The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition released back in May, and only three months later, there's quite the bundle for it. Online retailer BuyDig is offering an Xbox One S All-Digital bundle with six games and two months of Xbox Live Gold for $330 US, down from $369.The games included are Minecraft, Madden NFL 20, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, Sea of Thieves, Forza Horizon 3, and Gears of War 4. BuyDig will ship the bundle to the US, Canada, and UK, but you should expect hefty shipping costs to the latter two countries. See at BuyDigLast week, we reported on an Xbox One S and 4K TV bundle for $500. It comes with a copy of Madden NFL 20, in addition to a second game depending on which Xbox One S bundle you choose.The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition is nearly identical to the regular Xbox One S. The only difference is the lack of a disc drive; the All-Digital Edition can't play physical game discs or 4K Blu-rays.Info from Gamespot.com

Madden NFL 20 launched earlier this month, and now published Electronic Arts has revealed some statistics that speak to how people are playing the game and how it's selling.EA said in a press release that "well over half" of the game's first-week sales were digital; that's a first for the decades-old franchise. It's expected that digital sales would continue to rise in percentage compared to physical, given the gaming industry overall is moving toward digital.A digital sale is more lucrative for EA, too, but EA still pays store fees on the Xbox Store and PlayStation Store.EA also said that Madden 20 set a new franchise record for most pre-orders during in its final week before release; however, no pre-order or sales numbers for Madden 20 were released by EA.Here are some other Madden 20 statistics:Over 70% of players tried the new single-player mode, Face of the Franchise, in the first week; that's up 80% compared to the number of people who tried Madden 19's Longshot 2 in its first week.The number of games played in Madden 20 in its first week is up by double-digit percentages compared to Madden NFL 19.EA says Madden 20 has the "highest positive sentiment ever" on social media, though the company did not say how it recorded this.In other news, Amazon Prime members can claim one of the greatest NFL players of all time, Jim Brown, in Madden Ultimate Team.Info from Gamespot.com

Every week, New Releases breaks down the upcoming week in games. As we near the halfway point of August, Nintendo Switch continues to stack its library with the Grandia HD Collection and its own port of Friday the 13th: The Game. Sci-fi fans can take flight with Rebel Galaxy: Outlaw or platform through a virtual computer with Exception. On the fantasy side, Dicey Dungeons also rolls out this week.Friday the 13th: The Game - Ultimate Slasher Edition -- August 13Available on: SwitchApparently August is the month for horror games, at least on Switch. The Ultimate Slasher Edition includes all of the previously released DLC, giving you plenty of movie costume options for Jason. One player will take control of Jason himself, while the others play as Camp Crystal Lake counselors, trying to survive the night.More Coverage:Friday The 13th: The Game ReviewFriday The 13th Approaches 2 Million Copies Sold; Dev Feels "Confident Moving Forward"Rebel Galaxy: Outlaw -- August 13Available on: PCWhile the original Rebel Galaxy limited how you could steer your ship, the sequel lets you fly in full 3D, where pilot Juno Markev must contend with space truckers, criminals, and more. There are plenty of options for spaceship colors and weapons as you zoom through space and engage in dogfights.More Coverage:New Rebel Galaxy Outlaw Trailer Makes Playful Jab At Star CitizenRebel Galaxy Outlaw - 16 Minutes Of Gameplay | PAX West 2018Exception -- August 13Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC, SwitchException sees you playing as a computer program tracking down an evil virus. As you might guess from the screenshot above, that means plenty of platforming and combat as you flip through each rotating stage. What's more, you can compete for high scores on each level through online leaderboards.Dicey Dungeons -- August 13Available on: PCAs the name implies, you play as a die in Dicey Dungeons. Each of the six classes has its own special abilities, but no matter which you choose, you'll still have to build a strategic deck as you venture through procedurally generated dungeons. Dicey Dungeons is a roguelike, so prepare to roll the dice in more ways than one.Grandia HD Collection -- August 16Available on: SwitchThe Grandia series is pretty beloved, and now you'll be able to play Grandia 1 and 2 anywhere. The first game is turn-based, while the sequel sports a different battle system that lets you move around during combat. Both games also feature prettier graphics--this is an HD collection, after all.More Coverage:Grandia Review Grandia II Review August has plenty of games to come, and next week New Releases will take a look at the latest from two well-known studios. Double Fine is launching its new action game Rad, and the up-and-coming Tokyo RPG Factory is releasing Oninaki.Info from Gamespot.com

Akira is one of the all-time classic anime movies, but it's the manga that first told Kaneda's story. The manga saw an English release in 1992, ten years after its original Japanese release. However, if you still haven't read it, there's no time more appropriate than now--and not only because Akira is set in 2019. The entire series, compiled in the Akira 35th Anniversary Box Set, is currently discounted by more than $70 USD on Amazon.The initial discount for the box set puts the price at $144, down from $200. However, with promo code TEXT10 and the listed coupon, you can snag the collection for just under $130.Akira 35th Anniversary Box Set$130 ($200)See at AmazonWhile the original English release was in 1992, the 35th Anniversary Box Set is the first time English readers are able to see the original Japanese art and right-to-left reading format in their native language. It includes all six volumes, the Akira Club art book, and an exclusive patch. The best part: they're all hardcovers.In related news, Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi is signed on to direct a live-action Akira movie. However, due to complications, that film has been delayed due to "development concerns" and Waititi will first direct the Ragnarok follow-up, Thor: Love and Thunder.Info from Gamespot.com

Decay of Logos, an ambitious RPG that reminds us of both Breath of the Wild and Princess Mononoke, is releasing towards the end of August.The game is a story of revenge about a girl and her elk, who set out to find the truth and take down the culprits after the girl's village is destroyed. Getting revenge will involve battling a lot of enemies, searching through numerous dungeons, and exploring a world influenced by high fantasy tales and European folklore.The game has been in development since at least 2014, when game designer André Constantino built a prototype that would become fleshed out further when he joined with Amplify Creations in 2015. The creation process has been covered in an extensive DevLog on the game's official site.Decay of Logos is the first game from Amplify Creations, and because the company specialises in middleware, it was made mostly using in-house tech.The developers don't want the game, which will involve open-world exploration and combat that mixes swordplay with magic abilities (plus your elk, who can run in and headbutt enemies), to hold player's hands too much, so expect to have to find your own way forward.Decay of Logos will hit PS4 first on August 27, before coming to Switch on August 29. Xbox One and Steam players will have to wait until August 30. It's being published by Rising Star Games.Info from Gamespot.com

Every Sunday, New Releases breaks down the upcoming week in games. As we near the halfway point of August, Nintendo Switch continues to stack its library with the Grandia HD Collection and its own port of Friday the 13th: The Game. Sci-fi fans can take flight with Rebel Galaxy: Outlaw or platform through a virtual computer with Exception. On the fantasy side, Dicey Dungeons also rolls out this week.Friday the 13th: The Game - Ultimate Slasher Edition -- August 13Available on: SwitchApparently August is the month for horror games, at least on Switch. The Ultimate Slasher Edition includes all of the previously released DLC, giving you plenty of movie costume options for Jason. One player will take control of Jason himself, while the others play as Camp Crystal Lake counselors, trying to survive the night.More Coverage:Friday The 13th: The Game ReviewFriday The 13th Approaches 2 Million Copies Sold; Dev Feels "Confident Moving Forward"Rebel Galaxy: Outlaw -- August 13Available on: PCWhile the original Rebel Galaxy limited how you could steer your ship, the sequel lets you fly in full 3D, where pilot Juno Markev must contend with space truckers, criminals, and more. There are plenty of options for spaceship colors and weapons as you zoom through space and engage in dogfights.More Coverage:New Rebel Galaxy Outlaw Trailer Makes Playful Jab At Star CitizenRebel Galaxy Outlaw - 16 Minutes Of Gameplay | PAX West 2018Exception -- August 13Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC, SwitchException sees you playing as a computer program tracking down an evil virus. As you might guess from the screenshot above, that means plenty of platforming and combat as you flip through each rotating stage. What's more, you can compete for high scores on each level through online leaderboards.Dicey Dungeons -- August 13Available on: PCAs the name implies, you play as a die in Dicey Dungeons. Each of the six classes has its own special abilities, but no matter which you choose, you'll still have to build a strategic deck as you venture through procedurally generated dungeons. Dicey Dungeons is a roguelike, so prepare to roll the dice in more ways than one.Grandia HD Collection -- August 16Available on: SwitchThe Grandia series is pretty beloved, and now you'll be able to play Grandia 1 and 2 anywhere. The first game is turn-based, while the sequel sports a different battle system that lets you move around during combat. Both games also feature prettier graphics--this is an HD collection, after all.More Coverage:Grandia Review Grandia II Review August has plenty of games to come, and next week New Releases will take a look at the latest from two well-known studios. Double Fine is launching its new action game Rad, and the up-and-coming Tokyo RPG Factory is releasing Oninaki.Info from Gamespot.com

Fortnite: Battle Royale has entered its second week of Season X, and Epic Games has released a new batch of challenges for Battle Pass holders to complete. The latest set of missions is called Spray and Pray, and as its name suggests, many of the tasks revolve around finding spray cans or spraying certain objects around the map.Unlike past seasons, which gave Battle Pass holders access to all of a week's challenges at once, only three of these Spray and Pray challenges will initially be available, with additional tasks unlocking as you complete them. The first asks you to deal damage to opponents with SMGs; the second has you spray a fountain, a junkyard crane, and a vending machine; and the third tasks you with spraying three different gas stations. You can see the full list of Spray and Pray challenges we've unlocked below.As previously mentioned, you'll need to own a Battle Pass in order to access the Spray and Pray challenges. Whereas past seasons gave all players a selection of missions to complete each week (with additional ones available exclusively to Battle Pass holders), Season X gates most of its challenges behind the pass, so you'll need to purchase one if you're hoping to get the most out of the season.Beyond that, the Battle Pass works the same as before. Completing challenges will net you Battle Stars, which in turn will help you level your Battle Pass up and unlock skins and other cosmetic rewards. If you need help completing any of this season's missions, you can find all of our tips and guides in our full Season X challenges roundup, which we'll continue to update as the season rolls on. You can see all the new cosmetics that are up for grabs in our Season X Battle Pass rewards gallery.In other Fortnite news, developer Epic Games' recently rolled out the title's 10.00 content update, which introduced another new gun to the mix: the automatic sniper rifle. Additionally, a Rift Zone has transformed Neo Tilted into the Wild West-themed Titled Town, and a limited-time Arsenal mode is now underway. You can read the full patch notes for the content update on Epic's website.Fortnite Season X, Week 2 Spray And Pray ChallengesDeal damage with SMGs to opponents (500) -- 10 Battle StarsSpray a Fountain, a Junkyard Crane, and a Vending Machine -- 10 Battle StarsSpray different Gas Stations (3) -- 10 Battle StarsInfo from Gamespot.com

The Nintendo Switch has some solid Pro Controller alternatives in PowerA's wireless, "enhanced" pads. Now, the company is adding a Spyro-themed version to its lineup, and in addition to the new design, it boasts everything that PowerA's previous controllers have featured.The wireless Spyro Controller is up for pre-order on Amazon now, with a release date of August 30. That's just in time for Spyro Reignited Trilogy's Switch release on September 3. We've been impressed by PowerA's output for Nintendo Switch, including its wired controllers, which come at a cheaper price tag.See it at AmazonAs for the Spyro-themed pad, it's officially licensed by Nintendo and has the ability to map buttons to the two triggers situated on the back of the controller. It also features motion controls and Bluetooth connectivity; however, there's no rumble or NFC compatibility, meaning you won't be able to scan any Amiibos.On top of that, you'll need to power the controller with two AA batteries. This gives you up to 30 hours of gameplay, and while it may seem like a negative compared to the Pro Controller's recharging battery, I personally prefer this. The Pro Controller's internal battery is convenient, but when it loses its charge, you won't be able to use it wirelessly any longer. That hopefully won't happen until far after the Switch's lifespan, but as someone who likes to revisit their favourite games (and has been burned by a couple of dead PS3 controllers), I appreciate good quality controllers that come wired or battery-powered.As for Spyro Reignited Trilogy, it released on PS4 and Xbox One last year on November 13. Reviewer Justin Clark called it "the best kind of collection that not only brings a beloved series up to current visual standards but also proves just how well-built the original titles were." You can check out the score and read our full Spyro Reignited review here.Info from Gamespot.com

Since the release of the PC version of Destiny 2, lots of Guardians have been hoping cross-save capabilities would make their way into Destiny 2 and allow them to move their characters (and all the gear they've been grinding for) to other platforms. Bungie kicked off a lot of excitement when it announced cross save was on its way alongside Destiny 2's next expansion (as is a migration from Battle.net to Steam), but we've never been quite clear on when the feature would actually become available--until now.In its latest weekly blog post, Bungie finally put an actual date on when cross save will become available: August 21. On that date, you'll be able to link your Destiny 2 accounts between multiple platforms and access your characters on all of them.Bungie previously laid out a bit of info about how cross save will work. You'll be able to freely move your character between platforms with Destiny 2: New Light, the upcoming free-to-play version of Destiny 2's Year One content. If you want to play Shadowkeep or anything from Forsaken and the annual pass that came after it, however, you'll need to purchase it on the platform to which you're moving. Elements like Silver, Destiny 2's premium currency, stay on the platforms where they were purchased. Silver is linked to your characters, so if you have Silver on a different platform or a different set of characters, you won't get to access it.As Bungie notes in its cross save FAQ, though, you'll have to make some decisions if you've been playing Destiny 2 on more than one platform. When you enable cross save, you'll have to choose which account to keep--you can only make one set of characters available across all platforms. Unfortunately, that means you can't merge, say, your Hunter from your PS4 account with the Titan you play on PC and your Warlock from Xbox One. You'll have to use either your PS4, PC, or Xbox account for cross save.That doesn't mean your other characters are gone forever, though. Bungie says in the FAQ you can disable cross save, which will give you access to the characters you had on their original individual platforms. It'll take 90 days for those characters to become available again, though. "This policy exists to discourage activity like account recoveries by other players," Bungie writes.Bungie also gave a few new details about Destiny 2's PC version. As announced with Shadowkeep, Destiny 2 is moving off of Activision's Battle.net launcher and onto Steam, something that was slated to happen alongside the release of the expansion. Bungie announced recently it was delaying the expansion from its September release date to October 1, and the move from Battle.net to Steam is similarly delayed. Starting on August 20, however, PC users can start linking their accounts between Battle.net and Steam to make the transition easier.In its PC move FAQ, Bungie explains that you'll get a one-time move from Battle.net to Steam that'll take everything you've purchased with you--including all game content and any Silver you've bought, as well.Info from Gamespot.com

Following a pair of mass shootings in the United States, the public eye has turned toward violent video games as a possible contributor. Seemingly in response, the retail giant Walmart has reportedly begun removing signage promoting violent video games from its stores.Vice reports that a company memo titled "Immediate Action: Remove Signing and Displays Referencing Violence" was distributed to Walmart stores. The notice tells store managers to find any displays that "contain violent images or aggressive behavior" and remove them from the sales floor. It specifically mentions demos of violent games on PlayStation or Xbox, "combat style or third-person shooter games," violent movies, and hunting videos in the sporting goods section. The policy does not appear to restrict the sale of violent games or other media, just their promotion.Walmart is an especially symbolic location for this to take place. One of the two mass shootings from the weekend, in El Paso, Texas, took place inside a Walmart store. Plus, as critics have pointed out, Walmart itself sells actual guns in its stores, and despite pressure from gun control activists, the company has announced no change in its policy.Following the two tragedies in El Paso on August 3 and Dayton, Ohio on August 4, President Donald Trump gave a brief address in which he suggested, in part, that violent video games contribute to a culture of violence."We must stop the glorification of violence in our society," Trump said. "This includes the gruesome and grisly video games that are now commonplace. It is too easy today for troubled youth to surround themselves with a culture that celebrates violence. We must stop or substantially reduce this, and it has to begin immediately."One of the shooters did reportedly reference the Call of Duty series in his manifesto, which largely centered on targeting Latinx people. Critics say the president and others are attempting to shift the conversation toward video games and away from gun control, which has had renewed calls from across the political spectrum following the shootings.In response to the president's statement, the ESA told GameSpot, "Numerous scientific studies have established that there is no causal connection between video games and violence. More than 165 million Americans enjoy video games, and billions of people play video games worldwide. Yet other societies, where video games are played as avidly, do not contend with the tragic levels of violence that occur in the US."Info from Gamespot.com

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, the latest FromSoftware game, has sold 3.8 million units as of June 2019, just over three months on the market. The worldwide figure is sell-in, not sell-through, so that figure is numbers sold to retailers. Still, it's a big number for Activision, which published the game.Niko Partners senior analyst Daniel Ahmad noted the figure on Twitter, and noted for comparison that the Dark Souls series as a whole has shipped 25 million copies as of June. Most of those sales came after the release of Dark Souls 3, which both sold well for itself and boosted the brand as the older games released PC versions.Sekiro had a strong debut, hitting the second-best selling game of March in the US NPDs despite only being out for about a week. It maintained steady sales afterwards, appearing in both the April and May charts.Sekiro is a spiritual successor to From's other games, with a similarly tough timing-based battle system. GameSpot's Sekiro eview praised its exhilarating combat and intricate environments."The orchestration of intense one-on-one boss encounters that truly test your mettle, and slower-paced stealth sections that let you take on battles at your own pace, is masterful," Tamoor Hussain wrote. "More so than in previous games, From Software has honed in on the inherent tension found in the challenging nature of its games, and uses it to incredible effect. Sekiro marries the developer's unique brand of gameplay with stealth action to deliver an experience that is as challenging as it is gratifying."Info from Gamespot.com

The Walking Dead is about to hit double-figures, with the premiere of Season 10 less than two months away. AMC's long-running zombie drama might not be the record-breaking ratings smash it once was, but it's still one of the most popular shows on TV. The first images from the new season have now been released.The images show most of the characters that survived the shocking events at the end of Season 9. There's Michonne (Danai Gurira), Daryl (Norman Reedus), Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), Carol (Melissa McBride), Father Gabriel (Seth Gilliam), Aaron (Ross Marquand), and Ezekiel (Khary Payton). And of course, there are some zombies in there too. Check the images out below:The Walking Dead Season 10 will continue the conflict between the show's survivors and the villainous Whisperers, who wear the faces of the dead. It premieres on October 6. AMC has released an official synopsis for the new season. It states: "The Whisperers are a threat unlike any they have ever faced. Backed by a massive horde of the dead it is seemingly a fight they cannot win. The question of what to do and the fear it breeds will infect the communities and give rise to paranoia, propaganda, secret agendas, and infighting that will test them as individuals and as a society."Season 10 will also be the final one for Gurira, who has played Michonne since Season 3. It was announced that the star will be leaving the show in February, and that she will only appear in "handful of episodes" in the new season. She is the third high-profile departure from the series in the last couple of years, following the exits of Andrew Lincoln (Rick) and Lauren Cohen (Maggie).However, while Lincoln has left the main show, he will reprise his role in a series of Walking Dead movies, the first of which was teased at San Diego Comic-Con last month. In addition, a new Walking Dead spin-off show is set to arrive in 2020. It does not yet have a title, but a mysterious first teaser was released last week.Info from Gamespot.com

Along with the Hero from Dragon Quest, one of the biggest additions to come in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's major 4.0 update was a new online tournament mode, which would periodically hold special event tourneys. The first of these events kicks off today, August 9, and it fittingly pits good against evil.The theme of the first Smash Bros. Ultimate event tourney is Heroes vs. Villains. Each match features a 2:30 time limit, and only certain heroic and villainous characters are able to participate. You can see the full list of eligible fighters for this tournament below:MarioLinkSamusDark SamusFoxBowserMarthYoung LinkGanondorfRoyChromMeta KnightPitDark PitWarioIkeSonicKing DededeToon LinkWolfShulkBowser Jr.RidleySimon BelmontRichter BelmontKing K. RoolHeroThe Heroes vs. Villains event runs through the weekend until August 12, and players who participate will receive a Spirit as a prize. Nintendo says the further you advance during the tournament, the better the Spirit will be. You'll need to have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to take part in the event.If you're already a Switch Online member, you can also grab an exclusive Smash Bros. Ultimate freebie from the Eshop. Nintendo is giving NSO subscribers a free Spirit Board Challenge Pack that includes a handful of helpful items for the game's Spirit Board mode. If you're in the market for a new controller, a handful of GameCube-style Smash Ultimate controllers are also on sale right now at Amazon.Hero is the second DLC fighter from Smash Bros. Ultimate's Fighters Pass to arrive, following Persona 5's Joker. The next DLC character on the way to the game is Rare's famous bear and bird duo, Banjo and Kazooie, who are slated to launch sometime this fall. Nintendo still has two more DLC characters in the works, although the company has kept their identities a secret thus far.Info from Gamespot.com

Microsoft and The Coalition have announced that Gears 5 has "gone gold"--the phrase in the games industry signifying that a final build has been sent to manufacturing. That's a big moment for any studio, and prepares the game to be stocked on store shelves upon release in September.The studio posted about the milestone on the Xbox blog, along with word that it will be going to Gamescom on August 19 to show off the new Horde Mode and another look at the campaign. We know that a Horde mode tech test is planned for sometime this month, so the Coalition may be planning to make that announcement at Gamescom. The blog also gave the full list of Achievements, which it promises are spoiler-free."From all of us at The Coalition, we couldn't be more excited to share Gears 5 with the world. I want thank the team here who has worked so hard for our fans, and we all hope you are all as excited as we are to play Gears 5," said studio head Rod Fergusson in the announcement. "This is furthest we have ever taken the franchise, living our studio mantra of 'if you want to go far go together'."Gears 5 will be available for all Xbox Game Pass subscribers on September 6, before its official retail launch on September 10. The Horde Mode tech test will also be available for Game Pass subscribers, along with anyone who pre-ordered the game.Microsoft recently announced a slew of Gears-branded hardware coming alongside the game launch, including a limited-edition Xbox One X console, standard Xbox One X and S bundles, a new controller, wireless keyboard and mouse, and more. Check out our Gears 5 pre-order guide for more details.Info from Gamespot.com

When MoviePass launched in August 2017, it seemed a movie lover's dream come true. For $10 a month, subscribers could see one movie a day--essentially up to 31 theater trips every month. But if that sounded too good to be true, it's because it was. Over the next year the company was hit by a series of financial crises, and the constantly changing terms of its membership did little to stem its problems. A new report has now revealed some of the controversial methods that MoviePass bosses allegedly tried in order to stay afloat.A report in Business Insider reveals that there was a crisis point in July 2018, when the company temporarily ran out of funds. MoviePass's business model centered upon the company paying for the tickets used by its customers, reportedly leading to a decision to change the passwords of some of its heaviest users to stop them using the service. The site's sources at MoviePass also stated that CEO Mitch Lowe ordered that the hugely popular Mission Impossible: Fallout should be removed from the service that month. MoviePass has not commented on Business Insider's story.As 2018 continued, it was hard to keep tracking of the changes to the service. In August it reduced the number of movies that could be seen from one a day to three a month, and then caused controversy by renewing the subscriptions of many members who had chosen to let them elapse. A few weeks later this changed yet again, when the company then announced that while members could now watch a film daily, the choice of films would be limited. In addition, it introduced a bizarre scheme that involved uploading a picture of your ticket stub to stop repeat viewings.MoviePass still technically exists as a company. The app stopped working last month but is currently active; however, it is no longer accepting new subscribers. The company's website currently states that it has been "working hard to improve our groundbreaking subscription service to ensure it meets the vision that we have for it." MoviePass has also moved into movie production, signing a three-movie deal with Bruce Willis at the end of 2018.Info from Gamespot.com