During the PC Gaming Show at this year's E3, Australian developer Mighty Kingdom unveiled a surprise announcement: that joke roguelike, stick figure Conan game is very real. And it's coming out very soon.Conan Chop Chop is set to release this September, but it started out as what appeared to be an April Fool's joke clip posted to publisher Funcom's YouTube channel. The game features a crudely-drawn Conan chop-chopping various baddies like skeleton warriors and stick-figure-eating werewolves. You can take control of the titular barbarian or team up with up to four friends in local couch co-op as they control Bêlit, Pallantides, or Valeria. And, of course, there will be plenty of loot to gather, combos to unlock, and randomly-generated levels to explore. Check out the official trailer below.Conan Chop Chop launches on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on September 3.More E3 news:Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

The upcoming Marvel's Avengers game finally made its debut at the Square Enix E3 2019 press conference, and it's left a rather noticeable impression on fans who are looking forward to the superhero game. Coming from Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal, the new superhero team-up game focuses heavily on cinematic, action gameplay that's playable either solo or co-op. Featuring Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, and the Hulk, it lets you play as some of Marvel's most iconic heroes in a variety of missions. Completing missions allows you to power up your chosen character and customize them with new gear as you see fit. And following its May 15, 2020 release, new missions and heroes will be added in as free updates.It's a really fascinating concept, but after the game's presentation at the press conference, the details about the title's larger structure and moment-to-moment gameplay are still a bit vague. During E3 2019, we saw Marvel's Avengers behind closed doors, which focused on one of the game's early missions. As seen in the E3 2019 trailer, San Francisco is under attack on the opening day of the West Coast Avengers' headquarters, and the heroes spring into action to fight off Taskmaster and his minions, all of whom are wielding weapons stolen from Tony Stark.This level is set shortly after the opening of the game, serving as something of an extended tutorial, allowing you to get a feel of how each hero plays and what their role can be in a squad of other players. From this demo, Marvel's Avengers' style, presentation, and emphasis on punctuating each encounter with a set piece makes it clear the game is cut from the same cloth as other AAA action-adventure games like the Uncharted series or the recent Tomb Raider reboot trilogy--the latter also helmed by Crystal Dynamics. The demo featured several highly scripted encounters, most of which are punctuated by quick-time-events that give each member of The Avengers their moment. There's a significant focus on the spectacle of super-heroics, the type of elaborate gravitas and ensuing mass collateral damage that's become common in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.During an E3 interview with GameSpot, Crystal Dynamics studio head Scot Amos stated that the game is heavily focused on offering a fun Avengers experience, with each hero designed in a way where they could be the lead of their own game."We've made games focusing on one character with Lara Croft, and now, we made a game with like six characters (including Ant-Man)," said Amos. "Then we figured we should make 12, then 30 characters. It is crazy for us to be able to go back and say, here's all the stuff these other heroes can do on their own. That's when we started hiring people like Vince Napoli, who did God of War last year, to lead combat for the game. How do we start pulling people together that are experts in these things, and say, 'now go make this hero awesome'? With access to all these heroes that play differently, you can play the way you want."This opening level leans quite heavily on spectacle, both in terms of core combat and action-oriented set pieces with characters moving through the levels at a fast pace. Combat seems quite similar to games like Batman: Arkham Asylum, allowing you to freely move and engage your surrounding enemies while activating each hero's unique skills. Thor uses his hammer and lightning abilities to pummel goons on the streets, for example. In addition to throwing his hammer Mjolnir--which he can call back after a strike--he can also summon forth massive bolts of lightning on the enemies and even imbue his regular attacks with enhanced energy.After clearing out the enemies on the street, the action switches over to Iron Man, who chases after a set of airborne soldiers. In flight mode, Iron Man can freely move around, firing off missiles and repulsor blasts. On the ground, he's very much like the character's appearance in the MCU films, charging up his hand blasts and using them to power up his melee strikes. Iron Man's super move is the Uni-Beam, a high-powered chest-laser that can destroy vehicles and clear out most enemies in front of him. Next up, the Hulk jumps into the fray. Sticking mostly with close-range attacks, he can grab enemies, slam them into the ground, and toss them aside with ease. One of the Hulk's signature moves is his Sonic Clap, which wipes out all enemies nearby. His section of the level ends with him picking up a tank, chucking aside its driver, and tossing it at another vehicle.The action jumps over to Captain America, who fights off enemies in the Avenger's helicarrier. Similar to the Hulk, Cap is a brawler and sticks mostly with close-range attacks. However, he can still use his shield to strike multiple enemies at a distance. One of his unique skills allows him to target specific foes and send his shield their way for a powerful blow, with his shield returning to him after it hits its targets. The demo culminates in a confrontation between the Taskmaster and Black Widow, who uses a pair of batons and high-tech spy gadgets. The villain quickly adapts to Black Widow's tactics, using his shield to block her long-range attacks.This entire sequence, which sets up the larger story of how the Avengers have become outlawed and why they need to come back together, does a fun job of showing off that familiar MCU spectacle. It felt very much like a sequence that could easily be presented as a major set piece in the Marvel films. However, a growing question I had throughout this demo is, what kind of game is this, exactly? One thing that is still a point of confusion is the overall structure of the Marvel's Avengers, which will apparently open up for co-op play as you take on more missions. Following this linear demo, it's hard to picture how this will all come together as a games-as-a-service title that features online co-op. During our talk, Crystal Dynamics stated that Marvel's Avengers follows a "bespoke campaign," focusing on story and character-driven missions."Throughout our history, we've done third-person action adventures that are very much intimate, personal stories," said Amos. "Something of this size, this massive game with all these heroes, it's a matter of not one of them, but all of them. When we first partnered with Marvel Games and said, 'Hey, how do we want to do this? What are we good at? What are you guys good at?' They know about heroism and humanity, we know about third-person action-adventures and character-driven narrative. [...] Getting to switch between those heroes, that's even more fun. With these levels of the bespoke campaign, we want to tell a very specific story here, that's still open for you to dive into at your own pace. We want to tell a very specific story here. What about going further than that? Once you have these heroes to play with, you can start mixing and matching them in ways, online with your friends."I do like what this superhero team-up game is trying to accomplish, but it seems like it's retreading ground that's already been covered by other games. It also doesn't help that the style and designs of the heroes come off as somewhat outdated and unflattering. In a lot of ways, the new Avengers game gave me similar vibes from the PS3/360-era of licensed Marvel games, from the design and visual standpoint. Still, I enjoyed the spectacle and scale that was shown off in the demo. Though this section focused on a linear level, the full game plans to feature an array of missions that open up and can be taken on at your leisure---and that's something I'm still looking forward to seeing.For more on Marvel's Avengers, Cyberpunk 2077, Dying Light 2 and other games we saw during E3 2019, be sure to check out GameSpot's E3 hub page for all the latest news.Info from Gamespot.com

When it comes to superhero origin stories, it's hard to think of on more iconic than Batman's. After watching his parents gunned down while he was a child, Bruce Wayne grows up to become a masked vigilante determined to take the streets of Gotham back from the criminal scum that has polluted it. What's cooler and more compelling than that? Epix found a way by looking at Alfred Pennyworth's history. Yes, that Alfred--Batman's butler.The first full-length trailer for Pennyworth, the upcoming Epix series, has arrived. It shows Alfred has an even wilder ride in his younger years than expected. The mild-mannered butler and former military hero also, seemingly, had a history as something of a high-level security guard and detective before coming to the United States. And coincidentally, that piece of his past is what first brought him into Thomas Wayne's life, long before Bruce was born.The two-minute trailer sets the stage for what looks to be an exciting and very British action-packed period drama that, if we're honest, probably doesn't need a connection to the larger DC universe to make it work. That said, the small threads in the trailer that hint at Alfred's future are fun to see.Pennyworth hails from executive producers Bruno Heller and Danny Cannon, who recently wrapped up Fox's Gotham--which told the story of a young Bruce Wayne. In the new series, The Imitation Game's Jack Bannon stars as Alfred, while Fleabag's Ben Aldrige plays Thomas Wayne. Rounding out the cast are Emma Corin as Alfred's love interest Esme, Paloma Faith as the villainous, and perhaps demented, Bet Sykes, and Ryan Fletcher as Alfred's chump Dave Boy.Pennyworth premieres July 28 on Epix. Info from Gamespot.com

The news of a Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel came just as Nintendo wrapped up its E3 2019 Direct. While information about the game is scarce, Game Informer spoke with game producer Eiji Aonuma to learn a bit more about the direct sequel, and it turns out Aonuma is returning along with Link and Zelda.It's fairly uncommon for Zelda titles to receive direct sequels, but Aonuma saw a breath of fresh air in Breath of the Wild. There is something about Breath of the Wild's Hyrule that makes the acclaimed game producer want to return. "One of the reasons we wanted to create a continuation was because I wanted to revisit that Hyrule again and use that world again, while incorporating new gameplay and new story," Aonuma told Game Informer.Aonuma isn't the only returning member. Game director Hidemaro Fujibayashi will serve as the director on the Breath of the Wild sequel. "We're working together really hard on this game," Aonuma said.The Breath of the Wild sequel trailer, above, closed out Nintendo's E3 2019 Direct. There's no confirmation on a release date or window, but we do know the game is currently in development for Nintendo Switch. We broke down the trailer and went deep on some theories about the game.More E3 news:New Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

Netflix has shared further details on its video game plans at E3 2019. The streaming entertainment company announced one new game, but indicated that we'll see some crossover much sooner than that. Fortnite is going to get some Stranger Things flavor, seemingly near the launch of the show's third season."We've been really busy over the past year, making new friends and we have a number of projects coming out," Netflix director of interactive games Chris Lee said. "You guys may have seen, in Fortnite season 9 we had a Scoops Ahoy from Stranger Things show up in the mall there. So there's a bit more behind that in a few weeks."Scoops Ahoy is the ice cream parlor that has appeared in trailers for Season 3 of Stranger Things, and Fortnite fans took note of its appearance in the game. Lee's comments seem to indicate that was just a teaser for a larger crossover event, and the mention of a few weeks would align it with the new season's launch on July 4.Lee also noted the company has "a few other projects" in the works for this year, with the implication that these are partnerships similar to the Fortnite one.The company also announced a new original game coming in 2020. Next Games out of Finland is working on another Stranger Things adaptation, this one an RPG-puzzle mobile game with location-based mechanics. The studio has previously worked on licensed mobile games based on AMC's The Walking Dead series.Many of these first games are based on Stranger Things, with the lone exception being the recently revealed Dark Crystal game. This could be because opening up its shows to video game adaptations is a fairly recent development. The panel told the story of realizing Stranger Things was "a phenomenon" and exploring merchandising opportunities for the first time, and finding games development to be one avenue.Another Stranger Things game, this one a retro action-RPG, has already been announced to launch alongside Season 3. The panel revealed two more characters for the game, Max and Eleven.More E3 news:Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

Syfy's Krypton, following the exploits of Superman's grandfather, Seg-El, has its second season kickoff on June 12, and one of the aspects of this year's batch of episodes that has many people talking is the appearance of the bounty hunter Lobo. The network has now confirmed that a spin-off series about the character is in the works.Warner Horizon Scripted Television will be developing Lobo with Syfy, and it will follow the titular character, an intergalactic bounty hunter who is foul-mouthed and extremely dangerous. As we've seen in trailers for the upcoming season of Krypton, he has no problem doing grotesque things to people to get his way. Krypton executive producer Cameron Welsh will serve as showrunner for the new series.On Krypton, Lobo will be played by Emmett J. Scanlan, who already has appeared on a DC Comics live-action series. On the 2014 NBC series Constantine, Scanlan played Jim Corrigan, who many comic book fans will know as the host for the spirit Spectre. Warner Horizon Scripted Television confirmed with GameSpot that there is a deal in place with Scanlan to star as Lobo in the new series.Lobo made his first appearance at DC Comics in 1983 in Omega Men #3. However, he primarily gained his popularity in the '90s as a parody of dark and gritty comic book characters during that time, as a character that mocked the likes of Punisher and Wolverine at Marvel.The intergalactic bounty hunter isn't the only DC character getting his own new series though. The first trailer for Epix's series Pennyworth was recently released, and we'll finally learn just how tough Batman's butler was before he fell into getting tea for Bruce Wayne.Lobo will appear on Season 2 of Krypton which airs on June 12 on Syfy.Info from Gamespot.com

The Los Angeles Convention Center briefly lost power today, which is kind of a problem, what with E3 2019 going on. Lights and power went out on the show floor for just a second, but it was enough to reset computers and generally cause problems for those in attendance.If you were watching any livestreams from the show--such as GameSpot's and the Nintendo Treehouse--and suddenly found yourself with no video, now you know why. Power has resumed, but internet connections proved to be an issue that lasted a short while longer. Things have since resumed to normal, but it harkens back to the lengthier power outage at CES earlier this year.For more from the show, catch up on E3's biggest news.Info from Gamespot.com

Niantic's annual Pokemon Go Fest event is about to kick off in Chicago, and to celebrate the occasion, the developer is making a special Pokemon available for a limited time. Beginning tomorrow, June 13, the adorable Water-type Horsea will spawn around the world much more frequently than it normally does, and you'll also have your first chance to encounter a Shiny Horsea.The increased Horsea spawns will only be available throughout the Pokemon Go Fest, which is scheduled to end this Sunday, June 16. However, the spawns won't be limited to the event venue; you'll have a chance to find more Horsea even if you can't attend Go Fest in-person. Any Shiny Horsea you catch will also retain its special coloration when it evolves, making this your first opportunity to add Shiny Seadra and Kingdra to your collection as well.That isn't all that's going on during Pokemon Go Fest. As usual, Niantic will be holding Global Challenges throughout the event. These have players around the world making progress toward the same goals, and if those goals are achieved, Niantic will unlock special bonuses in the game, from additional Candy to the appearance of Shiny Entei, Raikou, and Suicune. You can see the full list of this year's Global Challenges on the official Pokemon Go website.In other Pokemon Go news, this is your last chance to encounter Cresselia. The Legendary Psychic Pokemon will be available in Raid Battles until June 18, when it'll be replaced by Kyogre, the cover monster from Pokemon Sapphire. Kyogre will then be replaced by Groudon from June 27 to July 10. Not only do you have another chance to catch the rarely seen Legendaries, you may also encounter their Shiny versions.E3 2019 is also underway, and it's brought a ton of news about the series' next mainline installments, Pokemon Sword and Shield for Switch. We got our first look at the games' new Dynamax battle mechanic, as well as more details on how Max Raid Battles work. Sword and Shield launch on November 15; you can read more about the games in our Pokemon Sword and Shield pre-order guide.Info from Gamespot.com

We got another look at Fire Emblem: Three Houses at Nintendo's E3 2019 Direct. On the show floor during the company's Treehouse Live, we saw even more gameplay from the upcoming tactical RPG, including the way permadeath works--or doesn't.A tweet from the official Nintendo America Twitter account went into detail about a new ability called Divine Pulse. If you use the ability, you're able to go back a few moves or to the very beginning of the match if things don't play out in your favor. The ability is limited though, and there's no confirmation on how many times it can be used, what the requirements are for use, or how to replenish charges after use. It's an interesting take on the franchise's typical permadeath feature and quite similar to Mila's Turnwheel from the 3DS' Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia.Made a big mistake in battle and lost one of your favorite units? Activate Divine Pulse and undo a costly mistake in #FireEmblem: Three Houses! This powerful ability is limited, so use it wisely when the game launches on 7/26! #NintendoTreehouseLivehttps://t.co/oxGuEcJ8Om pic.twitter.com/HAfQox1ZvL— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) June 12, 2019The sixteenth mainline Fire Emblem game and the first on home consoles since 2007's Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, Fire Emblem: Three Houses takes you to a continent called Fódlan, where the Church of Seiros exists at the center of it all. Similar to previous Fire Emblem entries, your customizable character is an advisor. However, you're a professor at the Officer's Academy this time around, with your warriors--who are divided into three houses based on their respective nation--as your students.Pre-orders for the tactical RPG are now up and there are a few different versions to purchase from a few different retailers, each with their own unique bonuses. Fire Emblem: Three Houses will launch on July 26 for Nintendo Switch.More E3 news:Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

During Nintendo's E3 2019 Direct, the company announced that the new Animal Crossing game has been delayed to March 2020. Though the news is a bummer, we did learn what the game's official name is--Animal Crossing: New Horizons. We also learned that fan favorite Isabelle isn't leaving the franchise behind.Polygon spoke with game director Aya Kyogoku on the show floor at this year's E3. As Kyogoku explains it, the Shih Tzu could make an appearance in the game depending on how the island develops. "At first on the deserted island, you have Tom Nook, Timmy and Tommy, and a few other animals that have moved to the island through Getaway Package with you," Kyogoku told Polygon. "Depending on the population, the development level of the island will change, so you may start to see more new characters added to the island."Though Kyogoku didn't give specifics on how Isabelle will show up, she did reassure fans that the Leslie Knope-type is always willing to lend a helping hand. "One thing that I could definitely say about Isabelle is that as the island develops a little more and it needs a little bit more support then Isabelle might see some sort of use on the island."Pre-orders for the life sim are now live ahead of the game's new March 20, 2020 release date. In case you missed it, check out Animal Crossing: New Horizons' latest trailer below.More E3 news:E3 2019's biggest newsZelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

We may be in the midst of E3 2019, but that hasn't stopped Epic from rolling out another update for Fortnite. Patch 9.21 is now live on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices, and it introduces another new weapon to the popular battle royale game, as well as a new pair of limited-time modes. Here's what it does along with the full patch notes.This week's new weapon is the Proximity Grenade Launcher, which fires an "arcing, bouncing, explosive projectile" that will detonate when near another player. The gun comes in Epic and Legendary varieties and can be found in chests, supply drops, vending machines, or from Loot Carriers. It also uses rocket ammo and can hold two rounds.In addition to the Proximity Grenade Launcher, Epic has made some balance tweaks to an assortment of existing weapons and items in the game. The Storm Flip, which was added as part of last week's update, now deals flat damage rather than being based on the current storm phase, Epic has decreased the availability of the Mounted Turret and common variants of the Heavy Assault Rifle.Beyond that, the developer is adding two new limited-time modes to the rotation this week. The first is the low gravity One Shot Duos mode. Here, all players have only 50 health, the only weapons that will spawn are snipers, and the only available healing items are bandages. The second mode, Horde Rush, drops four-player squads on the island and has them defending areas against waves of Fortnite Fiends.You can see all of the changes for Fortnite: Battle Royale below. This week's update has also added some new items to Fortnite Creative and Save the World; the full patch notes for those can be found on Epic's website.Fortnite: Battle Royale Update 9.21 Patch NotesLimited-Time Mode RotationOne Shot DuosLow Gravity. Every player has 50 health. Sniper weapons are the only weapon, Bandages are the only healing item. Jump high and aim well!Horde RushFortnite Fiends are back on the island and angrier than ever! Fight alongside your teammates to rack up your score by finding hidden score multipliers, opening special loot chests, and eliminating as many monsters as you can. Traverse across the map, survive all of the Defend locations and take down the Final Boss to win!Mode Details Four player Squad mode divided up into multiple stages.Prepare to defend an area by searching for weapons & items, scavenging materials, and building defenses.Rack up points by fighting Fiends, collecting score multipliers, and destroying Fiend Spawners.Recover from the battle and search for more equipment.Travel across the map to the next defense point.Respawning is enabled until the last stage when players have to destroy a Boss Fiend and his horde of minions.Keep an eye out for special loot chests, which contain powerful weapons & provide a scoring bonus.Weapons & ItemsProximity Grenade Launcher Fires an arcing, bouncing, explosive projectile that explodes when in proximity of an opponent.Available in Epic and Legendary Rarities.Found from Chests, Loot Carriers, Supply Drops, and Vending Machines.Semi-Automatic.Uses Rocket Ammo.Holds 2 Explosive Rounds.Rate of Fire: 0.65 shots per second.Player Proximity Radius: 250 units (about half the width of a tile).Explosion Radius: 300 units (about 60% of the width of a tile).Explosion damage: Player: 67/70Environmental: 131/138Reload Speed: 2.8s/3sProjectiles explode automatically after 10s or if it has nearly come to a stop.Shield Potion Increased the availability from Chest loot from 11.3% to 12.09%Small Shield Potion Increased the availability from Chest loot from 16.95% to 18.13%With items being added and removed, we’ve noticed that Shield Potions and Small Shields have been less available in Chests. So we’ve increased the chance to find Shields from Chests to compensate for that.Shotguns Increased the overall chance to find from Floor loot from 8.50% to 9.77%After seeing the community’s feedback about Shotgun availability, we’ve increased the Shotgun availability from Floor Loot to make finding them in the early phases of the game easier.Infantry Rifle Epic and Legendary variants Increased the availability from Floor loot from .067% to .105%Increased the availability from Chest loot from .414% to .645%Heavy Assault Rifle Common variant Decreased the availability from Floor loot from 2.04% to 1.715%Decreased the availability from Chest loot from 12.47% to 10.46%Mounted Turret Decreased the availability from floor loot from .59% to .46%Storm Flip Adjusted Storm Flip to cause flat damage instead of being based on which Storm Phase is currently active. Causes 5 damage every second.We noticed with scaling damage that players held onto their Storm Flip later into matches, creating undesirable effects. This change gives players more value in using it earlier in matches.Reduced the availability from Chests from 3.39% to 1.69%Reduced the availability from Floor loot from 3.32% to 1.66%Added back into the Arena and Tournament playlists. We have visual effect changes coming in v9.30 that will help improve readability.AudioBug FixesAudio was sounding muffled due to a filter optimization issue.Info from Gamespot.com

Microsoft has shared some new details on Halo Infinite. Appearing on the Inside Xbox livestream, Halo FPS director Chris Lee started off by confirming that the "Discover Hope" segment that Microsoft showed at E3 2019 was in fact the game's opening sequence from the campaign. He also confirmed that it was not CG, but rather it was captured in-engine.Halo Infinite runs on the brand-new Slipspace engine, which Lee said Microsoft has "heavily" invested in. It's clearly very important, as Lee said it serves as the foundation for the "next 10 years of Halo experiences." It's the "most powerful" toolset that Microsoft has ever made for Halo. He added that Microsoft's ambition for Halo Infinite could not be achieved or realized with the company's previous engines.The PilotHalo Infinite is a launch title for Project Scarlett in Holiday 2020, but the game is also coming to Xbox One, Xbox One S, and Xbox One X. Additionally, it'll launch on PC alongside the other versions, Lee confirmed.Lee teased that Halo Infinite will make use of the "power of Scarlett," though he did not share any specifics on how the game will utilize the system's beefier specs.Also in the interview, Lee spoke briefly about the new "Pilot" character from the Halo Infinite story trailer. He confirmed that the Pilot is a new character in the Halo universe. At the start of the trailer, the Pilot thinks he's going to die. He's recording a message to his family. When things seem the bleakest, he finds Master Chief floating in space. Everything changes, with Master Chief coming back online presumably to save the world yet again.Lee said Halo Infinite will spend a lot of time "carefully" explaining who the Pilot is and what he means to the story. The Pilot will feature more in the Halo Infinite campaign, but Lee didn't say anything more about the character.Master Chief's new designFinally, Lee spoke about Halo Infinite's art direction. He said the game will embrace the "full legacy of Halo." Specifically for Master Chief's new suit design, Lee said it's mainly inspired by his look in Halo 3, with some flourishes based on Halo 4 and Halo 5, as as well as the Halo Legends novel. Overall, Lee said Microsoft is aiming to make Master Chief look "distinct, new, and special."More E3 news:E3 2019's biggest newsZelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

35 years have passed since Ghostbusters debuted. There's a new 4K & Blu-ray SteelBook release out, and Wizard World recently held a Ghostbusters Fan Fest right on Sony's Los Angeles lot to celebrate. A lot has happened since 1984, but original co-writer and co-star Dan Aykroyd still remembers the origins, and we got the chance to reminisce with him recently.Credit for Ghostbusters as a whole goes to Aykroyd, who originally conceived of the franchise. Aykroyd's first take involved a universe-protecting, ghost-catching crew--a futuristic, more fantastical Men in Black (sort of), with potential stars Eddie Murphy and John Belushi (sadly, Belushi died in early 1982). The idea was handed to eventual director Ivan Reitman (hot after work on Meatballs and Stripes), who brought the story to present day New York from Aykroyd’s concept involving travel between parallel dimensions.Aykroyd no longer knows where the initial script is. Living in Canada, Aykroyd stated he had multiple barns to sort through. There's a chance it's in there somewhere. For now, all Aykroyd has is memory. "My structure was different, definitely. Mr. Stay Puft, I think, made an earlier appearance, but my script was definitely really darker than the movie became," he said. "But, you see, it didn't have Bill Murray in it. It didn't have Ramis. It didn't have all the great input. That came afterwards.”With the idea whittled down, Reitman and eventual co-star Harold Ramis headed to Aykroyd's property in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts to begin brainstorming. "You sit at the desk in the living room, and you're looking out at this 100-mile view of the ocean, and the mainland of Massachusetts, the Elizabeth Islands… I just knew we couldn't get any work done sitting upstairs because of the view in the place," Aykroyd said. So they chose alternate surroundings."We sat down in the basement for two weeks, down in a bunker, in a green bunker, with the Third Reich green walls, and sat there with mist and moisture coming through the concrete, and we wouldn't leave… I had these hospital beds, and these screens. It looked like a ward," Aykroyd recalled. "Four hours in the morning, and then a little lunch break, you'd go up and see the sunlight, like moles, then back down again, for another four hours."Details set, the trio moved to Los Angeles to hammer out the script, which included, according to Aykroyd, intentional allusions to Reagan-era economics as the Ghostbusters' small business grapples with government intrusiveness on the part of the EPA's Walter Peck (William Atherton). In 2019, you have to wonder if Peck had a point--no one really knows what effects the Busters' ghost containment system might have, and the team freely admits to wearing unlicensed nuclear accelerators on their backs. "It's ironic, the EPA is supposed to do such good work, and they were the villains in the movie," Aykroyd mused. "Now, some people feel the EPA are absolute villains, according to some of the assessments of their performance now, but I don't know, we'll see. It will all come out in the air we breathe, and the water we drink."Columbia Pictures needed a summer tentpole for 1984, leaving Reitman and crew less than a year to put together the finished film. That time crunch (asking a lot not only of Reitman’s team but also the just-established effects house Boss Film Studios, headed by Star Wars veteran Richard Edlund) didn't make the process easy, but Ghostbusters came from a creative spark.Not Your Average Neighborhood GhostsFor most people, thinking of spirits and ghosts summons to mind something more akin to the misty, floating public library ghost in Ghostbusters' first encounter. In Ghostbusters, though, it's primarily Stay-Puft, Slimer (Onionhead at the time), and terror dogs--creatures far from the traditional image of haunting spooks. "What we were trying to do was more comedy monsters," Aykroyd said. "We were trying to just lean it more towards the graphic and the comedy, but also nodding to the real thing, which is what the library ghost was."Included on the new 35th Anniversary 4K & Blu-ray release, a number of scenes present a "what if" scenario. Some deleted items were seen previous (Aykroyd and co-star Bill Murray playing homeless men bickering about boxing), but also long-awaited scenes in Fort Detmerring (in the finished movie, montage clips borrowed snippets of this footage for Aykroyd's sensual encounter with a ghost). "A good thing could have happened to Ray Stantz there," Aykroyd explained of the scene where a beautiful female ghost hovers over a bed, followed by a shot of his belt unbuckling, cutting to Aykroyd crossing his eyes in pleasure. The rest plays out as Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) and Ray Stantz (Aykroyd) investigate the disturbance, prior to the above encounter. It's a clearly unfinished sequence, as is another with a possessed Rick Moranis shocking some Central Park thugs. The effects for that shock were not completed.What else had potential? "Well, always more with Mr. Stay Puft, and always more with the building in New York. We could have always had more of that. We were working with some constraints there, in terms of the technical limitations at the time," Aykroyd recalled.Turns out that didn't matter. In spite of competition from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (which released two weeks prior) and Gremlins (which released the same day), Ghostbusters ran the charts seven straight weeks, with a haul of $225 million in 1984 dollars. Theatrical re-releases further ballooned that tally. And the film's legacy is undeniable.1980s pop culture was already on fire by the time of Ghostbusters. Imagine coming so soon after The Blues Brothers, two Star Wars sequels, Rambo: First Blood, and the advent of Indiana Jones. "I think that, at that time, we were all in our, either late 20s, or our early 30s," said Aykroyd. "Everybody was firing on all 16 cylinders. You had Eddie [Murphy], you had [John] Landis, you had myself, you had the writers, you had the studio behind us. It was a great fit of gung-ho time for movie-making... There wasn't a process of going through hundreds of rewrites, and hundreds of executive committees. Decisions got made fast, and great pictures got made."Ghostbusters' 35th anniversary 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray SteelBook edition, which includes both original films and never-before-seen bonus footage, is out now.Info from Gamespot.com

E3 2019 is packed with announcements for the coming year and beyond. Many of the biggest games won't be released until late summer or the fall at the earliest, and this year many more were slated for 2020. But if you're watching from home, you can still try some new games yourself before the week is out--and possibly even right now.In recent years, many publishers have been leaning into the fan spectacle of E3 by preparing at least a few of their surprise announcements to go live during the week, or even during their press conference. From games you hadn't heard about before to ones that are surprisingly closer than you realized, here are all the games, DLC, and big free updates you can play during the games industry's biggest week.Assassin's Creed Odyssey Creator Mode (Free, Now Available)An update to the massive open world game Assassin's Creed Odyssey makes it even bigger. A new Creator Mode application is available for PC, letting you create dialogue trees and mission objectives with a tool-set similar to the one the developers at Ubisoft used. Though the tools are only available through a PC app, the actual missions can be accessed on any platform.Borderlands 2 DLC (Free, Now Available)Though it had leaked beforehand, the announcement of free DLC for Borderlands 2 was still a treat at the Microsoft conference. Commander Lilith & The Fight for Sanctuary tells one more story in the Borderlands 2 world, setting the stage for Borderlands 3. And as it so happens, it's compatible with The Handsome Collection, which is included this month on both PlayStation Plus and Game Pass.Cadence of Hyrule ($25, Releasing June 13)Nintendo is lending its iconic Legend of Zelda characters and music to Crypt of the Necrodancer developer Brace Yourself, for a rhythmic Zelda spin-off called Cadence of Hyrule. It will launch on June 13, the last day of the E3 festivities, so you can unwind with some toe-tapping combat.Contra Anniversary Collection ($20, Now Available)The Contra Anniversary Collection was stealth-released during the Nintendo Direct presentation this year. It includes several classic games in the shooter series, including NES and Arcade versions of Contra, Super C, Contra 3: The Alien Wars, Hard Corps, and more.Collection of Mana ($40, Now Available)The Seiken Densetsu series is one of the most revered in RPG canon, and this collection of classic games includes one rare gem. The Collection of Mana compilation brings together Seiken for the Game Boy--previously released in America as Final Fantasy Adventure--along with Secret of Mana and the hard-to-find Trials of Mana. Meanwhile, an HD remake of Trials of Mana is on the way next year.Fallout 76 Free Trial (Free, Now Available)Fallout 76 released last year to a largely negative reception, but Bethesda isn't giving up on the game. The studio detailed some upcoming additions to the persistent online wasteland, and invited players who may be skeptical to try it for themselves for free this week.Forza Horizon 4 Lego Speed Champions Expansion ($20, Releasing June 13)Following in the footsteps of Forza Horizon 3's Hot Wheels expansion pack, the latest in the racing series is getting toy-ified. The Lego Speed Champions expansion for Forza Horizon 4 adds a garage full of Lego cars like the McLaren Senna, Ferrari F40 Competizione, and the 1967 Mini Cooper S Rally. Plus you can compete in Lego challenges and collect hidden bonus cubes.Game Pass for PC ($10/month, Now Available)After teasing its plans, Microsoft expanded Game Pass to PC with a large swath of newly included games and a bundle that includes the console and PC services together, along with Xbox Live Gold.If you're curious, you can try out the Ultimate version of the Game Pass subscription service for just $1 for the first month.The Last Remnant Remastered ($20, Now Available)The 2008 RPG The Last Remnant makes the jump from PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 to the portable Nintendo Switch. You can play this remastered version with enhanced graphics and game engine on the go.Octopath Traveler PC ($60, Now Available)If you missed out on the classically styled RPG from Square Enix on Nintendo Switch, it has now launched on PC. Octopath Traveler follows the stories of eight separate adventurers, each with their own unique set of skills, in a beautifully rendered style that modernizes the 16-bit RPG aesthetic found in games like Final Fantasy 6.Rainbow Six Siege: Operation Phantom Sight ($30 Year 4 Pass, Now Available)A new expansion for Rainbow Six Siege called Operation Phantom Sight, which is available now for Year 4 Pass holders. It adds two new Operators and various updates. Those without a Year 4 Pass will be able to unlock the Operators starting next week, on June 18.Roller Champions Pre-Alpha (Free, Now Available)Ubisoft's foray into esports is a stylized take on roller derby. But you don't have to wait to try it out. The company made a pre-alpha version available for PC this week, ending on June 14 so you can hit the rink and try Roller Champions for yourself.State of Decay 2: Heartland ($10, Now Available)The Xbox zombie survival management sim (whew) State of Decay 2 got its biggest expansion yet this week, titled Heartland. The trailer featured a pair of survivors both searching for someone--one for her missing father, and another for a legendary operative.Info from Gamespot.com

Sony is not at E3 2019 this week. Neither is Activision. Other companies have dropped out as well. Xbox boss Phil Spencer says E3 is just not the same without Sony and Activision and he wants them back.Appearing on GameSpot sister site Giant Bomb's livestream at E3, Spencer spoke about the ongoing relevance of E3, and he suggested that the show's profile is hurt by Sony and Activision not being there. "I wish Sony was here," Spencer said. "E3 is not as good when they're not here," Spencer said about Sony and Activision dropping out of the big annual gaming show.E3 remains relevant and important to the gaming world, Spencer said. It's a time in the year when the whole world is watching gaming, and that's very important today when the industry is coming under criticism and judgment. One recent threat, Spencer said, was the World Health Organization's designation of Gaming Disorder as a recognized disease.He said E3 is an important time of year to show the world that gaming is not just kids in a basement. And without juggernauts like Sony and Activision, E3 could take a hit in terms of prominence, Spencer said.Spencer is on the board of directors at the Entertainment Software Association, the group that runs E3 every year, so he seemingly has a vested interest in seeing the show continue and flourish. Other board members include Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of Grand Theft Auto parent company Take-Two, and Bethesda owner ZeniMax's CEO Robert Altman.Explaining why it didn't come to E3 this year, Sony said it wanted to "innovate, think differently, and experiment with new ways to delight gamers."More E3 news:E3 2019's biggest newsZelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealed Info from Gamespot.com