The indie developers behind the farming and creature-collecting game Ooblets recently announced an exclusivity deal with Epic to launch the title as a timed exclusive for the Epic Games Store. Developer Glumberland's two developers--Rebecca Cordingley and Ben Wasse--received an enormous amount of "hateful, threatening" messages over the deal.Writing on Patreon (via GI.biz), the developers spoke about the awful messages they have received after announcing their partnership with Epic."We really misjudged how angry so many people would be. This whole thing has just devastated us. We've been getting thousands if not tens of thousands of hateful, threatening messages across every possible platform nonstop. It's especially hurtful since we've had such a positive, supportive relationship with our audience throughout development."The statement goes on: "I have been crying nonstop for the last two days and feeling like the world has collapsed around me. I couldn't have guessed the scale of what it would feel like to be the target of an internet hate mob. I already had a lot of empathy for other targets of previous hate mobs, which is why we wanted to address that sort of thinking in our announcement, but I had no idea it was this bad."In a post on its own website, Epic said the news surrounding Ooblets "highlighted a disturbing trend which is growing and undermining healthy public discourse, and that's the coordinated and deliberate creation and promotion of false information, including fake screenshots, videos, and technical analysis, accompanied by harassment of partners, promotion of hateful themes, and intimidation of those with opposing views."The company said it is pursuing exclusives so aggressively because it believes, in the end, it will lead to a "healthier and more competitive multi-store world for the future."The Epic Games Store pays developers an 88% cut of revenue, with Epic taking 12% as the store owner. This is far friendlier than the current average industry split on stores like Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation where the developer/publisher gets 70 percent and the store-owner keeps 30.Epic said it remains "fully committed" to its plans for the Epic Games Store even amidst "these challenges" as it relates to controversy about exclusives."Many thanks to all of you that continue to promote and advocate for healthy, truthful discussion about the games business and stand up to all manners of abuse," Epic said.Ooblets was originally going to be published by Double Fine. However, after Microsoft acquired Double Fine, Glumberland announced that it would self-publish, before later confirming a deal with Epic to help fund the game in exchange for releasing it on the Epic Games Store.In a blog post, Glumberland stated that signing with Epic was a "big decision" the studio didn't take lightly. "[Epic] offered us a minimum guarantee on sales that would match what we'd be wanting to earn if we were just selling Ooblets across all the stores," Glumberland wrote. "That takes a huge burden of uncertainty off of us because now we know that no matter what, the game won't fail."The financial security, according to Glumberland, gives the studio peace of mind, allowing the small team to "focus on making the game without worrying about keeping the lights on [and] afford more help and resources to start ramping up production and doing some cooler things."The studio anticipated blowback about the partnership with Epic, and asked its fans to "look at the things going on and ask if there might be anything just a tad more worthwhile to be upset about" like human rights abuses and climate change.One of the next major Epic Games Store exclusives is Borderlands 3. The game launches in September and will remain exclusive to the store until April 2020. The PS4 and Xbox One versions will release normally.Info from Gamespot.com

Gemma Chan, who starred in Crazy Rich Asians and had a role in Captain Marvel, is reportedly in discussions to play a part in another MCU movie. Variety reports that Chan is in talks to appear in Phase 4 superhero movie The Eternals, which was formally announced at San Diego Comic-Con in July.Chan played Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel. However, sources told Variety that Chan could have a different part in The Eteranals. That would be a big change, as it would be among the first times that an actor will play two different MCU characters.Separately, Collider reports that Barry Keoghan (Chernobyl, Dunkirk) is also in talks for a role in The Eternals.Chan and Keoghan would join a cast in The Eternals that already has plenty of big names including Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Salma Hayek, Kumail Nanjiani, Brian Tyree, and more. Lauren Ridloff is also joining the cast as Makkari, who will be the MCU's first deaf superhero.The Eternals is being directed by Chloe Zhao (The Rider, Songs My Brother Taught Me). It opens in November 2020. For lots more, check out the story below.Marvel's Eternals: Everything We Know About The MCU Phase 4 Movie Info from Gamespot.com

Warner Bros. has announced the release dates for two of its upcoming anticipated movies. The untitled Elvis Presley biopic starring Austin Butler and directed by Oscar nominee Baz Luhrmann (The Great Gatsby, Moulin Rouge, Romeo + Juliet) is set to hit theatres on October 1, 2021, according to The Hollywood Reporter.Warner Bros. also shared a brief plot description for the film, stating it will "delve into their complex dynamic spanning over 20 years, from Presley's rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and the loss of innocence in America."Butler stars in the movie opposite Tom Hanks who plays Elvis' longtime manager Colonel Tom Parker. The other date that Warner Bros. announced was for the Dune reboot. The movie has shifted from November 2020 to December 18, 2020. The sci-fi film is directed by Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Sicario, Blade Runner 2049) and stars lots of famous people such as Josh Brolin, Timothee Chalamet, Stellan Skarsgard, Dave Bautista, Rebecca Ferguson, Jason Momoa, Oscar Isaac, and Charlotte Rampling, among others. The December 18, 2020 date is a busy one. The Uncharted movie starring Tom Holland also arrives in theatres that day, as does the Coming to America sequel with Eddie Murphy and Steven Spielberg's West Side Story. Finally, Warner Bros. announced that an untitled "event" film will release on November 20, 2020, but there is no word on what it is. Info from Gamespot.com

A movie based on The Division starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain is on the way, but it probably won't come out anytime soon. Director David Leitch (Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw) gave an interview recently where he spoke about how the Netflix movie is coming along."I'm excited about the material, and it is potentially next for us," Leitch told The Hollywood Reporter. "We are currently in the script phase. Then, it's about getting everybody’s schedules to line up and making sure that we're ready to go with a script we're 100 percent behind."Leitch said the process of getting everything together to finally break ground on The Division movie is "accelerating quickly." The director added that he's confident that the right team has been assembled to give the movie a shot at being great."I love that material, and I love the potential of working with those two incredible actors [Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain]," he said. "The creative team on that is Kelly McCormick as producer, myself, Jake and Jessica. We have a really core team that cares about the material and is going to work hard to make it great."[Access Granted. Commencing Transmission]Director @DavidMLeitch, @Jes_Chastain, and Jake Gyllenhaal are bringing Ubisoft’s The Division to Netflix. It’s the Tom Clancy high-stakes action you love, in the pandemic stricken Manhattan that offers no second chances. pic.twitter.com/cpi6JCp4EM — NX (@NXOnNetflix) June 10, 2019In a separate interview, Gyllenhaal said he would be interested in training for The Division movie at Leitch's 87Eleven action design studio. Keanu Reeves worked with 87Eleven to prepare for his starring role in the action movie franchise John Wick."Yeah! I'm up for it. I'm up for anything, man," Gyllenhaal said. "This job is about the experiences you have off-camera as much as the experiences you have on-camera. So, I’m down."There is still no word yet on what The Division movie's story is, when filming will start, or when it will come out. We do know, however, that the movie will take place in a "pandemic-stricken" Manhattan, which was the location of the first game.Info from Gamespot.com

In the wake of two mass shootings over the weekend in the US, which together left more than 30 people dead and over 50 injured, President Trump has blamed social media, mental illness, and video games for the numbers of similar tragedies that have gripped the country in recent months and years."We must stop the glorification of violence in our society," the president 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."Trump proposes working with social media companies to "detect mass shooters before they strike," and demands regulation of violent video games. pic.twitter.com/888s3deoqr — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 5, 2019In response, industry body the Entertainment Software Association has disputed the claim that video games contribute to real-world violence. "As we shared at the White House video game meeting in March 2018, numerous scientific studies have established that there is no causal connection between video games and violence," the organization told GameSpot. "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."The shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio took place over the weekend. They killed 22 and nine people, respectively. Prior to his attack, which took place in a Walmart store, the suspected Texas shooter Patrick Crusius reportedly wrote: "Don't attack heavily guarded areas to fulfill your super-soldier CoD fantasy. Attack low-security targets."Prior to Trump's comments, the International Game Developers Association and its affiliated Foundation issued a joint statement distancing video games from the latest attacks. "Our deepest condolences and hearts go out to the victims and families affected by the tragic events in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas," the two organizations wrote. "Society has endured too many senseless acts of violence and horrific mass shootings. Blaming video games distracts from the broader issues at hand. There is an overwhelming amount of research that finds there is no evidence linking video games to violence. Video games do not cause violence, and we support efforts to discontinue this misguided information."As CBS News points out, there have been more mass shootings than days in the US this year, leaving 8,796 people dead from gun wounds in 2019 alone. While Trump was quick to blame social media, mental illness, and video games, all three are found across the world with far fewer shooting incidents elsewhere. More firearms are found per resident in the US--where there are 1.2 guns per person--than in any other country.Info from Gamespot.com

Epic Games has released a Fortnite content update that puts a new spin on a classic area in the popular battle royale title. As detailed in the Fortnite 10.00 content update patch notes, Neo Tilted has been transformed by one of the Rift Zones that appeared at the start of Season 10. The area is now called Tilted Town, and looks like a Wild West settlement."Neo Tilted is not so neo anymore," Epic says. "A Rift Zone has turned this location into what it was many years in the past: a Wild West settlement. What’s even wilder than this western twist is that building and harvesting are prohibited."On top of that, the automatic sniper rifle is now available and, according to Epic, it'll be handy if you want to keep your enemies pinned down from a distance. The rifle is available in Rare, Epic, and Legendary variant, and can be found as Floor, Chest, Vending Machine, Supply Drop, and Loot Carrier pickups. Take a look at the full battle royale content update details below.Limited Time Mode Rotation:ArsenalComing SoonTeam Type: Solos | Respawning: OnWork your way through all of the weapons, starting with the higher rarities and ending with the lower rarities. The first player to get an elimination with the final weapon wins! Infinite ammo is on, and players will drop materials when they are eliminated.Weapons + ItemsAutomatic Sniper Rifle Available in Rare, Epic, and Legendary variants.Uses Medium Ammo.Projectiles travel faster than other Sniper Rifles.Damage: 31/33/35 Headshot: 62/66/704 Rounds per second.16 Rounds per magazine.Uses a reduced zoom scope.Can be found from Floor, Chest, Vending Machines, Supply Drops, and Loot Carriers.Unvaulted weapons that only spawn in Tilted Town: Double Barrel Shotgun Epic and Legendary variants.Six Shooter Uncommon, Rare, and Epic variants.Hunting Rifle Uncommon and Rare variants.Infantry Rifle Common variant.Fortnite Season 10 changes the way Daily and Weekly Challenges work in quite a significant way, but there's still plenty of opportunities to get those precious Battle Stars. If you're wondering what to spend it on, check out our gallery of all the new skins, emotes, bling, harvesters and more in Fortnite Season 10.Info from Gamespot.com

The Fast & Furious series might be one of the most successful movie franchises of all time, but it's also an unusually antagonistic one behind-the-scenes. Two years ago, the very public feud between Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson overshadowed the release of The Fate of the Furious, and now star Michelle Rodriguez has blasted comments made by long-time scriptwriter Chris Morgan.Rodriguez's tweet was in response to comments that Morgan has made about the character of Shaw, played by Jason Statham in the Fast & Furious spin-off Hobbs and Shaw, and Han, who was played by Sung Kang and killed off in 2006's Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift. In short, Shaw was introduced in Fast & Furious 6 in a more villainous role, where it was revealed he was responsible for Han's fiery death. Since then, Shaw has become a hero in the series, and this murderous act barely mentioned. The result has been a fan campaign termed "Justice for Han," leading Morgan to reveal that the series will return to this storyline, with Shaw confronting his past mistakes.However, Rodriguez seems to think otherwise. The star, who has played Leticia Ortiz in five movies to date, retweeted the Entertainment Weekly article that quoted Morgan and declared that Morgan has "absolutely nothing to do with where this narrative is." Check it out below:I’ve been around since the beginning way before Chris Morgan came along & he has absolutely nothing to do with where this narrative is or where it’s going FYI 😒 Hobbs and Shaw writer promises that justice for Han is coming | https://t.co/B3ZbIZ5vot https://t.co/6u2oDTec5U — Michelle Rodriguez (@MRodOfficial) August 6, 2019What's strange is that Morgan wrote both the movie in which Han is killed, and the one in which Shaw is revealed as his killer, as well as Hobbs & Shaw. However, his work on the spin-off meant that he's not written next year's Fast & Furious 9, which is currently shooting. Either way, Morgan clearly still thinks he's still involved.Another Fast & Furious-related beef that raised its head this week was the one between Johnson and Tyrese Gibson. In 2017 Gibson, who plays Roman Pearce in the series, was very vocal about his displeasure that Fast 9 had been pushed forward a year to make room for Hobbs & Shaw, something he clearly blamed Johnson for. This week, Gibson posted a screengrab on Instagram about Hobbs & Shaw's opening weekend box office, which was lower in the US than the last few movies in the series. He accompanied it with the caption: "Breaking up the family clearly doesn't have the value that one would assume it does."Gibson was quick to delete the post. It's also worth noting that while the domestic weekend take was lower than other movies in the series, Hobbs & Shaw still had an impressive worldwide opening and has made $179 million since it opened last week. For more, check out GameSpot's ranking of the most ridiculous stunts in the Fast & Furious series. Info from Gamespot.com

August is full of video games, and this week is a good chance to play some games you might have missed the first time around, including the Guacamelee One-Two Punch Collection, the arcade-y Damsel, and a Nintendo Switch port of Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition. There's also a big helping of sci-fi strategy with Age of Wonders: Planetfall and mech mayhem with Metal Wolf Chaos XD.Guacamelee One-Two Punch Collection -- August 6Available on: PS4, SwitchIf you missed out on Guacamelee 1 or 2, now's your chance to play both wrestling Metroidvanias in one package. The luchador Juan can explore different corners of Mexico, using his wrestling moves to take down bad guys and solve puzzles. Pick up the physical edition, and you'll get a poster and soundtrack download.More Coverage:Guacamelee ReviewGuacamelee 2 Review - Ready For A ChallengeAge of Wonders: Planetfall -- August 6Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PCPlanetfall is the fifth entry in Paradox's Age of Wonders 4X series, and this one is wrapped in a new sci-fi setting. You can choose from six different factions as you undergo those four X's: exploration, expansion, exploitation, and extermination. Each faction has its own strengths and weaknesses too, leading to deeper strategies.More Coverage:The Age of Wonders Series Ventures Into The Realm Of Sci-Fi With PlanetfallAge Of Wonders: Planetfall - Over 10 Minutes Of Strategy Building And CombatMetal Wolf Chaos XD -- August 6Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PCFrom Software, known nowadays for the Dark Souls series, put out the original Metal Wolf Chaos in 2004. It's a mech-based action game where the President of the United States suits up to take on a rebellious Vice President in his own mech. Yes, really. This HD version of the game looks better, supports 4K resolution, and features improved controls.More Coverage:Dark Souls Dev's Classic Metal Wolf Chaos Re-Releasing SoonMetal Wolf Chaos - Official Teaser Trailer | E3 2018Damsel -- August 7Available on: Xbox One, SwitchDamsel is an arcade action game where your mission is to take down a corporation of of evil vampires. Damsel herself wields a shotgun and special powers, which you can use to fight monsters and rescue hostages. The game has been out on PC for some time, but this week you can revisit it on new platforms.Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition -- August 8Available on: SwitchComplete Edition includes Pillars of Eternity and all its DLC, and the critically acclaimed RPG is coming to Switch this week. Combat can be played in real time, or you can pause the action to take a more tactical approach. Thanks to the Switch's portability, you could start an encounter at home and resume the battle wherever you happen to be later in the day.More Coverage:Pillars of Eternity ReviewPillars Of Eternity Headed To Nintendo Switch This SummerAugust has many more games on the horizon, and New Releases will dive into another batch next week. If you're looking for more Nintendo Switch ports, Friday the 13th: The Game is making its way to the handheld console, and Rebel Galaxy Outlaw is launching too.Info from Gamespot.com

Grandia and Grandia 2, a pair of games originally released on Sega's Saturn and Dreamcast consoles, respectively, are coming to Nintendo Switch. The Grandia HD Collection will hit Nintendo's handheld-console hybrid on August 16, with a PC release planned for sometime later.Both games will feature newly retouched details for the user interface, sprites, and textures, enhanced cinematics, Japanese and English audio tracks, and Japanese and English language support along with new French and German translations.The PC version of the collection will also feature widescreen support and customizable resolutions. The PC version of the first game will also get Steam cards and achievements and Gamepad support. The Grandia 2 Anniversary Collection for PC, which has been available since 2015, will be renamed to Grandia 2 HD Remaster.The Grandia games were Sega's answer to PlayStation having a lock on the Final Fantasy series, and the first game drew favorable comparisons to games like Final Fantasy VIII."Grandia is every bit as worthwhile as Final Fantasy VIII, just in different ways," Peter Bartholow wrote in GameSpot's review. "While a more casual RPGer might opt for Final Fantasy VIII, as Sony's sad ad campaign admits, Grandia is a fantastic game for anyone looking for a lighthearted, truly satisfying adventure." In GameSpot's Grandia 2 review, Frank Provo called the game a "solid RPG, even if it isn't as deep or difficult as the original."Info from Gamespot.com

Google has announced another Stadia Connect livestream for later this month, right before Gamescom 2019 kicks off. The show will begin on August 19 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM BST (3 AM AET on August 20).We don't yet know much about what will be shown during the conference. Google has only said this stream will be "all about the games" and that it will be "revealing brand-new titles [and] going behind-the-scenes with our partners." The company also said members of the public can get hands-on time with Stadia at Gamescom, which kicks off on August 21.Let’s do it again. On 8/19, #StadiaConnect is back and bigger than ever. Tune in at 10AM PDT / 7PM CEST for all the details - then come get hands-on with the future of gaming for yourself at our #Gamescom booth! https://t.co/dKmKakQeQp pic.twitter.com/H0ILSxki8r — Stadia (@GoogleStadia) August 6, 2019Stadia boss Phil Harrison has previously said Google is working with "hundreds" of publishers and developers to bring their titles to the platform. They include EA, 2K, Rockstar, Sega, Warner Bros., Capcom, and Square Enix, among other partners.We may also discover a final release date for the streaming service, which at present is simply listed for a "November 2019" launch. The version that's coming then, the Founder's Edition, comes with a Chromecast Ultra, a limited-edition Night Blue controller, and early dibs on your Stadia account name. It also includes three months of the Stadia Pro service, and a three-month Buddy Pass to gift Stadia Pro to a friend. That bundle costs $130 / £120 and is coming to the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland.Stadia Pro, the online service itself, will cost $10 / £9 a month, but it will only be available with Founder's Editions to start. It includes 4K and 60 FPS with 5.1 surround sound, access to free games, and discounts on full game purchases. The free Stadia Base service, meanwhile, launches in 2020.Info from Gamespot.com

Gamescom 2019 kicks off in Cologne, Germany, later this month. Before the convention proper begins, The Game Awards producer Geoff Keighley will be hosting an Opening Night Live broadcast that promises to give viewers an exclusive look at a number of upcoming titles, including the anticipated PS4 exclusive Death Stranding.Keighley revealed that Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima will make an appearance during the Gamescom: Opening Night Live broadcast, which will air on Monday, August 19. Kojima will premiere an "exclusive new look" at his enigmatic PS4 game during the show, which will mark the first new footage we've seen of it since the release date trailer that dropped back in May.Exited to announce @HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN will be live in Cologne during @gamescom Opening Night Live on Monday, August 19 to premiere a exclusive new look at DEATH STRANDING. ONL will stream around the world across all major platforms! pic.twitter.com/HYD9UZXS1J — Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) August 6, 2019Kojima won't be the only developer premiering exclusive footage during the Gamescom: Opening Night Live stream; more than 15 of the industry's biggest publishers will also make announcements and debut "world premiere content" during the broadcast, in addition to a number of indie studios. Specific games and announcements will be detailed ahead of the broadcast, but some of the publishers that will be participating in the show include:2KActivisionBandai NamcoBungieCapcomEAEpic GamesGoogle StadiaDeep SilverPrivate DivisionSegaSquare EnixSonyTHQ NordicUbisoftXbox Game StudiosGamescom: Opening Night Live begins at 11 AM PT / 2 PM PT / 8 PM CEST on August 19, while Gamescom proper takes place from August 21-24. The broadcast will air on "all major game streaming platforms" and will be presented in English with translations in more than eight languages.Death Stranding launches for PS4 on November 8. The title will be available in standard and collector's editions, the latter of which runs for $200 and includes a life-sized BB Pod statue. You can read more about the game and its various editions and pre-order bonuses in our Death Stranding pre-order guide.Info from Gamespot.com

It is July 26, 2019. Parisians flock to public fountains and air-conditioned museums. The temperature has just reached 42 degrees Celsius (107 Fahrenheit) and the sidewalks are nearly vacant. It's the hottest day in Paris history.In a conference room in Montreuil, a commune on the city's Eastern side, Benoit Martinez has his work cut out for him. He's speaking to a group of English-speaking journalists, myself among them, each still glistening with sweat from our walk to Ubisoft Paris. We're here to see Ghost Recon Breakpoint, and Martinez is here to show us Auroa, the fictional world that couldn't feel farther from the sun-baked streets we just escaped."Sense of place is important," Ubisoft Paris' art director tells us. "Sense of place is key."On the screen behind Martinez, screenshots show a lush, green landscape, speckled with crimson flowers and laid out beneath a layer of clouds. In the distance, a heavy rain falls on sloping hills. It's hard not to think of New Zealand. But of course, this is not New Zealand. It's Auroa.An aerial view of Liberty, Auroa's largest cityIn this sense, Breakpoint marks a turning point in the long-running franchise. Since 2001, every mainline Ghost Recon has taken place in a real-world setting, ranging from Russia, to Mexico, to East Africa, to Russia again. The series has long staked a claim on realism and authenticity, and these digital versions of actual places have only heightened that pride. For Breakpoint to veer into the realm of outright fiction is no small feat.Nonetheless, after 18 years, the leap feels necessary. In 2017, Ubisoft Paris drew pointed criticism for its depiction of Bolivia in Ghost Recon Wildlands, a game portraying the South American country as a narco-state overtaken by a Mexican drug cartel. The Bolivian government itself threatened legal action--which it has yet to pursue--and Ubisoft, as is now customary, reiterated that Wildlands is a work of fiction, and "imagines a different reality than the one that exists today."So, Breakpoint's imaginary archipelago setting seems well advised. Not only does it let the team take cover, so to speak, behind a thicker layer of fiction, but also opens new creative possibilities.Concept art depicting Breakpoint's Auroa archipelago"We built Auroa from the ground up," Martinez says. "If there is a building, we asked ourselves, 'What is its purpose?' We have breweries, wineries, and houses for everyone who lives and works here. We even thought about their commutes. The thinking was: if you follow any of our roads, you should end up somewhere."Auroa is now home to Skell, a corporation focused on developing military drones and artificial intelligence. But Martinez and his team didn't just think about Auroa's immediate present. They also imagined its past. Ubisoft Paris scattered the crumbling ruins of an indigenous population, as well as those of an American military occupation, across the islands. Auroa tells its own story, Martinez tells us, and that's key to developing a fantasy.Watching Martinez continue his virtual tour of Auroa, from its vast salt marsh to its remote tropical forests, I'm reminded of Assassin's Creed Odyssey, another open-world title developed by a Ubisoft studio. Odyssey introduced Exploration Mode to the series, opting for organic discovery over artificial objective markers. To complete quests in Odyssey's Ancient Greece, you often had little more than vague geographical directions--"West of those mountains" or "South of that lake," for instance--making it all the more exciting to stumble upon your next activity."When you name something, you start to care about it. We want you to care about Auroa, so we named as much of it as we could."In a similar vein, Breakpoint will rarely show you exactly where your next target is. You're behind enemy lines, in unfamiliar territory, being hunted by skilled fighters. A lack of information feels natural here. To facilitate this process of exploration and discovery, Martinez and his team have taken pains to actually name as many places as they can: at present, there are 365 individually named landmarks in Auroa.These include cities and outposts, yes, but also lakes, valleys, and lagoons. Later this day, I'll get hands-on time with Breakpoint, in a demo that tasks us with finding a hostage "near the Devil's Forest.""When you name something, you start to care about it," Martinez tells us. "We want you to care about Auroa, so we named as much of it as we could."As a global collective of AAA studios, Ubisoft has built its legacy on the back of its worldbuilding--not only in the historical sandboxes of Assassin's Creed, but the tech-laced cities of Watch Dogs and the rural swaths of Far Cry. Breakpoint, like Assassin's Creed Odyssey before it, feels as if it could be the accumulation of decades of worldbuilding experience.And in this day and age, a game's initial release is only a small part of the story. Wildlands, for its part, improved immeasurably in the two years after it launched, adding new modes, missions, and quality-of-life updates. When looking for good examples of games-as-services, or "lifestyle games," one need look no further than Ubisoft's portfolio.In keeping with that trend, Martinez and his team have built their archipelago not just as a complete world in itself, but as a foundation for future expansions. They've taken pains to create a past and present for Auroa--soon, they'll turn their attention to its future. Info from Gamespot.com

Gears 5 is just a month away, and Microsoft has marked the occasion with a Brumak-sized suite of new hardware. Those include new Limited Edition consoles, console bundles with the game, controllers, keyboard-mouse combos, and external hard drives.The centerpiece of the set is the Xbox One X Gears 5 Limited Edition Bundle. It features a translucent casing and laser-etched cracks across the console case, and a golden Locust symbol along the opposite side. The bundle includes the Xbox One X console, a Limited Edition Kait Diaz wireless controller, and full game downloads of Gears 5 Ultimate Edition, Gears of War Ultimate Edition, and the standard versions of Gears of War 2, Gears of War 3, and Gears of War 4. It also throws in a month of Xbox Game Pass and Gold, and in-game Ice Kait and Ice Jack skins. It costs $500 (£450 / approx. AU$737).See it at Microsoft StoreYou can also get a standard edition Xbox One X Gears 5 bundle for $500, or the Xbox One S Gears 5 bundle for $300. Each of the bundles is now available for preorder. If you already own the console but you want that Kait Diaz controller, it's available separately for $75 (approx. £62 / AU$110).Other hardware coming to mark the Gears launch includes a Limited Edition Xbox Pro Charging Stand ($50 / approx. £62 / AU$74) launching on August 27, a branded Razer Thresher wireless headset coming in September, wireless Razer keyboard and mouse ($300 / approx. £246 / AU$442) coming in September, and a Seagate 2 TB harddrive that includes a Lancer weapon skin, extra in-game Supply drops, and a one-month Game Pass Ultimate membership. GameStop US also offers an exclusive 5 TB version.The Coalition recently put Gears 5 through its multiplayer paces with a PvP tech test. Another test, centered on Horde Mode, is set to follow sometime this month. Those tests are open to anyone who pre-ordered, or to Game Pass subscribers. For more, check out the developers' answers to our burning questions.Some links to supporting retailers are automatically made into affiliate links, and GameSpot may receive a small share of those sales. Info from Gamespot.com

Thatgamecompany's critically acclaimed Journey is now available on Apple devices, and it's going for a song. The game has been released on the App Store for $5, published through Annapurna Interactive. It uses touch controls for movement, camera controls, and pinging.Journey was first released for PlayStation 3 in 2012, and has been ported to multiple platforms in the years since. Most recently it arrived on PC through the Epic Games Store.Journey was thatgamecompany's follow-up to Flower, a similarly meditative game. It follows an unnamed hooded protagonist in a quest to reach the top of a mountain. It featured online functionality by introducing other players who would seamlessly find themselves alongside you in a given location, and you could choose to take the path alongside them.It received accolades upon release, and currently stands at a 92% average on GameSpot sister site Metacritic. It is one of a rare handful of games to receive a 10/10 from GameSpot."It is possible that Journey will not move you. In such a case, it is simply a beautiful game with a glorious soundtrack, grounded by a wistful cello melody later threaded through a warm quilt of winds and strings. The chance you might be swept away, however, makes it worth plunging your feet into the warm sand," Kevin VanOrd wrote in GameSpot's review. "Journey offers you comfort. It gives you companionship in a lovely but forsaken world. It gives you reason to dream even when facing loss."Info from Gamespot.com

Thanks to the massive release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on Switch, Nintendo's long-running fighting game franchise is still going strong in 2019, even breaking records at Evo 2019 this past weekend by hitting the highest peak viewership in the event's history. Many longtime Smash players trace their passion for the series back to Super Smash Bros. Melee on GameCube, and they prefer to use a GameCube-style controller over a Switch Pro controller because it feels more familiar and intuitive. For that reason, there's no shortage of GameCube-style Switch controllers on the market--but you can get what are possibly the cutest GameCube controllers on sale at Amazon right now.Why, hello there, beautiful.PDP's GameCube-style wired Switch controllers released late last year (around the same time as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate) and come in a variety of colorful designs, inspired by popular Nintendo characters who also star in Smash, such as Pikachu, Link, Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach. Normally sold for $25, they're on sale for $20 or cheaper at Amazon currently. PDP's GameCube-style controllers are unique in that the traditional C-Stick can be swapped out for a full-size stick if desired. Plus, they each come with a 10-foot cable that connects via USB directly to the Switch.Nintendo originally offered a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate GameCube controller of its own that required an adapter, but it's unavailable at many online retailers and also considerably pricier.While GameSpot hasn't reviewed PDP's GameCube-style Switch controller, it currently ranks about 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon. Reviews are generally positive, particularly with regards to the colorful design and swappable C-Stick, but some reviewers mention input issues, such as the left thumbstick occasionally causing an A or B move to be input. With that in mind, it could be worth shelling out for a first-party controller if you're playing professionally, but for casual play, you can't beat $20 for an otherwise solid controller that doesn't require an adapter. Besides Smash, these controllers will also work with any Switch game that's compatible with the Pro controller.See all the designs currently on sale below. (Note: There are also Sonic and Yoshi designs available on Amazon, but they're still listed at full price.)Pikachu design$20 ($25)See it at AmazonLegend of Zelda design$20 ($25)See it at AmazonPrincess Peach design$20 ($25)See it at AmazonMario design$18.74 ($25)See it at AmazonLuigi design$20 ($25)See it at AmazonInfo from Gamespot.com