcement that it will continue the trend of Themed Seasons gives us some insight about what we're in for next, the studio is likely to share more details as we approach the actual release.Info from Gamespot.com

Key Points:NHL 20 is scheduled to launch in September, but some lucky people got in early.Some Xbox One pre-orders unlocked this week.One person was banned, but EA is working with Xbox to reverse it.All HUT and World of Chel progress will be reset before launchIt's unclear whose mistake it was or how it happened. EA's latest NHL game, NHL 20, isn't scheduled for release until September, but some lucky fans got access to the pro ice hockey game this week presumably due to a store error. EA's community manager wrote on Twitter today that the "ceremonial faceoff" for NHL 20 came a little early this year, as some players got into their pre-ordered version of the game on Xbox One ahead of launch.One person was banned by Xbox, but EA is working with Xbox to have that reversed. Those who were lucky enough to get the jump on NHL 20 due to the mistake will not be penalized in any way, EA added; they also won't face a punishment for capturing gameplay.Any footage you come across online from this accidental release comes with the caveat that it's not final and subject to change. Additionally, some of the content in the mistakenly released early version of NHL 20 won't be there in the full release.Players who got to play NHL 20 early (it's not immediately clear if the game is still available) should be aware that EA will wipe Hockey Ultimate Team and World of Chel progress at launch. Additionally, EA pointed out that people who got in early will still be able to open their pre-order HUT packs and exclusive World of Chel content when NHL 20 officially releases.This is all very strange and unusual, and EA did not say if it was a mistake of its own or one made by Xbox. This doesn't appear to have happened with the PlayStation 4 version of NHL 20. An update around some players being able to access #NHL20 yesterday. pic.twitter.com/C6KJyRwWqJ — Clappy (@TheClapperton) August 13, 2019NHL 20's beta took place back in July, and EA Sports is now addressing feedback for launch on September 6 across PS4 and Xbox One. Like other EA games, it is expected that a time-limited version of NHL 20 will arrive multiple days early for EA Access members.Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews is on the cover of NHL 20. The game also brings back the pond hockey mode from NHL 19, while it also has its own unique spin on battle royale. In addition, NHL 20 makes a major change for the commentary and broadcast package.Info from Gamespot.com

Amazon has been offering some solid deals for gamers lately, many of which have been exclusive to Prime members, such as free loot for games like Apex Legends and Red Dead Online, a free Nintendo Switch Online membership, and even some PS4 and Xbox One games for effectively free. All those perks have been offered through Twitch Prime, which is included with any Amazon Prime membership, but the latest games offer is available for anyone to take advantage of. For a limited time, you can buy one, get one 50% off on select PS4 and Xbox One games.To take advantage of the deal, you can browse the games listed on the offer page and add two you want to your cart. During checkout, you'll see the discount applied--it'll be 50% off the cheaper game, which is a solid savings if you pick two games around the same price.Plus, many of these games are already discounted--like Kingdom Hearts 3, which is only $29.88, and Days Gone, which is selling for $38. There are some recently released titles available as part of the deal, like Dragon Quest Builders 2 and Madden NFL 20, and even Elden Ring, the From Software-George RR Martin collaboration announced at E3 2019, is included.See some of the games available below, and check out the full offer at Amazon. As is usually the case with Amazon, there's no knowing how long this offer will be available, and the discounts reflected below will likely fluctuate, so don't wait if you see a game you've been wanting at an appealing price.Buy one, get one 50% off on games at AmazonDark Souls Remastered (PS4) -- $28.95 Days Gone (PS4) -- $38 ($60)Devil May Cry 5 (PS4, Xbox One) -- $40 ($60)Dirt Rally 2.0 (Xbox One) -- $39 ($60)Doom (Xbox One) -- $15 ($19.93)Dragon Quest Builders 2 (PS4) -- $60Elden Ring (PS4) -- $60 The Elder Scrolls Online: Elsweyr (PS4, Xbox One) -- $40 ($60)God of War (PS4) -- $30Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice (Xbox One) -- $30 Kingdom Hearts 3 (Xbox One) -- $29.88 ($60)Madden NFL 20 - Superstar Edition (PS4) -- $80 ($77 with Prime)Metro Exodus (Xbox One) -- $30 ($40)Mortal Kombat 11 (PS4, Xbox One) -- $49 on PS4, $44.40 on Xbox One ($60)No Man's Sky (Xbox One) -- $26 ($50)Rage 2 (PS4) -- $50 ($60)Resident Evil 2 (PS4, Xbox One) -- $38 ($60)Samurai Shodown (PS4, Xbox One) -- $49.94 ($60)Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (Xbox One) -- $47.49 ($60)Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands (Xbox One) -- $38.73 ($50)Warhammer: Chaosbane (Xbox One) -- $50 ($60)WWE 2K19 (Xbox One) -- $15 ($60)Yakuza 0 -- $19.39Info from Gamespot.com

Rainbow Six Siege has begun to tease its next big operation, with more details to come in less than a week. It's called Operation Ember Rise, and the key art shows a pair of operators appearing to rest in front of a campfire. The teaser on Twitter says that the full reveal is coming on Sunday, August 18, during the Raleigh Major Finals.That date places it on the last day of the Raleigh Major competitive event, where teams will be competing for their share of a $500,000 prize pool. The teaser didn't mention a specific time for the reveal, and the event goes all day starting with a pre-show at 10:30 AM ET / 7:30 AM PT / 2:30 PM GMT (12:30 AM AEST on Monday, August 19). The closing ceremonies will take place at 7:30 PM ET / 4:30 PM PT / 11:30 PM GMT (9:30 AM AEST on Monday), which could be a likely spot for a debut.Operation Ember Rise is coming. See the full reveal during the Raleigh Major Finals on August 18. pic.twitter.com/7b0CvqHKOI — Rainbow Six Siege (@Rainbow6Game) August 13, 2019Operations in Rainbow Six Siege are the name given to seasons, which cycle every few months. Currently the game is in Operation Phantom Sight. Each operation introduces new operators, so the two figures we see in the teaser could be playable characters. One even looks to be wearing a bandana, which aligns with what we saw in a recent leak.Based on the leak, the two operators appear to be a demolitions expert and archeologist. That could fit with a prior leak, suggesting that one of the new characters would carry a shield with explosives and another would have a grappling hook.Ubisoft is also planning another new Rainbow Six game, Rainbow Six Quarantine, which will be co-op PvE instead of Siege's PvP. It's based on a popular Siege limited-time mode called Outbreak.Info from Gamespot.com

Yoji Shinkawa's artwork for Metal Gear Solid includes some of the most iconic illustrations in video games, setting the tone and style for the series masterfully. Much of this artwork was compiled in last year's The Art of Metal Gear Solid I-IV hardcover collection, and now, you can snag the two-book set for almost half-off.The Art of Metal Gear Solid I-IV $44 ($80)See it at AmazonThe Art of Metal Gear Solid I-IV is currently on sale for $44 USD on Amazon, down from $80. Amazon prices fluctuate frequently, so the actual discount may vary depending on when you visit the page.The collection comes with two hardcover books, one for Studio Works and the other for Gallery Works, contained inside of a hardcover slipcase. Studio Works consists of black-and-white illustrations, mostly concept art used in the series' production. Gallery Works, on the other hand, features coloured drawings and 3D renders.If you want to revisit the old games, the best way to do so on current-generation hardware is the backward-compatibility program on Xbox One. Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 HD, Peace Walker HD, and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance are all available as part of the program. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is currently available through Xbox Game Pass. For PlayStation 4 users, you'll have to use PlayStation Now to play Metal Gear Solid 4 and the aforementioned games. Of course, you could just purchase Metal Gear Solid V on either platform, if that interests you. Unfortunately, neither PS4 or Xbox One feature the original Metal Gear Solid.Info from Gamespot.com

The team-based battle royale Apex Legends is experimenting with dropping the "team-based" part in a limited-time mode. The new Solos event has launched, letting you compete with 59 other aspiring Legends as you fight to be the last one standing. As previously announced, the event which is dubbed the "Iron Crown Collection Event" will last through August 27.The update that brought Solos also packaged some extra goodies. A new Octane's Town Takeover mixes up the map in some unique ways, adding a mega jump pad and stunt ramps with fire effects to the stadium. Plus, over the weekend of August 16-18 you can earn double XP for Top 5 finishes and wins.The event will also reward players with Iron Crown Collection Packs, which house exclusive cosmetics. You can earn a couple of packs by completing special event challenges, and others are available for purchase. These packs have a 50/50 probability for Epic or Legendary items, and won't give duplicates. If you manage to get all 24 Ice Crown exclusives, you can also purchase an heirloom item, Bloodhound's Battle Axe.The event isn't going off without its share of controversy, however. Some fans like this one on the Apex Legends subreddit have complained that the Iron Crown event packs are prohibitively expensive, especially since you need to buy several of them to collect all 24 cosmetics for the heirloom item. Each pack costs around $7, so needing to purchase more than 20 of them adds up fast. Then on top of that, you'll need even more coins to buy the heirloom itself. That thread has been heavily upvoted, showing at least a portion of the community agrees.Though the Solos mode is planned as a limited-time event, community manager Jay Frechette indicated that the studio will be watching the reaction closely. That means Respawn could bring the mode back from time to time or even make it a permanent addition."We'll talk more about Solos when it's live and you've had a chance to play it," Frechette said. "For now we're going to put it out there and see what happens and what kind of feedback we get."Info from Gamespot.com

Key Points:Take-Two's CEO, Strauss Zelnick, is excited about the potential of next-generation consoles.The PS5 and Xbox Scarlett will let developers make games with graphics that look better than ever.Some of Take-Two's games will continue to have stylized graphics, like Borderlands. The new consoles will give developers a "new canvas on which to paint."Speaking to CNBC financial analyst Jim Cramer, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick talked about why he's excited about Microsoft's Project Scarlett and Sony's new PlayStation, both of which are expected to release during Holiday 2020. He said the increased horsepower of both next-generation consoles will give Take-Two's developers at Rockstar Games and 2K Games, among others, the ability to make better-looking games that are creatively improved as well."We have a new console generation coming, and that's going to allow us to do some things that we haven't been able to do before creatively, and that's exciting," he said.Zelnick went on to say he expects the graphics of video games to eventually become indistinguishable from real life--if a developer chooses to pursue ultra-realistic visuals. He didn't specifically say that the new generation of consoles coming next year will allow for this level of realism, however."We're going to reach a point where you won't be able to tell the difference between what's created in the computer and what's real," he said.The executive said there is no top-down imperative from executives that all games from Take-Two have photorealistic visuals, pointing out that the Borderlands franchise that's published by 2K Games is known for its stylized graphics--and that will continue going forward.2K Sports' NBA 2K series, however, is one of the company's franchises that will benefit from the increased power of the new consoles to make the player models even more realistic-looking."But this promise of taking certain titles like basketball, and making it truly look live-action--it's pretty close now, squint a little bit and it looks like live-action--that's really exciting," Zelnick said. "And that gives our creative folks a new canvas on which to paint."Microsoft has officially confirmed that Project Scarlett will release in Holiday 2020 with Halo Infinite as a launch title. Sony, meanwhile, has been more secretive. The company has begun to discuss the next PlayStation--confirming faster load times and other specs--but Sony has yet to officially announce the console and talk about when it will release.Info from Gamespot.com