Google is taking its first significant step into gaming with Stadia, its ambitious new cloud platform. Like Microsoft's xCloud, Stadia will offer players the ability to stream video games across a variety of devices, along with a host of other innovations such as state sharing. And while there are still many questions lingering around the platform, one thing we now know is that it won't offer offline downloads.GameSpot got a chance to speak with Google VP Phil Harrison at the Game Developers Conference. We asked Harrison if Google will ever consider giving players the option to download content from Stadia and enjoy it offline, as services such as Spotify and Netflix do. "No, not technically possible," Harrison replied. "It would be a compromise of our vision if we were to do that."This ties into Google's previous confirmation that it won't release its own set-top box to run Stadia; rather, all of the games available on the platform will be streamed from the company's data centers, and they'll be playable across across desktops, smartphones, laptops, tablets, and TVs--the latter through a Chromecast Ultra HDMI streamer. Google will, however, release a dedicated Stadia controller that features unique buttons to capture/share gameplay and access Google Assistant.Only a handful of games have been confirmed for Stadia thus far, among them Doom Eternal and Assassin's Creed Odyssey, which was the game Google used to test the platform last year under the Project Stream moniker. Google also announced it is forming its own first-party studio led by Jade Raymond to develop games exclusively for the platform.Google Stadia is slated to launch later this year. It will initially be available in the US, Canada, the UK, and "most of" Europe. Google says it will share additional details about the platform and its launch lineup this summer. You can read more about how cloud gaming works and check out all of the Google gaming news from GDC.Info from Gamespot.com

Google's new video game platform, Stadia, is completely digital and requires a constant, reliable internet connection to function. One of the issues people immediately bring up with streaming technology is latency--or lag. Everyone who has experienced lag in some capacity knows how frustrating it can be. Will lag be an issue with Stadia?Stadia boss Phil Harrison says he is "absolutely, unequivocally" sure that latency won't be an issue. "We believe that it's not just for when the service starts; actually we've demonstrated it today," Harrison told us from San Francisco at the Game Developers Conference where Stadia was announced.Harrison--who formerly held executive-level positions at Sony and Microsoft--added that it was no accident that Google used Doom Eternal to highlight Stadia."Having a studio with the very, very high threshold of quality and functionality from id; having id on our stage was very purposeful because the way [producer Marty Stratton] tells the story is spot on," he said. "They were skeptical when we first started talking to them. they were skeptical that a streaming platform could support the level of quality and responsiveness that they needed to deliver on their game experience. What they have delivered with Doom Eternal absolutely demonstrates that."Harrison went on to say that Google has been able to achieve a low-latency platform because of the investments its made into the infrastructure supporting Stadia."It's because of the investments that we are making in the hardware and the fundamental networking fabric in the compression and encoder and the way we transport the bits from our data center to your home," he said. "There's probably 100 innovations there that each mean that we can deliver that quality of experience."Also in the interview, Harrison pointed out that Stadia streams faster than the human body can process the information."We get the data, the video, from our data center to your eyeball quicker than your eyeball to brain to nervous system to finger," he said. "The human operating system is the slowest part of the [Stadia] operating system. Some humans are slower than others."As with any internet-connected service, your experience will depend on the quality of your connection so mileage may vary between users. Harrison added Stadia will offer a bandwidth test service that informs them of the performance characteristics of their network, while he said Google will help players optimise the internet quality of their homes in a number of ways, including simply moving a router closer to the device.Given that streaming a video game will be highly data-intensive, some people are also concerned about data caps and limits imposed by Internet service providers. Harrison said ISPs have a history of adapting their models to support new services. As an example, he said when music streaming became popular, ISPs increased bandwidth limits, and the same thing happened with the rise of YouTube and Netflix. Bandwidth limits are expected to continue to rise over time, Harrison said. That may be true, but it remains to be seen if ISPs will continue to charge extra for such increases.Stadia launches later this year, but there are still many unanswered questions about it. One of the biggest ones is price. Harrison also told us that Google has the pricing sorted out, but it's saving that reveal for a future point in time. Google will talk more about Stadia this summer, and one possible forum for further announcements is E3.Is Google Stadia What The Next-Gen Of Gaming Will Look Like?Google Stadia: Hands-on Impressions With New Game-Streaming Service From GDC 2019Info from Gamespot.com

Google's announcement of Stadia is a big step towards the future of cloud gaming. The service allows players to stream video games via the cloud across a variety of different devices. Google is still keeping a lot of details about Stadia close to the chest, but during GDC 2019, the company's VP Phil Harrison sat down with GameSpot to further delve into the service.During the interview, we asked Harrison about Stadia's pricing model. We didn't get too many details, but Harrison did reveal that a pricing model for Sadia already exists. It's just being revealed at a later date. In an interview with Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, Guillemot predicted Stadia would launch with a "multitude" of pricing models. "Either you buy full price and you play; or you will be able to also register, possibly, to play either one hour or two hours a day. There will be plenty of ways," he said.Harrison was able to talk about the process behind deciding the specific model for Stadia, though. "[It was a lot] of very deep conversations with our developer and publisher partners over many many months, and years in some cases. A lot of deep consumer research. We have had a fantastic user research team as a core part of the Stadia team for two years now. And so, we have our point of view, we then test various hypotheses with consumers and publishing partners, and then get to the right result."During the interview, Harrison did confirm that Stadia would not support offline downloads. When asked if Google would consider adding the option down the line, Harrison said it was "not technically possible." He further clarified that adding offline downloads to Stadia "would be a compromise of our vision."During the Google GDC keynote, the company announced that Stadia is scheduled to launch in 2019 in the US, Canada, UK, and "most of" Europe. More details, such as which games are coming to the service, will be revealed at a later time. For now, we know both Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Doom Eternal are confirmed for the service. If you happened to miss the keynote, we've compiled every bit of Google gaming news.If you're still confused about how cloud gaming works, be sure to read our in-depth explanation. We've also outlined the top companies investing in cloud gaming tech.Info from Gamespot.com

Google's Stadia is a service that allows players to stream video games via the cloud across a variety of different devices. With most of the finer details about Stadia still under wraps, we sat down with Google VP Phil Harrison at GDC 2019 to further dive into the service.During the interview, we asked about game exclusives on Stadia. "It was a conversation that I had with Google leadership before I joined the company." Harrison said. "[My] point of view was in order to really deliver on the promise of this platform, we had to build our own games. We had to build our own experiences, and that was a very fundamental, strategic direction that we needed to move in."He continued, "I understand that [for a gamer] the word 'exclusive' can sometimes be a challenging terminology. [I would] rather we moved the narrative towards [games] that are built specifically for a data center. And if those games also show up on other streaming platforms, that's okay, because what that means is that the developers are starting to innovate and think about the future and [build] a 21st century game, rather than a 20th century game."Harrison further clarified that any game that Google makes will "obviously only" be on Stadia. At GDC 2019, Google revealed it has a new first-party studio that's being led by Jade Raymond, a former head at both Ubisoft and EA. The new studio hasn't announced any specific games or projects it's working on yet.We also asked Harrison about Sadia's pricing model. Apparently, one already exists, but Harrison said Google just isn't ready to talk about it yet. Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot predicts Stadia will launch with a "multitude" of pricing models. "Either you buy full price and you play; or you will be able to also register, possibly, to play either one hour or two hours a day. There will be plenty of ways," he said.Harrison did confirm that Stadia will never support offline downloads. It's just "not technically possible," he told GameSpot. "It would be a compromise of our vision if we were to do that."During its GDC 2019 keynote presentation, Google announced Stadia will release within 2019, and come to the US, Canada, UK, and "most of" Europe. The only games confirmed for the service as of this time are Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Doom Eternal.We have more information on how cloud gaming works, and have outlined the top companies investing in gaming's possible cloud-based future.Info from Gamespot.com

The massively popular battle royale game Fortnite continues to grow. Epic Games announced at GDC 2019 this week that the title has now reached 250 million registered players, which is up from 200 million in December.In terms of people actually playing the game, Epic also revealed that Fortnite reached a new concurrent player record of 10.8 million. That's up slightly from February when 10.7 million people logged on at the same time during the Marshmello in-game concert.While Fortnite is one of the most popular games in recent history, it may still be behind Minecraft on one metric. Microsoft's sandbox game reportedly has 91 million monthly players, which is ahead of Fortnite's 78.3 million. However, these figures haven't been updated in some time, so it remains to seen if anything has changed.Remarking on Fortnite's massive success, Epic boss Tim Sweeney told Engadget, "It's a real game. It's a shooter. It's worldwide. It's the first shooter with a huge female population. Somebody estimated it at roughly 35 percent, which is unprecedented--why isn't it 50?--but it's unprecedented for anything like this. It's because it brings together players in a social experience."In other Fortnite-related news, Epic announced at GDC that it's created a $100 million fund for developers that was made possible thanks to the success of Fortnite. What's more, Epic announced that Quantic Dream's PlayStation-exclusive titles including Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls, and Detroit: Become Human are coming to the Epic Games Store this year.Info from Gamespot.com

The Xbox Game Pass catalog continues to grow in March and April. Microsoft today announced six more games headed to the library today, including some very big names.Arriving on March 21 are the action role-playing game Deus Ex: Mankind Divided and the adventure game What Remains of Edith Finch, while Telltale's The Walking Dead: Michonne hits Xbox Game Pass on March 28. Also out that day is the action RPG Vampyr, while dungeon-crawler Operencia: The Stolen Sun lands on March 29.On April 1, the fighting game Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite hits Xbox Game Pass. After that, Microsoft's sandbox game Minecraft comes to the platform on April 4.If you're not among the millions of Xbox Game Pass subscribers already, you can sign up and get the first month for only $1. After that, it's $10 USD/month.Xbox Game Pass Upcoming Titles:March 21 - Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, What Remains of Edith FinchMarch 28 -- The Walking Dead: Michonne, VampyrMarch 29 - Operencia: The Stolen SunApril 1 - Marvel vs. Capcom InfiniteApril 4 - MinecraftInfo from Gamespot.com

Disney has finally, officially closed its $71 billion deal to buy the majority of Fox's entertainment assets. As part of the acquisition, Disney is expected to cut "thousands" of jobs as it eliminates duplicate jobs as part of the massive the restructuring, according to multiple reports.Disney CEO Robert Iger sent a memo to staff regarding the Fox deal, and in it he acknowledged that tough times lie ahead. CNBC obtained the memo."I wish I could tell you that the hardest part is behind us; that closing the deal was the finish line, rather than just the next milestone," he said. "What lies ahead is the challenging work of uniting our businesses to create a dynamic, global entertainment company with the content, the platforms, and the reach to deliver industry-defining experiences that will engage consumers around the world for generations to come."Iger went on to say that the "integration process" will affect some business units more than others. "We've made many critical decisions already, but some areas still require further evaluation. We may not have answers to all of your questions at this moment, but we understand how vital information is, and we're committed to moving as quickly as possible to provide clarity regarding how your role may be impacted," Iger said his note to employees.Iger said he has a "deep appreciation" for how an acquisition like Disney's impacts people involved both personally and professionally. "I ask for your continued patience in the days to come as we combine this collection of great assets to create the world's premier entertainment company," he said.As part of Disney's acquisition of Fox, the House of Mouse gets franchises like Deadpool, X-Men, The Simpsons, Family Guy, and numerous others, as well as a series of TV networks and film studios. Indeed, it is one of the biggest mergers in the history of the entertainment business.As of September 30, The Walt Disney Company reportedly had more than 201,000 employees, and this was before the Fox deal closed.Fox will live on in a limited capacity, with a new company--Fox Corporation--operating units such as the Fox News Channel, Fox Sports, and other TV networks. Info from Gamespot.com

Marvel Studios has released what looks like the official plot synopsis for Avengers: Endgame. It doesn't contain any spoilers or surprises if you've seen Infinity War. Instead, it focuses on hyping up a dramatic conclusion to a story that's been 22 films in the making.The synopsis comes from Marvel's official website, which people recently discovered was updated to include the following description for Endgame:"The grave course of events set in motion by Thanos that wiped out half the universe and fractured the Avengers ranks compels the remaining Avengers to take one final stand in Marvel Studios' grand conclusion to twenty-two films, Avengers: Endgame.The 22 films reference to the all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films released since 2008, beginning with Iron Man. Endgame is the 22nd film in the series.Avengers: Infinity War ended in dramatic fashion, with the evil Thanos snapping away half of the galaxy's population. Lots of people died, including superheroes that fans have come to know and love. In Endgame, the remaining members of the Avengers have apparently devised a plan to make things right--though it remains to be seen if the beloved fallen heroes will be resurrected by some means.Many fans believe "the snap" may be undone in Endgame, given that many of the characters who perished have future movies in the pipeline. According to writer Christopher Markus, the deaths from Infinity War are "real," at least in some fashion."It is a different movie than you think it is," Markus said about Endgame. "We broke your heart. Now we're going to blow your mind."Endgame hits theatres on April 26. It'll be the second Marvel movie in as many months, following the box office smash Captain Marvel in March. Captain Marvel actress Brie Larson returns to play the character again in Endgame, and she can be seen in the newest Endgame trailer that's embedded above.Info from Gamespot.com

You know what's good? A nice freebie. Luckily, you can get a pretty cool freebie today if you're a Spotify Premium for Family subscriber in the UK.If you are, you can claim a free Google Home Mini. The offer works for both new subscribers and existing ones, but only until stocks last, so be quick. Also note that standard Spotify Premium members do not qualify for the deal--you must be a Premium for Family subscriber, which is an extra £5 per month and allows you to add up to five family members onto your plan. Claim your device here.Spotify ran this promotion in the US last year, but has now decided to bring it to the UK. Google Home Mini launched in 2018 as Google's answer to Amazon's Echo Dot. They typically sell for £49 at retail, so getting one at no extra cost with a monthly £15 Spotify Premium for Family subscription is not too shabby.GameSpot sister site Cnet said Google's miniature device "stands tall as one of the best affordable smart speakers out there, along with the Amazon Echo Dot, but it doesn't do enough to supplant the Dot at the top of the list." Read more in Cnet's 8.4/10 Google Home Mini review.Info from Gamespot.com

Google has formally announced its plans for a video game streaming platform called Stadia, offering games on demand streamed through the cloud. Stadia is planned for launch this year and allows you to stream games across a variety of devices with very little friction.The platform aims to bring together playing, spectating, and developing games onto a single platform. As an example, you could view Assassin's Creed Odyssey on YouTube and then begin playing it through streaming in "as little as five seconds." Things like game updates and patches and system requirements are effectively a non-issue, because the game is running on Google's servers, rather than your local device.Google VP Phil Harrison promised the technology will work across desktops, laptops, TV, tablets, and phones. In a demonstration, the same demo was seen working across a Chromebook, smartphone, tablet, and TV, the latter through a Chromecast Ultra HDMI streamer. At launch it will stream in 4K at 60 FPS with surround sound and HDR support, and in the future Google is planning to support 8K resolution and frame-rates upwards of 120 FPS. Harrison also promised that the platform will embrace cross-platform play.You'll be able to use existing controllers on laptops and PCs, and Google will offer its own Stadia controller. The Google Stadia controller links to whichever device you're playing on, and it sports a dedicated Google Assistant button for referencing walkthrough videos if you get stuck.Google also announced it has partnered with Unreal and Unity for development, along with middleware developers like Havok. Id Software's Marty Stratton took the stage to announce that Doom Eternal will be coming to Stadia. Google also announced it is starting its own studio called Stadia Games and Entertainment, to be headed up by former Ubisoft and EA studio head Jade Raymond, which will create exclusives for the platform.The presentation outlined a few key features. "State Share" will let you create moments for friends or viewers to pick up from your own state in a game. "Crowd Play" will let viewers of a stream join a queue to join in the multiplayer game themselves. Both will need to be enabled by developers.Google first hinted at an interest in game streaming last year, when it partnered with Ubisoft for Project Stream. The service allowed testers to play Assassin's Creed Odyssey to completion through its Chrome browser. Since then the rumors of "Project Yeti" only intensified.For more on cloud gaming, check out how cloud gaming works and the companies investing heavily in cloud technologies. Or check out all of the Google gaming news from today's event.Info from Gamespot.com

The first trailer for Toy Story 4 is here. The latest movie in the long-running animated Pixar series hits theaters in June and sees Woody, Buzz, and the gang in another highly anticipated adventure. A few amusing early teasers were released in December, but this new trailer finally gives us an idea of what to expect from the new movie.It reveals that the new character of Forky that was teased last year--literally a fork with pipe-cleaner arms--will be one of the main characters. He's the favorite toy of Woody and co's new owner Bonnie, but he's less than pleased about being turned into a plaything. Forky goes on the run with Woody in tow, and the pair end up encountering another old friend--Bo Beep. Meanwhile, the rest of the gang set off to get their pals back. It looks every bit as funny, exciting, moving, and spectacularly animated as the previous movies in this classic series. Check it out above.Toy Story 4 sees all the main cast return, including Tom Hanks (as Woody), Tim Allen (Buzz), Annie Potts (Bo Peep), Joan Cusack (Jessie), Blake Clark (Slinky Dog), Wallace Shawn (Rex), and John Ratzenberger (Hamm), plus Arrested Development's Tony Hale as Forky. It hits theaters on June 21, 2019.The movie is directed by Josh Cooley, who previously co-wrote Inside Out for Pixar, and Jonas Rivera. It was originally announced back in 2014 with a 2017 release date, but delays caused the film to switch release slots with The Incredibles 2. In addition, former Disney Animation head John Lasseter was set to direct, but sexual harassment allegations against him resulted in him stepping away and ultimately leaving the company.In a recent interview, Hanks spoke about what fans can expect from the movie. "Toy Story 4 is going to have an impactful ending," he revealed. "The way you record Toy Story; you're in a room with the team that has created it. When I went in for my last day of recording, I wanted to have my back to them, because usually you're facing them so you can look right up and you can talk about it. But I didn't want to see them and I wanted to pretend they couldn't see me. When I realized what they were going for, I realized, 'Oh, this is a moment in history.'" Info from Gamespot.com

Every month, Netflix reveals what is new to its service for the upcoming month, and there are plenty of new offerings to get excited about. However, plenty of movies and TV series leave the service each month as well. And in April, Netflix loses its best animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars.On April 7, the Star Wars: The Clones Wars movie, all five seasons of the animated series, and the home release of The Lost Missions all leave Netflix. While many folks look down on the Star Wars prequels, everyone can agree that the Clone Wars animated movie and series are the best things to come out of that era in Star Wars lore. For those who are unfamiliar, the series follows Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi during the aforementioned Clone Wars, taking place between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. While the show is leaving Netflix, it is headed to Disney's streaming service, alongside new episodes, by the end of this year.And there are plenty of new options for you to check out in April--after you've watch Clone Wars one more time. On April 1, Netflix is dropping plenty of movies, including Freddy vs. Jason, Pineapple Express, and the classic sci-fi movie The Fifth Element. Additionally, the classic Japanese character Ultraman gets a Netflix original animated series.There are two big original series to keep your eye on for the rest of the month. On April 5, Sabrina the teenage witch returns for Part 2 of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. This time around, she'll be exploring her darker side, all while trying to keep her non-witch friends in her life.Additionally, much like Black Mirror's Bandersnatch, Netflix has a new "choose your own adventure" show coming on April 10. The show is called You vs. Wild, and it is hosted by TV personality Bear Grylls. The viewer watches Grylls try to survive in some of the world's harshest environments, and their decisions could help him. If there isn't an option at some point for Grylls to ingest his own urine, then this show missed the boat.Below you'll find the complete list of everything coming and going for Netflix in April, and make sure to check out the lists for Amazon Prime Video and Hulu as well.What's Coming To Netflix In AprilAvail. in AprilChambers -- NETFLIX ORIGINALAvail. 4/1/19ULTRAMAN -- NETFLIX ANIMEAcross The LineAll the President's MenBonnie and Clyde (1967)DeliveranceDivine Secrets of the Ya-Ya SisterhoodEvolutionFreddy vs. JasonFriday the 13th (2009)I Am LegendLakeview TerraceMonster HouseObsessedPenelopePineapple ExpressPokémon the Series: Sun & Moon: S2P.S. I Love YouSnatchSpy KidsTexas Chainsaw Massacre 3DThe Bone CollectorThe Fifth ElementThe Golden CompassThe Sisterhood of the Traveling PantsThe Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2ValkyrieAvail. 4/2/19Kevin Hart: Irresponsible -- NETFLIX ORIGINALAvail. 4/3/19Suzzanna: Buried Alive -- NETFLIX FILMAvail. 4/5/19Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: Part 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINALIn The ShadowsLegacies: Season 1Our Planet -- NETFLIX ORIGINALPersona: Collection -- NETFLIX ORIGINALRoman Empire: Caligula: The Mad Emperor -- NETFLIX ORIGINALSpirit Riding Free: Season 8-- NETFLIX ORIGINALTijuana -- NETFLIX ORIGINALUnicorn Store -- NETFLIX FILMAvail. 4/9/19Trolls: The Beat Goes On!: Season 6 -- NETFLIX ORIGINALAvail. 4/10/19New Girl: Season 7You vs. Wild -- NETFLIX ORIGINALAvail. 4/11/19Black Summer -- NETFLIX ORIGINALAvail. 4/12/19A Land Imagined -- NETFLIX FILMBand AidHuge in France -- NETFLIX ORIGINALMighty Little Bheem -- NETFLIX ORIGINALThe Perfect Date -- NETFLIX FILMThe Silence -- NETFLIX FILMSpecial -- NETFLIX ORIGINALWho Would You Take to a Deserted Island? -- NETFLIX FILMAvail. 4/15/19Luis Miguel - The Series: Season 1No Good Nick -- NETFLIX ORIGINALThe New RomanticAvail. 4/16/19Super Monsters Furever Friends -- NETFLIX ORIGINALAvail. 4/18/19My First First Love -- NETFLIX ORIGINALAvail. 4/19/19A Fortunate Man -- NETFLIX FILMBrené Brown: The Call to Courage -- NETFLIX ORIGINALCuckoo: Season 5 -- NETFLIX ORIGINALI, Daniel BlakeMusic Teacher -- NETFLIX FILMRilakkuma and Kaoru -- NETFLIX ANIMESamantha!: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINALSomeone Great -- NETFLIX FILMAvail. 4/20/19Grass is Greener -- NETFLIX ORIGINALAvail. 4/22/19Pinky Malinky: Part 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINALSelection Day - New Episodes-- NETFLIX ORIGINALAvail. 4/23/19I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson -- NETFLIX ORIGINALAvail. 4/24/19Bonding -- NETFLIX ORIGINALAvail. 4/25/19The Hateful Eight: Extended VersionThe Ugly TruthAvail. 4/26/19The Protector: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINALReMastered: Devil at the Crossroads -- NETFLIX ORIGINALShe-Ra and the Princesses of Power: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINALStreet Food -- NETFLIX ORIGINALThe SapphiresYankee -- NETFLIX ORIGINALAvail. 4/27/19American HoneyAvail. 4/28/19Señora Acero: Season 5Avail. 4/29/19BurningThe Imitation GameAvail. 4/30/19Anthony Jeselnik: Fire in the Maternity Ward -- NETFLIX ORIGINALBaki: Part 2 -- NETFLIX ANIMEIngress: The Animation -- NETFLIX ANIMEWhat's Leaving Netflix In AprilLeaving 4/1/19American PieBilly MadisonBlue Mountain State: Seasons 1-3Casino RoyaleDiamonds Are ForeverDie Another DayDon't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the HoodGoldfingerHappy FeetHappy GilmoreHeatI Love You, ManL.A. ConfidentialLive and Let DieLuther: Series 1-4OctopussyPokémon: XY: Seasons 1-2SevenSex and the City: The MovieThe Living DaylightsThe Man with the Golden GunThe Spy Who Loved MeThe World Is Not EnoughWallander: Series 1-4You Only Live TwiceLeaving 4/4/19RawLeaving 4/7/19Star Wars: The Clone WarsStar Wars: The Clone Wars: Seasons 1-5Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Lost MissionsLeaving 4/13/19Video Game High School: Seasons 1-3Leaving 4/18/19Silver Linings PlaybookInfo from Gamespot.com

Anthem's launch had its share of issues, from crash bugs to weapon balance bugs and more. Now BioWare general manager Casey Hudson has conceded to the launch issues while also recommitting to long-term support.In a post-launch update on the BioWare Blog, Hudson says it was a "rougher launch than expected," and says that the studio was "ready for the possibility that unexpected issues might arise." In a broader sense, he said that the degree of the problems didn't become apparent until the scale of players had increased, and that the studio shares in the community's disappointment at these issues."It makes me sad to hear about any issues that would hold someone back from fully enjoying the game," Hudson said. "I take that very personally, and it’s been our top priority to get improvements out to you in the fastest, safest way."He then transitioned to plans for the future, explaining that improvements are coming to endgame loot, game flow, and stability. This is in addition to adding more world events and story content, as outlined in its roadmap."But we understand there is skepticism out there," he continued. "We hear the criticisms and doubts. But we’ll keep going anyway, working hard every day on Anthem – an ever-changing world, constantly improving and growing, and supported well into the future by our team of passionate developers."Anthem's rocky launch has included crashing PS4 consoles that forced Sony to issue refunds, an update inadvertently broke the game, and mediocre reviews. At one point a bug made Legendary and Masterwork items more common, and BioWare irked players by fixing it. The studio later issued a patch that adjusted drop rates more intentionally.Info from Gamespot.com

Angry Birds developer Rovio has announced a new game in its popular bird-flinging franchise. Angry Birds AR: Isle of Pigs, the series' first-ever step into augmented reality, is coming exclusively to iOS devices in late spring, with pre-orders opening in the App Store today, March 19.Like other Angry Birds games, the object of Isle of Pigs is to slingshot your small flock of birds at increasingly complex block towers, toppling them over and crushing the pigs lurking within. The game is divided up into four themed worlds and is "initially launching with at least 40 levels," according to Rovio, suggesting more may be on the way.Where Isle of Pigs differs from most other Angry Birds games is that it reinterprets the series' gameplay in a 3D space. Using Apple's ARKit technology, the game overlays the levels onto your surroundings, making them appear as though they were in the real-world. You still drag your finger on the screen to draw the slingshot back and fire your birds, but like the series' VR spin-off, you'll be doing so from a first-person perspective rather than a side-on view.The AR tech also allows you to get a 360-degree view of each level. You can maneuver your iPhone or iPad around to better angle your shots, and many levels feature explosive blocks and other items hidden around the back, encouraging you to play around with the angle in order to clear the stages in as few shots as possible.Angry Birds AR: Isle of Pigs will be free to download when it launches, with optional in-app purchases. The game will be compatible with any iOS device that supports ARKit, meaning it can run on iPhone 6 and newer models, as well as fifth- and sixth-generation iPads and all iPad Pro devices.Info from Gamespot.com

With the end of Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe on the horizon, Marvel Studios come up with a very fitting name for the group of films that stretch from Iron Man to Avengers: Endgame. The new moniker is also another sign that there are some big changes coming to the film series shortly.As revealed in Empire Magazine (via IGN), the first 22 films in the MCU will become known as The Infinity Saga. Explaining the decision, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said, "We wanted to bring to a conclusion a series of movies in a way that had never been done before. Harry Potter had an ending because there were only so many books. Lord of the Rings too. But we thought, 22 movies in, wouldn't it be fun to bring some finality to the storyline."The word finality is a scary one where this particular saga is concerned. After Thanos (Josh Brolin) snapped half of the universe out of existence in Avengers: Infinity War, it seemed only logical that by the time Endgame's credits rolled, some members of the MCU would be dead for good. At this point no, there's no telling who it is--though one major theory posits that it's Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) that will bite the dust once and for all.Whatever happens in Endgame, though, it will be the end of the Infinity Saga. Whether that means it's the end of Infinity Stones in the MCU is a question that will be answered in time. Though we have some thoughts on what the future of the MCU will look like. Until then, get ready for Avengers: Endgame's April 26 release by checking out our latest trailer breakdown and deep dive into the character Kate Bishop and whether she'll appear in the movie.Info from Gamespot.com