Google's new game-streaming service, Google Stadia, is launching in November. Unlike traditional consoles from Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo, Stadia is a streaming service with no local hardware beyond the controller. This means everything happens in the cloud. Naturally, people want to know what happens if Stadia shuts down, as numerous other Google products have in the past.During a Reddit AMA today, Stadia's director of product, Andrey Doronichev, said this is a question that the team gets a lot. And he understands how people might be afraid to move to the cloud."I hear you. Moving to the cloud is scary," he said. "I felt the same way when music was transitioning from files to streaming. I still have all my old CDs in the garage… although it's hard to find a CD player these days :)"Doronichev went on to say that movies, photos, and documents have all generally moved to the cloud, and that has generally gone well. The same can be true for games, he said."The same happened to Movies and Photos and my Docs and other files… And it’s great! Games are no different. Eventually all of our games will be safely in the cloud too and we'll feel great about it," Doronichev said. "We've been investing a ton in tech, infrastructure and partnerships over the past few years. Nothing in life is certain, but we’re committed to making Stadia a success."Doronichev added that Google Stadia will support the "Takeout" feature from day one. This allows players to download the metadata of their games, including game saves. However, games themselves cannot be downloaded, so if Stadia shuts down, players may not be able to access their games."Of course, it’s OK to doubt my words," Doronichev said. "There's nothing I can say now to make you believe if you don't. But what we can do is to launch the service and continue investing in it for years to come. Exactly how we've been doing with gMail, Docs, Music, Movies and Photos. That’s exactly what we’re committed to."Concerns about game ownership and ongoing support for games is not exclusive to Stadia. The servers for older console and PC games are often shut down over time as developers shift their focus to newer titles. While physical media remains important in the gaming industry, digital is taking up a bigger piece of the pie as time goes on.Stadia launches in November in some parts of the world, including the United States. A $10 USD/month subscription gets you access to a growing library of games. A $130 USD Stadia Founder's Edition comes with the Google controller, a Chromecast Ultra, 3 months of Stadia Pro, a copy of Destiny 2 (and all the expansions), and other extras.Microsoft's game-streaming service, xCloud, is attempting to steal some of Stadia's thunder, as the first public trials will begin in October.Info from Gamespot.com

Published by Microïds and developed in partnership between Pendulo Studios and YS Interactive, Blacksad: Under the Skin is a mystery adventure game derived from a Spanish comic album, Blacksad. The comic follows the fictional investigations of a private eye detective in 1950s New York, each volume dealing with a different political or ethical theme of the time period. Volume 2: Arctic Nation, for example, is primarily about racism while Volume 3: Red Soul takes place during the Red Scare. Under the Skin is no different, forming its story around the changing social landscape of the US during one of the most tumultuous moments in the country's history.Like the comic, Under the Skin features anthropomorphic animals as its characters, using the commonly associated traits of animals to create a surface-level context for each person. Arctic foxes, for instance, are typically calculating, cold-hearted white supremacists while raccoons, reptiles, and amphibians are all usually profiled as petty criminals. You play as a dark-haired cat, the titular John Blacksad, a black man struggling to make a living as a private detective. He's sassy, cunning, and mostly keeps to himself, and his incredible senses of sight and smell help him make observational deductions that most others cannot.In Under the Skin, you shape Blacksad's decisions as he unravels a new mystery: a missing persons case. Sonia Dunn hires Blacksad to find boxing star Robert Yale, who disappeared several days before the most important fight of his career. Yale disappeared the same day that Joe Dunn, who's Sonia's father and Yale's trainer, was found hanging from the rafters of his gym in what appears to be an obvious suicide. Joe's death leaves the gym to his daughter, along with the heavy amount of debt it had accrued. To get the necessary publicity to keep the gym from closing, Sonia needs to find Yale and get him to fight.As Blacksad, you're free to explore a series of connected hub areas in New York in order to interview witnesses and suspects. If the preview demo is any indication, the game does not hold your hand for most of the story, forcing you to piece together where to go next and who to talk to without any sort of waypoint, only relenting by giving you a nudge with a notification that you've gathered enough clues to make a deduction. It's at this point that you can arrange collected evidence in a way that you believe makes sense. Some of what you learn is useless though, so you'll have to figure out what clues connect to what. And although certain deductions are necessary for advancing the plot, some seem to be optional.You don't necessarily need to tell the black boxer at Sonia's gym which of his fellow gym mates wrote the very explicit racist slurs all over the locker room, for example. That small side story isn't a part of the overarching mystery and choosing to ignore it doesn't prevent you from moving on in the main narrative. That said, choosing to reveal the racist's identity most likely alters the overall fate of the boxer, who angrily says he's going to kill the scumbag next time they meet. The demo ended before we could discover whether he does follow through on that murderous intent, though, so there's currently no way to know for sure. Revealing the racist's identity might be one of those good intentions that backfire in the worst way, a common occurrence in the Blacksad comic.In order to ensure the game would be authentic to the world of the comic, the studios behind Under the Skin went directly to the source. "We wanted to involve the authors as much as possible," Microïds game producer Nouredine Saad told GameSpot. "When Pendulo got involved and we started to create the characters and original art, we involved [Blacksad's creators] by showing them everything. And when I say everything, it's everything--all the characters, the 2D and 3D designs. We showed it [all] to the authors. The voice-overs as well when we started to record. It was important for us to just involve the authors like that. They could say, 'Okay, I'd prefer Blacksad have a deeper voice or I want a lighter voice for Weekly.'"Under the Skin takes place after the second comic album (between the aforementioned Arctic Nation and Red Soul volumes), and delves into a theme that hasn't been heavily explored in a Blacksad comic before: corruption. "When we studied the '50s for the story for this game, we noticed that there was, at this time, a growing issue with corruption in sports because of gambling and bets," Pendulo Studios co-founder and CEO Felipe Pinilla said. "There were many controlled fights where you bet for one [boxer] knowing that he'd lose or win. And those [actions] make room for more corruption behind that, such as [drug abuse]."Thus, Under the Skin is a brand-new standalone story in the Blacksad universe, and the studios behind the game want fans to view this game as the unofficial sixth entry in Blacksad's story. "We have five, six characters from the comic book," Saad said. "All the other characters are original to the game. The [world is] the same. We are in the '50s. We are in the US. We have anthropomorphic animals, everything. But [this game] is the sixth album. We have five comic books and this is the sixth."Depending on your choices there will be several different endings.This theme of corruption begins to bleed through the game's story in its very first scene. The preview demo covers the first two hours or so of Under the Skin's story, and the game opens with a confrontation with an angry rhinoceros whose wife believes he's cheating on her. Through Blacksad's internal monologue, we discover he already knows the rhino has been unfaithful and that there's photographic proof. After the husband finishes pleading his side though, the game presents you with your first moral choice: tell the wife the truth, take a bribe and lie to the wife, or refuse the bribe but still lie to the wife. Your decision doesn't have immediate consequences, though the effects of your choice begin revealing themselves about an hour later and continue to snowball."Depending on your choices, [Blacksad] can be a tough guy or a sensitive guy," Saad said. "At the very beginning of the game, a rhino tries to give you some money. You can take it or not. You have moral choices." Choosing to refuse the money, but also lie to the wife causes her to be grateful that her marriage, and thus her family, is secure, and when you run into her husband again later in the story, he thanks you for covering for him. However, Blacksad's friend and sidekick who took the pictures, Weekly, will be miffed on losing out on some bribe money (if you decide to tell him about it, that is, as you can also hide the truth) and Blacksad himself will continue to wrestle with both the morality of what he's done and his dwindling finances. Given how important the rhino, Weekly, and Blacksad's financial situation appear to be to the overall plot, the consequences of that initial decision will seemingly continue to pop up as the narrative continues. And that's just the first choice. The demo proves it is not the last."Depending on your choices there will be several different endings," Pinilla said. "You're Blacksad and the character will evolve depending on your choices, whether you are talkative or more quiet or whether you're someone willing to be blackmailed. The main ending [of the game] will be the same, but there will be some difference in the outcome.""It's important for us to involve the player and not just have Blacksad decide everything for you," Saad said. "You, as a player, you can decide and say, 'These are my decisions based on my deductions that I'm making. I'm solving the case and not Blacksad.' If we let Blacksad [control] the game, it [wouldn't be] your own moral choices and moral decisions."That's part of the reason why you only play as Blacksad in Under the Skin, instead of both Blacksad and Weekly as was initially planned, Saad added. The studios felt that, for Under the Skin's story to work, it's important to focus the player's sense of morality and willingness to resist corruption through one character with every other character having their own moral code. Seeing the game through multiple characters' point-of-view would allow the player to be a puppet master and shape the story to an ideal conclusion. The hardest part of Blacksad's life is that he's a great detective, but he doesn't know exactly what people are thinking. He's not psychic. The player is no different, so at no point does the game switch to offer an alternative point-of-view so that it's easier to make educated deductions that give everyone the best possible ending. You need to decide what's morally right for yourself, and then live with the consequences of your choices.Blacksad: Under the Skin is scheduled to release for Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC on September 26.Info from Gamespot.com

Grand Theft Auto V's Online mode continues to expand, and next week developer Rockstar is building on the mode once again. On July 23 the game will receive a new update to add an entire new location, The Diamond Casino & Resort."The massive construction project on the corner of Vinewood Park Drive and Mirror Park Boulevard is nearing completion, radically changing the skyline of Los Santos forever," Rockstar says of the new update. "If you're looking to dive into the action, the casino floor has a selection of activities to enjoy. Play against the house using Chips in Three Card Poker, Blackjack and Roulette. Slot Machines with a variety of prizes are also at your fingertips, while Inside Track offers a lounge to watch and cheer along with friends as the drama of virtual horse racing unfolds. Spin the Lucky Wheel in the lobby for chips, cash, and clothing or even the new Truffade Thrax supercar that can be found whirling on the podium during opening week. And be sure to check back each week to see what new high-end vehicle can be won."There's also a new property type--the Master Penthouse--purchasable as part of the resort. Owners of the penthouse will also gain access to VIP areas of the resort, a roof terrace and infinity pool, and a new storyline involving the Diamond family. Luckily, Twitch Prime members can purchase the Master Penthouse for free if they link their accounts by the end of July 19. For more, check out all the Twitch Prime rewards for GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2.In related news Rockstar was recently confirmed to be developing for Google Stadia, though we don't know what game--or games--that applies to. GTA V with GTA Online would be one possibility, since it already has a successful PC version up and running, though rumors of a Red Dead Redemption 2 PC version have also circulated in recent months.Info from Gamespot.com

It feels like only yesterday that E3 2019 wrapped up, and we're already gearing up for the next big gaming event of the year: Gamescom 2019.Gamescom is held every year in Cologne, Germany. This year's key date is August 20, when the show kicks off. However, as is the norm with Gamescom, that day is for press and trade visitors only; members of the public can get in from the day after, Wednesday, August 21. The last show day is Saturday, August 24.This year the event will be kicked off with a new livestream named Gamescom: Opening Night Live. This presentation will be hosted by Geoff Keighley and will include "announcements from major game publishers and independent developers, world premieres of new game footage and special guest appearances from the stars of the gaming industry." The show will be streamed live on August 19 from 8 PM CEST / 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET / 7 PM BST (4 AM AET on August 20).This year is Gamescom's 10th anniversary. Over 370,000 people from around the globe attend each year, making it the world's biggest gaming convention. Let us know what you're looking forward to seeing at Gamescom in the comments!Info from Gamespot.com

Google Stadia launches in just a few months, but there remain some questions about exactly how it will work and what role it's looking to serve. In an attempt to clarify people's questions, Stadia's product director, Andrey Doronichev, held a Reddit Q&A in which he sought to distance the platform from comparisons to Netflix, which has often been cited by some."To be clear, Stadia Pro is not 'Netflix for games' like some people have mentioned," Doronichev explained. "A closer comparison would be like Xbox Live Gold or PlayStation Plus. The Pro subscribers get 4K/HDR streaming, 5.1 sound, exclusive discounts and access to some free games. Roughly one free game per month, give or take. Starting with Destiny 2 (yay!)."Stadia Pro is the premium subscription service that Stadia users can subscribe to if they wish. It gets you everything listed by Doronichev above, but Stadia Pro subscribers will still have to pay full price for additional games beyond those offered for free, despite a Pro membership already costing $10 / £9 per month--coincidentally the same price as a Netflix Premium subscription in the UK.Stadia Pro will be launching as part of the Stadia Founder's Edition, which is currently scheduled to release in November 2019. The premium subscription will be the only way to play Stadia at first, but not forever: a separate Stadia Base service will launch in 2020. Base will be free, but you'll miss out on the free monthly game and resolution and sound quality will be slightly diminished, to a maximum of 1080p and stereo sound.Elsewhere in the Reddit thread, Doronichev addressed what would happen to your games if Stadia were to shut down. For more details on the streaming service, check out everything we know about its Stadia's pricing, release date, and game lineup.Info from Gamespot.com

The Witcher is one of the most anticipated upcoming shows in the second of half of 2019. It's an adaptation of the acclaimed fantasy novels, that also inspired the hugely popular game series, and it hits Netflix later this year. The Witcher also features at this year's San Diego Comic-Con, and ahead of its panel, showrunner Lauren Hissrich has spoken about what to expect from the series. [Update: The panel has arrived, bringing the first footage of The Witcher and a first trailer.]In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Hissrich explained it will be a very dark show that is not aimed at a younger audience. "I've been rewatching dailies and my kids aren't allowed to look at the screen anymore after one of them snuck around and saw something they shouldn't have seen and it scared him," she explained. "It's a very adult show. I will add it was important to me that any violence or sex drives the story and is not there just for shock value. I think audiences are really savvy and know when we're doing stuff to just shock them versus do stuff that really drives the story."Hissrich also spoke about what will set The Witcher apart from other fantasy shows--most obviously Game of Thrones. "The monster and horror aspect," she said. "It's been done occasionally on fantasy shows but it takes a backseat to magic a lot of the time. Geralt's a monster hunter so from the very beginning we talked about how to show these monsters and the humans they interact with."I think people are going to be surprised by how many monsters we were able to do and how integral they are to story. It really feels like the monster stories become analogs for bigger things happening in the world right now in different political phenomenons."As for star Henry Cavill, Hissrich revealed that he was so keen to play the role of Geralt that he met with her right at the beginning of the show's development process. "I met 207 other possible Geralts," she said. "And I came back to Henry at the end. The first time I met him I hadn't even started writing the scripts yet. And once I started writing I couldn't get Henry's voice out of my head for the character. Looking at the final product, it's really exciting. He embodies Geralt in a way that I don't think anybody else could."Although we are yet to see any footage from The Witcher, some images have been released. The first batch were a series of character shots, while a subsequent image showed Geralt riding Roach.The Witcher SDCC panel takes place on July 19 in Hall H at 2:15 PM to 3 PM PT. It's possible that a release date and some footage will be revealed, so check back for all SDCC updates on GameSpot.Info from Gamespot.com

The Gears 5 multiplayer technical test kicks off today, July 19, giving fans the first opportunity to try out the Xbox One and PC shooter ahead of its full release in September. GameSpot recently spoke with Gears 5 multiplayer design director Ryan Cleven and eSports creative manager Rose Gunson about the game's new multiplayer features and more.In the interview, the developers answer our burning questions about the game's new modes and features, including the Arcade, Bootcamp, and Map-building modes. The developers also discuss their broader ambitions for how they wanted to improve the overall multiplayer experience compared to Gears of War 4, how much longer they'll continue to support that game, and how the developers are going about making Gears 5 feel unique while also appealing to veteran fans of the franchise.On top of that, they discuss Gears 5's new plan to have no season pass or loot boxes (but still offer microtransactions), while the pair also talk about if there could ever be a battle royale mode and more. In addition, they confirm that Gears 5 will have cross-play support for not only multiplayer, but also the new three-player Escape mode, the five-player Horde mode, and three-player campaign.The first weekend of the Gears 5 tech test began today and runs through Sunday; you must pre-order the game or subscribe to Xbox Game Pass to get in. For lots more, check out GameSpot's rundown of everything you need to know about the Gears 5 tech test.You can read our full interview below. All responses are from Cleven, except where noted.GameSpot: When you started out thinking about Gears 5 multiplayer, what were your main considerations or specifics points that you wanted to focus on to grow and improve the experience over Gears 4?Cleven: With Gears 4 we had two main goals with our Versus multiplayer. We wanted to gain the trust of the fans by demonstrating that we could create a Versus experience that was faithful to the legacy of Gears. Second, we wanted to develop Gears of War into a competitive esport. After learning so much from how our community played Gears and the feedback we were given, we wanted to make a stronger statement with Gears 5. We wanted to make something that both respected the legacy but took Versus in a new direction.For Gears 5, we chose to focus on three key areas in development:We saw that, even with our new ranking system and what we felt was more accessible modes, new players still had a hard time jumping into our multiplayer game. This had to change.Our competitive esports mode, Escalation, was strong, but not best in class. We wanted it to be the best shooter esport out there.Lastly, our core combat needed modernization. Gears combat has such a strong core, it has lasted for over twelve years relatively unchanged. We felt it was both the right time and the right team to make changes.What were some of the main pieces of feedback that fans gave you over Gears 4 that you're addressing or improving upon in Gears 5 multiplayer?We received a lot of feedback over the course of Gears 4. While players enjoyed the fairer matches our new ranking system brought to Gears 4, there were clearly parts of it that players found frustrating and confusing. Our new Division system in Gears 5 brings new ranked leaderboards and rewards to help players better understand what's happening and give incentive to playing every week.While players enjoyed all the customization content in Gears 4, players were unable to unlock content by achieving specific goals in the game, which was in place for Gears 3. For Gears 5, we've built a totally new system, Tour of Duty, which brings unlockable customization content back to players. Every day, you have fresh objectives to help you rank up in the Tour to unlock exclusive customization options, while completing seasonal medals will also earn you big rewards.We also received a ton of feedback on the weapon tuning system that was in Gears 4, which included two different tuning sets to help grow our competitive community, one for our core audience and one for our competitive audience, that contributed to fundamentally different paths in gameplay. In Gears 5, we have worked very hard to create a single tuning across both core and competitive modes and we believe we’ve found a single tuning that will make both audiences happy and no one feeling left out.In Gears 4, you have a very successful multiplayer experience that remains popular today, years after release. Are you planning to continue to support that title after the release of Gears 5?The Coalition has learned a lot on operating a live game as a service. For Gears 4, we delivered extensive post-launch support in terms of maps, content and gameplay updates. We have learned a lot from our experiences running a live game as a service, and with Gears 5, we have developed a very comprehensive post-launch plan. While we aren’t revealing all the details for this plan just yet, we will be releasing new maps, new modes, new customization content, new hero characters, new events, and more map builder support post-launch. Our Tour of Duty will be updated every season with new challenges and new exclusive content to earn. One of the things we are really excited about, is that at some time post-launch, players will be able to create their own Versus maps in our Map Builder.As a first-party game, Gears 5 is launching into Xbox Game Pass. This gives you a millions-wide audience right out of the gate. What are you doing to ensure servers are ready?Our experience running a successful launch of Gears with an ongoing service has given our team a lot of experience with scaling our services. Gears 5, launching into Xbox Game Pass, presents a new challenge for launch. We have built new, modern services using Azure and performed multiple scale tests to simulate a launch, but to be confident in our new technology, we are running a live Technical Test for Gears 5 Versus Multiplayer starting on July 19, open to all pre-orders and members of Xbox Game Pass. This Technical Test will help us find any remaining issues with enough time to address them before launch.In partnership with Microsoft Research, we have developed an advanced matchmaking system called TrueMatch that uses Azure-based AI learning to help find the best balance of ping, skill, and wait time, but in almost real-time. It adapts to the ever-shifting conditions of matchmaking, to bring the best experience, to players of all skill levels, no matter where they are.What are your hopes and expectations for the Gears 5 technical test coming up? Given the final release is coming up so soon, is this more a test of the servers rather than gameplay/features?Our Gears 5 Tech Test is a way for us to evaluate our server performance and listen to our players as to what changes need to be made for both gameplay/features. For Gears 5, we're actively listening to our Gears community during development and will look to further evolve our game modes based on player feedback post-launch.Our primary goal is to make sure that all Gears 5 players have a fantastic launch experience and testing our technology early enough to be able to react will help us do that.At this stage, I think people know what to expect from a Gears game. How do you feel about that sense of familiarity? How do you think about providing a multiplayer experience that people find familiar and inviting, but also one that offers something new for seasoned players?The core combat of Gears 5 is built around a new recoil-based shooting system and in-game feedback system we call Battle Language. Gears 5 will feel very different than previous games while remaining true to the essence of Gears. The rifle game in Versus has been overhauled with the new recoil system for a much more modern combat experience, while the new Inverse Omen will change the way players experience getting hit and being damaged in Gears. For weapons, new ice attacks will freeze players, while Stim will provide players with over-health; both are represented by the new Inverse Omen. In PvE experiences, damage numbers and health bars will help players understand the impact of their characters leveling.The new Arcade mode is an entirely new way to play Gears Versus. It is a great mode to jump into for first-time Gears Versus players as it will be more familiar to players coming from other PvP games. It blends the visceral, intimate combat of Gears Versus with a light take on hero shooters. Character abilities, unique loadouts and in-game weapon upgrading combine with the new Arcade Team Deathmatch to the most fast-paced, over-the-top Versus experience in Gears history.To help players jump in faster, we’ve built Boot Camp, a quick introduction to the gameplay of Gears 5. If you have never played Gears before, it provides an engaging and comfortable way to learn the core mechanics. If you’re a Gears veteran, it introduces you to the new mechanics in Gears 5In the iteration stage of design, how wild or weird or different did you get with Gears 5 multiplayer before settling on the maps, modes, and features in the final product? What kinds of things did you consider that didn't make it into the final release?We experimented with a lot of modes, maps, weapons and tuning that didn’t make it to the final game, though they might show up post-launch. We are confident that players will love what’s new in Gears 5, including the Ice Cannon and Lancer GL, that fires a mortar, along with our new maps really emphasize the visceral action that Gears is known for."Releasing a new entry in an established franchise is always difficult when it comes to navigating fan expectations" -- ClevenBeing a live service game, the fans really let you know how they feel about pretty much every facet of your game. How do you go about walking the line between sticking to your guns creatively and giving fans what they want?Releasing a new entry in an established franchise is always difficult when it comes to navigating fan expectations. The hardest part is to find the common problems amongst the feedback that can inspire new creative solutions. For example, when a weapon is identified by our community as overpowered, it may be that the weapon is too easy to attain or that the movement speed is too fast or too slow. Listening to many different perspectives gives you more clues on what the deeper issues are and we use this approach to identify the key issues, then look for innovative solutions that solve multiple issues simultaneously to create the tightest designs possible.What are you doing with Gears 5 to support competitive gaming and esports? I think you've said you want the game to be more "watchable," but what does this mean in practice?Rose Gunson: One of the focus areas we have for the future of Gears Esports is creating an ecosystem that all audiences can watch at a broad level. We want to encourage a viewership that can come in and watch the storylines unfold between the different teams, while also allowing people to see the highest level of professional Gears gameplay in the world.Cleven: We have overhauled our competitive ranking system to give all players more understanding of how to improve their play. They will be able to see how they stack up against others in their tier and get detailed information at the end of each match for how they performed.The new Escalation mode in Gears 5 has been significantly improved to support a higher level of competitive play. The metagame has been vastly expanded to create more options for players and more speculation for viewers. The game has been slowed down to help viewers to follow the action. The gunplay has been evolved to make the shooting more visibly skillful. We have added an announcer to the game to communicate what changes are happening on the map. Overall, we feel Gears 5, with Escalation, is the best shooter Esports experience on the market.The Halo development team actively works with pro gamers to develop Halo multiplayer. Is this something you also do for Gears?Gunson: The collaboration between esports production and game development at The Coalition is fantastic. We're really fortunate to sit next to our developers and have the opportunity to go back and forth with what makes sense to further grow and push each other. If we’re all focused on making esports successful, it helps us accomplish a common goal.Cleven: We value all our players' input to the game. Working directly with the pro player community over the course of Gears helped tremendously with the tuning of Gears 5. We were able to use their deep understanding of the mechanics of Gears, their insight in what it takes to work as a team and their passion for the game to help us better understand the game we were making. Being able to try new ideas out with an open-minded pro community is something that few developers get the opportunity to do, and we certainly appreciate it."We value all our players input to the game" -- ClevenWill there be cross-play between Xbox One and PC like with Gears 4?We are happy to confirm that Gears 5 will feature cross-platform play between Xbox One and Windows 10 PC for Versus Multiplayer. Cross-platform play also extends across the other Gears 5 modes to provide a great over-the-top three-player experience in Escape, an epic five-player Horde session or three-player Campaign co-op. For the launch of Gears 5, Xbox players will be able to opt-out of matchmaking against PC players for ranked matches.With Gears 4 cross-play, you experimented with different set-ups for people with keyboard/mouse and controller; how will this work in Gears 5?With the addition of keyboard and mouse on Xbox consoles, we see the two communities being closer than ever before. Players can choose the control the game how they want to. With few very small exceptions, the mouse and keyboard support will be the same across Xbox and PC. We also support key rebinding and the Xbox Adaptive Controller to enable all types of players to play Gears 5 the way that they want to.Escape is brand-new for Gears 5. What is this mode all about, and what does it add to the Gears multiplayer experience that wasn't there before?The fun, high-stakes nature of Escape is built around having a three-person squad, introducing a new level of strategy and communication for players. In Escape, your three-player suicide squad must infiltrate the Hive, plant the bomb and escape with your life. Players enter with a knife and pistol but must pick up resources along their escape route. It’s everything you love about Gears, turned up to 11. Each character has an ultimate ability that will help you outsmart the horde, outrun the venom, and escape alive.You have said there will be no season pass or random loot boxes, but there are microtransaction opportunities in Gears 5. Can you talk more about what you can acquire with real money and how you've gone about designing an MTX system that respects the players?We have three sources for customization rewards--Earnable, Purchasable, and Free rewards. The new structure is built to respect player choice: earnable items are not purchasable, purchasable items are not earnable, and free items are only free. The player always knows what they get if they are earning or purchasing content.As new Hero characters impact gameplay, they will be both earnable and purchasable to players to maintain an equal playing field. Players have full visibility into the Hero Character they are selecting, and there is no randomness involved. New maps and Escape Hives will be free to all. Each of the rewards are divided into seven types of customization: Costumes, Skins, Banners, Expressions, Executions, Blood Sprays, and Marks.While there are no purchasable loot boxes in Gears 5, there are earnable rewards obtained from simply playing the game. If players choose to purchase separate in-game cosmetic rewards using our premium in-game currency ‘Iron,’ they will have full visibility into what customization items they are purchasing.What are your plans for ongoing content for Gears 5 multiplayer? Are you fully embracing the new paradigm of games-as-a-service?In addition to regular new map releases, Versus will support Map Builder post-launch. This will open Versus to the community, which will be able to build and share their own maps. As to our overall philosophy of maps after launch, in Gears 5 our goal is to create a player-first experience when it comes to in-game content, including maps, which will all be free to play in both matchmaking and private. In Gears 5 we will have:No Season PassNo Gear PacksDLC Maps are free for matchmaking and Private PlayExclusive earnable content in the all-new Tour of Duty systemAll store purchases are direct, no RNG, so you always know what you will getThe Arcade mode is new as well. You've described it as unique and approachable for newcomers. Is this in response to feedback that the standard MP was too unforgiving?For newcomers, we have both a new training mode that we call 'Boot Camp,' which walks players through the core elements of Gears 5 gameplay. The new and approachable multiplayer game type we call 'Arcade' features a style of play more familiar to people playing other modern shooters while still feeling authentically Gears.Arcade blends the visceral, intimate combat of Gears 5 Versus with a hero system that grants abilities, unique loadouts with unique in-game weapon upgrading to each character. It's faster, more frenetic, with bigger headshots and over-the top action. While returning fans will feel totally at home in Arcade, players new to Gears can jump in and find a more familiar experience than previous Gears games. Arcade is built to be the fastest way to jump in and have fun in Versus.The new Map Builder seems like an exciting introduction to the series. How robust are these tools? And how will sharing and discovery of user-made maps work?Map Builder is a new addition to Gears 5 that lets you create custom Escape Hive maps and experiences to share with and challenge your friends. Whether you build it yourself or play a creation from another player, Map Builder provides an approachable tool for players to make fun Escape experiences. We built it to give players the same tools as our developers to build Escape maps. Sharing maps is easy. With the push of a button, the map is published to our online services where the community can browse multiple feeds, like most played, or trending, to find the experiences they want to play. Players will be able to create Escape maps in Map Builder at launch and other modes will become available after launch.What are your thoughts on battle royale in Gears 5? Is this something you might consider?Gears 5 does not include a Battle Royale mode. We have five great experiences in Gears 5 with Horde, Escape, Campaign, and our extensive list of Multiplayer versus modes, with the added customization of the new Map Builder.We're big fans of the Battle Royale genre, but we would want to ensure we bring a Battle Royale mode to Gears in a meaningful way. We're actively listening to our Gears community and will look to further evolve our game modes based on player feedback post-launch. Info from Gamespot.com

Like Gears of War 4, this year's Gears 5 will support cross-play between Xbox One and PC. Multiplayer director Ryan Cleven has confirmed that cross-play is supported not only for Versus multiplayer, but also for the Escape, Horde, and Campaign modes."We are happy to confirm that Gears 5 will feature cross-platform play between Xbox One and Windows 10 PC for Versus Multiplayer," he said. "Cross-platform play also extends across the other Gears 5 modes to provide a great over-the-top three-player experience in Escape, an epic five-player Horde session, or three-player Campaign co-op."Keyboard and mouse controls offer a level of precision that's better than a controller, and thankfully, Gears 5 multiplayer users can opt-out of playing against PC users for ranked play."For the launch of Gears 5, Xbox players will be able to opt-out of matchmaking against PC players for ranked matches," Cleven said.Gears 5 launches in September, but a multiplayer technical test is available today on Xbox One and PC. For lots more on the test and the game in general, check out GameSpot's news feature: Gears 5 Dev Answers Our Burning Questions About Microtransactions, Multiplayer, Battle Royale, Loot Boxes, And More Info from Gamespot.com

There was a time not that long ago when video game consoles didn't support a common standard like HDMI, and we instead relied on a range of different analog connections to play low-res games on bulky CRT TVs. Composite video, the most common of these connections, resulted in blurry, noisy images, but hardly anyone noticed or cared at the time. Plug that same cable into your HDTV today and you may have a very hard time looking past the color bleeding, improper de-interlacing, and slow image scaling that results. This is where a product like EON's Super 64 HDMI adapter comes in handy, but at $150, you might think twice before investing above and beyond the cost of the console itself just to upgrade its video output.The Super 64 is still based on an analog video signal, but it draws on the N64's S-Video encoder, which provides a noticeably cleaner image than composite. The Super 64 then upscales and digitizes the audio and video to send it over HDMI to your TV. While your TV also includes a signal processor that will upscale a composite or S-Video signal in roughly the same manner, the Super 64 is designed with retro gaming in mind, offering faster, more intelligent upscaling to 480p, which results in a cleaner image and less input lag than connecting a low-res analog source directly to your HD or 4K TV.Click the image for a closer look at the difference the Super 64 makes over standard composite video.While this may sound complicated if you're unfamiliar with these terms, using the Super 64 is a very straightforward process: plug it into your Nintendo 64, connect an HDMI cable to the other end and plug it into your TV, and start playing. The only option you have is to press a small button that activates Slick mode, which is just a fancy term for a smoothing filter that can blur rough edges--an effect that really just muddies the overall image. Otherwise, the Super 64 simply works, and that includes with notoriously finicky games that output unusual resolutions outside of the more common 320x240, such as Indiana Jones and The Infernal Machine. We couldn't test every N64 game, but every game with an odd (and standard, for that matter) resolution that we tested worked without issue.As a turnkey solution that just works, the Super 64 makes for a very attractive option if you're put off by modern TVs' improper handling of low-res N64 video. It does what it promises, and the physical shape of the adapter is very thoughtfully designed, with a bump on the bottom to help support the adapter as it extends out the back of your console. All that said, at $150, there are cheaper alternatives that not only provide similar functionality, but also work with any retro console you may own.Mike Chi's $99 RetroTINK-2X is the best option in the same product category. It accepts composite, S-Video, or component video inputs and properly scales the signal to 480p over HDMI. It does require USB power, and isn't as robustly built as the Super 64, but the fact that it's technically comparable (it, too, has a smoothing filter) and can work with multiple systems makes the high cost and proprietary nature of the Super 64 stand out as less cost-effective.EON's Super 64 is a great-looking device that does exactly what it promises, but it's not the only option on the market.If you aren't worried about playing multiple retro consoles and just want the best Nintendo 64 experience possible on an HDTV, you can go above and beyond the cost of the Super 64 to get an internal mod, known as UltraHDMI, that will provide numerous options including support for 720p and 1080p, and the ability to undo the Nintendo 64's default pixel blurring that occurs on the processor level. The UltraHDMI mod is more expensive at $165, is rarely in stock at its primary distributor, and requires a complicated install that's only for experienced electronics tinkerers, but if you're ready to invest $150 for a good HDMI solution in the Super 64, you might as well consider that the best solution isn't considerably more expensive.None of this is to diminish the fact that the Super 64 is a good product that works exactly as promised, but it does highlight the fact that it sits at a very challenging price point. Whether or not the cost is warranted comes down to your personal sensitivity to video quality and input lag, and how dedicated you are to the Nintendo 64, versus retro gaming in general.EON's Super 64 is on sale now, but the first wave is currently sold out. Pre-orders for the next batch can be placed over at Castlemania Games.Editor's note: EON provided GameSpot with a complimentary Super 64 for review. Info from Gamespot.com

It's day two of San Diego Comic-Con, and the slew of news around the biggest upcoming movies, TV shows, comics, and movies is only beginning. One of the big announcements from the event is around Mayans M.C., which is the spin-off show of popular biker gang drama Sons of Anarchy. The second season arrives this September, and while the show will feature at SDCC on Sunday, July 21, the first trailer for the new season has been released.The trailer picks up where Season 1 left off, with Ezekiel "EZ" Reyes hunting for the truth behind his mother's murder, while having to deal with the difficult relationship his has with both his brother Angel and father Felipe. It looks every bit as gritty, dramatic, and action-packed as Season 1--check the trailer out below.Mayans M.C. was co-created by Kurt Sutter, who also created Sons of Anarchy and was one of the head writers of the classic cop drama The Shield. It stars JD Pardo as Ezekiel, Clayton Cardenas as Angel, and Edward James Olmos as Felipe. Season 2 will run for 10 episodes and premieres on FX on September 3.The Mayans M.C. SDCC panel takes place at 1PM PT on July 21 in Hall H. The panel will feature Sutter and co-creator Elgin James, plus Pardo, Cardenas, Olmos, and a variety of other cast members. Click here for more San Diego Comic-Con coverage on GameSpot.Info from Gamespot.com

The daily reset in Destiny 2 on Fridays means one thing: the arrival of Xur, the curious-looking curator of curios. The merchant is back with a new slate of Exotics for sale from now until the weekly reset on Tuesday, but first you'll need to track him down. Here's where to find Xur, what he's selling, and what rolls the armor pieces have this week.Where Is Xur?Xur is located on Io this week. Head to the Giant's Scar landing zone, hop on your Sparrow, and proceed forward, through the opening in the structure to the right side in front of you. Follow the path to the left and proceed past the giant support on the left, and up ahead you'll see an opening in the cliffside. Head inside, turn right, and you'll see Xur camped out and waiting for you.What Is Xur Selling?Xur is operating as always, with the same number of items as usual. There's one Exotic weapon and three pieces of armor, one for each class. Unfortunately, none of these four comes from the Forsaken expansion, so you'll have to make do with Year One Exotics. He also has a Five of Swords challenge card (free) for adjusting modifiers in Nightfall Strikes, and an Invitation of the Nine (nine Legendary Shards) that allows you to complete some objectives to advance the story and get a Powerful reward.Coldheart (Exotic trace rifle) -- 29 Legendary ShardsStarfire Protocol (Exotic Warlock chest armor) -- 23 Legendary ShardsAeon Swift (Exotic Hunter gauntlets) -- 23 Legendary ShardsEternal Warrior (Exotic Titan helmet) -- 23 Legendary ShardsColdheartOne of the few trace rifles in the game, Coldheart is a powerful weapon, shooting a nonstop beam of energy that--thanks to the Longest Winter trait--increases in damage the longer you fire it at a target.Starfire ProtocolStarfire Protocol is a Warlock chest armor comes with Fusion Harness, which provides an additional grenade charge when using Fusion grenades. Kills with those grant Rift energy.Rolls:Slot 1: Unflinching Hand Cannon Aim, Unflinching Sidearm Aim, Unflinching Machine GunSlot 2: Pulse Rifle Reserves, Sidearm ReservesAeon SwiftAeon Swift is a set of Hunter gauntlets with the intrinsic trait Aeon Energy. This provides a buff when other nearby players are using their respective Aeon Cult Exotics. Aeon Swift specifically provides a buff to nearby Aeon users when you dodge; it gives dodge energy to Hunters, melee energy to Titans and grenade energy to Warlocks. You'll see a visual cue on the gauntlets when someone nearby is using an Aeon item, but non-users will still get a bonus, albeit a smaller one.Rolls:Slot 1: Shotgun Loader, Impact Induction, Momentum TransferSlot 2: Grenade Launcher Scavenger, Rocket Launcher ScavengerEternal WarriorTitans' Eternal Warrior helmet offers the Resolute trait, which provides an overshield when you activate the Fists of Havoc Super. Like Starfire Protocol, that makes it most useful when you're rolling with that particular Super.Rolls:Slot 1: Auto Rifle Targeting, Power Weapon Targeting, Enhanced Bow TargetingSlot 2: Fusion Rifle Reserves, Machine Gun ReservesInfo from Gamespot.com

Fans of the long-running Halloween horror franchise have much to celebrate--there are two new movies on the way. Halloween creator John Carpenter has announced that the next two films in the series will arrive in 2020 and 2021, and they're bringing back the key talent involved with 2018's acclaimed entry.Carpenter revealed that the titles of the next two films are Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends. The former will hit theaters on October 16, 2020, while the second movie arrives on October 15, 2021. Carpenter's announcement came via Twitter in the midst of San Diego Comic-Con--check it out below:The saga of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode isn't over. #HalloweenKills #HalloweenEnds @HalloweenMovie pic.twitter.com/l4KT8sUo4q — John Carpenter (@TheHorrorMaster) July 19, 2019The movies will see the return of Jamie Lee Curtis in the iconic role as Laurie Strode, which she first played in Carpenter's 1978 original Halloween and reprised for last year's hugely successful reboot. Last month she teased a new Halloween movie when she posted an image with producer Jason Blum. It has also been confirmed that David Gordon Green will return as director, and will write the movies with Danny McBride once more.Interestingly, the original plan for 2018's Halloween was to shoot it back-to-back with a sequel. As McBride told Entertainment Weekly last year: "We were going to shoot two of them back-to-back. Then we were like, 'Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves. This could come out, and everyone could hate us, and we'd never work again. So, let's not have to sit around for a year while we wait for another movie to come out that we know people aren't going to like.'FINALLY : not one but TWO new Halloween movies: Halloween Kills (2020) and Halloween Ends (2021). Yes, the gang is ALL back, including @jamieleecurtis, Danny McBride, David Gordon Green and @TheHorrorMaster John Carpenter. Oh yea. pic.twitter.com/KpVa2PlwN5 — Jason Blum (@jason_blum) July 19, 2019"So, we were like, 'Let's learn from this, and see what works, and what doesn't.' But we definitely have an idea of where we would go [with] this branch of the story and hopefully we get a chance to do it."For more on Halloween, check out our list of Michael Myer's most brutal kills and our ranking of every movie in the series.This news arrives during San Diego Comic-Con, which has also had exciting horror news, including an exclusive look at the upcoming It: Chapter 2. Click here for more SDCC coverage on GameSpot.Info from Gamespot.com

Avengers: Endgame could have been a very different movie, and in some ways a much darker one. Writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely took the stage at San Diego Comic-Con to reveal some of their ideas during the various drafting phases that didn't make the cut, and some of them are downright wild.Io9 reports that in one iteration, Thanos returned to 2023 with the decapitated head of Captain America circa 2014, in order to intimidate the Avengers. That particular dark turn will be explained in more detail in the commentary track on the home release.Another cut scene included Rocket explaining the Quantum Realm to Jane Foster. The writers also considered having a reunion of sorts between Cap and Red Skull when he returned the stone, but that idea never got off the ground. One cut scene from Infinity War had Dr. Strange sending Thanos into his own mind to face a tribunal for his litany of crimes, but it slowed down the pace of the fight scene too much.The writers declined to comment if the ending suggests there are two Captain Americas on Earth at the same time, but Markus did say he's "entertained" by the theory. The two also declined to speculate on where Gamora went, or if the MCU will further explore the multiverse. It seems like those decisions are being left up to other writers and Marvel story heads, respectively.As for the film we did see in theaters, the "five years later" jump had a huge impact on all of the story decisions going forward. It gave them more space to explore complex character developments that would have developed over time, and it helped paper over a mistake they had made. "Smart Hulk" was originally set to emerge at the end of Infinity War. That moment was cut, but Endgame scenes with Smart Hulk had already been shot. The five-year jump gave space for Banner to plausibly reconcile with the Hulk persona.Thor's story arc in Endgame was similarly in flux for a long time. The writers said that his story "sucked rocks" and wasn't character-focused. The eventual Thor story came out of an emergency all-hands meeting meant to get the character's trajectory back on-track.Lots more is coming from Comic-Con this weekend, including plenty of Marvel events, so keep an eye out for more in the days to come.Info from Gamespot.com

AMC's Fear the Walking Dead has been renewed for a sixth season. The announcement of its return was made during the show's panel at San Diego Comic-Con, and it doesn't come as much of a surprise considering it is one of AMC's most-watched shows.As a prequel series to The Walking Dead, it follows the exploits of a series of dysfunctional characters as the world begins to crumble around them as part of what will end up becoming the full-on undead apocalypse depicted in the main Walking Dead series. The show stars Alycia Debnam-Carey as Alicia Clark, one of the few remaining characters from earlier seasons.Fear the Walking Dead has had a number of fresh faces added to its cast lately, including Maggie Grace, Jenna Elfman, and Garret Dillahunt as Althia, June, and John Dorie respectively. Lennie James has also reprised his role as Morgan, who he played in the main Walking Dead series.The Walking Dead comic series, from which the TV shows are inspired, came to a surprise ending on July 2, ending its 15-year run. Creator Robert Kirkman, who also works on both TV shows, said the comic's conclusion won't impact the series."I hate knowing what's coming," he said in a letter to fans. "As a fan, I hate it when I realize I'm in the third act of a movie and the story is winding down. I hate that I can count commercial breaks and know I'm nearing the end of a TV show. I hate that you can feel when you’re getting to the end of a book, or a graphic novel. Some of the best episodes of Game of Thrones are when they're structured in such a way and paced to perfection so your brain can’t tell if it's been watching for 15 minutes or 50 minutes ... and when the end comes ... you’re stunned."I love long movies for that very reason. You lose track of time because you went in convinced that you're going to be there for a long time, but the story moves at such an entertaining and engaging pace that by the time the movie's wrapping up ... you can't believe it’s already over. Surprise, it's over! All I've ever done, all a creator can really do ... is tailor-make stories to entertain themselves, and hope the audience feels the same way. That's all I've ever been doing ... and it seems to work most of the time."Info from Gamespot.com

Rick and Morty creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland debuted the first Season 4 clip during the Rick and Morty panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2019, and it includes a fantastic surprise: A new character who debuts in the footage is voiced by Thor Ragnarok and Thor 4 director Taika Waititi."He's a new character, and he's fun, and we're excited to be able to introduce him to you here at Comic-Con, because there's all kinds of merch and stuff," Roiland joked before the clip played.The official Rick and Morty Twitter account published the clip online as it aired during the panel, so you can watch it for yourself below.*Ominous beeping noise* FIRST LOOK AT RICK AND MORTY SEASON 4 *Ominous beeping noise* @adultswim pic.twitter.com/FtduZbdHHa — Rick and Morty (@RickandMorty) July 19, 2019 In the clip, Jerry and Morty implore Waititi's character, a pink fish-like alien, to take down an app, but he claims the controls are on his mothership. As Morty shakes him violently, a red light starts beeping in the new character's pocket. Morty and Jerry dive for cover, but as they turn back, they realize Waititi's character is trying to escape through a window. They grab him and fish into his pocket, where they pull out a smartphone with on "ominous beeping noise" app open.A second clip (in unfinished animatic form) showed Rick and Morty leaving on an adventure--though not before Rick makes Jerry float through the air out of annoyance. "I wasn't born into the god business," Rick utters. "I f***ing earned it."Up in space, Rick and Morty get a flat tire on their ship (somehow). They get out to change the tire, and Morty gets bit by a "space snake"--to Rick's chagrin.The Rick and Morty Comic-Con panel included Harmon and Roiland, as well as Spencer Grammer (Summer), Chris Parnell (Jerry), and Sarah Chalke (Beth), and it was hosted by comedian and actor Rob Schrab, who also writes on the show.There's been a long gap between Seasons 3 and 4, but although Season 4 has yet to premiere, Schrab revealed that he's already "working on Season 5." Harmon and Roiland took the opportunity to explain some of what's been going on, though not in very great detail."There was a lot of stuff that had to happen between Seasons 3 and 4 that won't ever have to happen again," Roiland explained."We're just finishing Season 4 while we're starting Season 5," Harmon added, explaining that they could start airing Season 5 before Season 4 begins if they wanted to.Earlier during Comic-Con the first Rick and Morty Season 4 images were released, while the show's creators said the wait for new seasons won't be so long in the future.Schrab directed several questions at the cast members throughout the panel, asking Parnell why it's so fun to watch Jerry fail constantly. "Jerry has an innate patheticness about him that I tap into really well," Parnell joked. "He's very easy to laugh at and to mock. He's not a great human being. He doesn't have a strong moral core. He does love his family, he tries, but he's so misguided most of the time. He's not the brightest guy."Speaking to Chalke, Schrab asked whether it's hard to be so mean all the time as Beth. "She's not mean," Chalke replied. "She's just correct. She's just right."Morty's sister, Summer, has changed a lot over the course of the series, which Schrab asked actress Spencer Grammer about. She said Summer's role can sometimes change frequently throughout production. "The first episode [of Season 4], I've recorded her storyline about six times I think," Grammer said. "It's changed that much." Specifically, the amount Summer is involved in the episode's plot has oscillated. "I love watching her transition and grow and she has grown a lot over these years," Grammer added.She revealed her biggest guilty pleasure working on the show: listening to Dan Harmon do rough voiceover passes to fill in Summer's dialogue before Grammer records it. "So I'll have to listen to his temp and copy it directly, but like, it might be my most guilty pleasure, listening to Dan do Summer impressions," the actress said.Rick and Morty Season 4 is expected to premiere in November 2019.This story is developing--check back soon for more! Info from Gamespot.com