Xbox Live Gold subscribers can now get their first free games of 2019. That's because two of January's Games with Gold are now available on Xbox Live. Better yet, the games in question were well-received--which isn't always the case for these freebies--so you'll probably want to give them a shot if you haven't tried them yet.The Xbox One game is Celeste, a side-scrolling platformer about a young woman trying to make her way to the top of a mountain. The many obstacles in your way are challenging to overcome, but thanks to a forgiving checkpoint system, you never lose too much progress when you die. In our Celeste review, Oscar Dayus wrote, "Parts of Celeste are challenging to play--in both its gameplay difficulty and its subject matter--but it is a memorable experience worth seeing through." Celeste is free throughout the whole month of January.The new year's first free Xbox 360 game (also playable on Xbox One via backwards compatibility) is Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. This isometric action game from 2010 has you and an optional co-op partner solve environmental puzzles and defeat enemies in the Mayan jungle. It's free to download until January 15.One of December's Games with Gold, the Xbox One puzzle/platformer Never Alone, is also still available for free until January 15. Then, starting January 16, you'll be able to grab the Xbox One racing game WRC 6 FIA World Rally Championship and the Xbox 360 open-world shooter Far Cry 2.Games With Gold January 2019Xbox OneCeleste (Jan. 1-31)WRC 6 FIA World Rally Championship (Jan. 16-Feb. 15)Never Alone (Dec. 16 - Jan. 15)Xbox 360Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (Jan. 1-15)Far Cry 2 (Jan. 16-31)Info from Gamespot.com

Fortnite appears to be ringing in the new year for anyone who happens to be in the game when the ball drops. A video captured from a streamer in New Zealand--where 2019 came earlier than many other territories--shows the festivities as they occurred, and we're likely to see the same across other time zones as well.Streamer Rocky posted the video, which includes a giant spinning disco ball, some fireworks, and "2019" appearing in its own fireworks in the sky. You can actually hear the participants realize what's happening as the video goes on, and one remarks that it's "3 AM." So the event is location-based, but it may or may not happen at exactly midnight for you.In-Game @FortniteGame New Years Event! Happy New Year 2019!#Fortnite #HappyNewYears2019 pic.twitter.com/uJ0c6URRUq — Rocky (@RockyOnTwitch) December 31, 2018Fortnite has become known for hosting special in-world events that can only be witnessed if you happen to be in the game at the exact time it all goes down. Usually these are reserved for big events during seasonal transitions or when building the meta-story about what will happen next. For weeks Kevin the cube slowly lumbered toward Loot Lake, for example, but only players in-game when it touched down got to see it flop over the edge and melt.Currently Fortnite is in Season 7, offering a bevy of new cosmetics for those who complete the Battle Pass. You can check out our challenge guide for tips on how to complete the various tasks and earn your stars. Meanwhile, Epic is fending off legal challenges from the most unexpected of places: various celebrities and viral video stars suing over the use of their dances.Info from Gamespot.com

Back in 2016, when Scarlett Johansson was cast as the lead in the live-action Ghost in the Shell remake, critics balked, lamenting that such a prominent blockbuster role, which should have been performed by an Asian woman, was instead given to a white woman. It was part of a larger Hollywood trend, of Asian roles being performed by white leads, that began all the way back in the silent film era, when Mary Pickford performed as Cho-Cho-San in Madam Butterfly. Beyond that, the practice was common in theater as well.Defenders and justifiers of this practice make their argument upon "pragmatic" concerns -- a rhetorical trick that dismisses the more complex, difficult-to-solve dynamics at play. For example: "Hollywood would create a film with Asian leads," they reasoned, "if those movies made money." "The films would not even be in production," they claimed, "unless a white lead actor signed on in the first place."This argument, at its core, absolves the studios, the actors, and filmmakers of blame, and instead, places the onus upon the paying audience. But this is a self-defeating, self-serving proposition. The major Hollywood studios are at least complicit in this "whitewashing" effect; they determine what the public consumes, and they help to establish the norms. It's not worthwhile to play "chicken or the egg" over how things got this way; it is worthwhile to break a cycle that was created.And 2018 will be remembered as the year that the lie--about minority leads and their lack of bankability--got exposed. The hit, minority-helmed films of 2018 were not "niche" interest, making a killing on the awards circuit but nowhere else; they were multi-million dollar blockbusters. Black Panther, released in February 2018, grossed over $1.3 billion at the global box office. It is the highest grossing solo superhero movie, to date, and it is only behind the Avengers films for superhero films overall. That's more than PR talking; that's money talking.And in what has since become known as "Asian August," Asian-led films led the global box office in August 2018. Crazy Rich Asians, starring Constance Wu, raked in close to $240 million, while low budget indie film Searching, starring John Cho did close to $74 million against a $1 million budget. These actors are not A-List, instant-hit movie stars like Tom Cruise or George Clooney. But backed by a solid script and solid camera work, they shone on their own merits.Black Panther, Crazy Rich Asians, and Searching were all written and directed by people of color; even writer/director Spike Lee, who is normally minimized as a niche filmmaker, had his biggest hit in 12 years with BlacKKKlansman. All of this raises another key point; it is not enough to cast minorities haphazardly, in a bid for token diversity and the appearance of progressivism. Minorities need to be in control of their own stories and narratives. And audiences need to demand it, rather than accept co-option as a necessary reality to doing business.There is still work to be done. Minority filmmakers, writers, and actors are empowered and have their foot in the door, but that is all it is; it takes a sustained push over years, not a single month, to move the needle. And one day, these filmmakers should not bear the burden of being THE film that carries an entire group's hopes and expectations. Writer/director Jordan Peele had to clarify that his new horror/thriller film Us, (due out on March 15, 2019) does not make race its main issue. One looks forward to a time, hopefully sooner rather than later, that this is no longer a necessary point of clarification.Info from Gamespot.com

It's a new week, which means you can find a new set of deals on PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch games at Best Buy. Maybe you got a gift card over the holidays, maybe you're planning to return something and you'll have store credit, or maybe you're just looking to save some cash on a game. Whatever the case, here are this week's video game discounts worth checking out.You can save $40 on the PlayStation Classic mini console, bringing the price down to a much more reasonable level at $60. Select Xbox One controllers are $10 off. If you buy an Xbox One S or X, you'll get a free $50 e-gift card. If you're willing to place a pre-order, you can get additional deals if you have a free My Best Buy membership. Pre-order Kingdom Hearts 3, and you'll receive a $10 reward certificate and a free keychain. You can also get a $10 reward, along with some in-game goodies, for pre-ordering BioWare's shared-world shooter Anthem.As for games that are available now, many of the discounts are holdovers from previous weeks, but no matter: a good deal is a good deal. Battlefield V, which has only been out for a month, is half off at $30. The similarly new game Fallout 76 is down to $40, but if you'd rather explore an offline version of the wasteland, try Fallout 4 GotY Edition for $30.While you won't find any deals this week on Red Dead Redemption 2, Xbox One owners can pick up the Xbox 360 game Red Dead Redemption (playable on Xbox One via backwards compatibility) for $10. Switch owners can grab the one-two punch of America's Greatest Game Shows: Wheel of Fortune & Jeopardy for $20.You can find more of our picks below, or you can check out the full list of video game deals on Best Buy's sale page.PS4Battlefield V -- $30BioShock The Collection -- $20Borderlands: The Handsome Collection -- $15Doom VFR (PSVR) -- $15The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition -- $25The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR (PSVR) -- $30The Evil Within 2 -- $20Fallout 4 GotY Edition -- $30Fallout 76 -- $40The Golf Club 2019 -- $30Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice -- $20Just Cause 4 -- $45LA Noire -- $15NBA 2K19 -- $30Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus -- $20WWE 2K19 -- $30Xbox OneBattlefield V -- $30BioShock The Collection -- $20Borderlands: The Handsome Collection -- $15The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition -- $25The Evil Within 2 -- $20Fallout 4 GotY Edition -- $30Fallout 76 -- $40The Golf Club 2019 -- $30Just Cause 4 -- $45LA Noire -- $15NBA 2K19 -- $30Red Dead Redemption (Xbox One/360) -- $10Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus -- $20WWE 2K19 -- $30Nintendo SwitchAmerica's Greatest Game Shows: Wheel of Fortune & Jeopardy -- $20Civilization VI -- $50Fire Emblem Warriors -- $50Just Dance 2019 -- $25Hasbro Game Night -- $20LA Noire -- $20Legendary Fishing -- $20NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 -- $20NBA 2K19 -- $30Sports Party -- $20Info from Gamespot.com

Atlus has announced Persona 5 R, a new version of its acclaimed RPG. A teaser video has been released and a website for the the game has also gone live. However, neither reveal what this new version of Persona 5 will include.Instead, both the website and the teaser point to more information being revealed in March, 2019. The video begins with a PlayStation logo sting, indicating that, whatever it is, it’ll be on PS4 at the very least. The teaser is also littered with the phrase “New Projects”, suggesting there could be multiple things revealed in March.Atlus has a history of releasing second, enhanced versions of previous entries in the series, with both Persona 3 FES and Persona 4 Golden making tweaks to the original experience and adding in new content. It could be that Persona 5 R follows along the same lines.Of course, many are hoping that the game will make its way to other platforms, specifically the Nintendo Switch. Again, Atlus has released portable versions of previous Persona titles, with Persona 4 Golden coming to PlayStation Vita. Given that a PlayStation 3 version of Persona 5 exists, this could serve as a good version for the developer to adapt to the Switch.Lending some fuel to the speculation that a Switch version could be on the way is the recent announcement that Joker, the protagonist of Persona 5, will be added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a DLC fighter. This means the two companies have a working relationship, and Joker may appear on Switch in his own game too.Nintendo has said five DLC characters for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will be released by February 2020. Each of them will be newcomers to the series and characters "who you wouldn't anticipate" being included in Smash.Persona 5 originally launched in March, 2017. In her review, Lucy James awarded it a 9/10. “Within Persona 5 is a complex set of interconnected gameplay mechanics, and in almost every aspect Atlus has executed on its vision exceptionally, barring the pacing issues towards the end,“ she said.“At every turn, it presents something to marvel at, whether it's the fluid combat, vibrant world, or the many memorable characters. It's a game I could talk about for hours; I haven't mentioned the ability to connect to the Thieves Guild, which lets you see how other players spent their day or ask them for help answering questions at school. Or the thumping acid-jazz-infused soundtrack that I've not been able to get out of my head. Or even just the joy of seeing how it stylishly transitions between menus. But that encapsulates why Persona 5 is a game that shouldn't be missed. It's stuffed to bursting point with gameplay ideas and presentation flourishes--there's an overwhelming level of artistry in every part of Persona 5, making it a truly standout entry in the series. It's a refined, effortlessly stylish RPG that will be talked about for years to come.”Info from Gamespot.com

Sony released the PlayStation Classic on December 3, confirming rumors that it was working on a competitor to Nintendo's line of miniature consoles. One of the surprises was the system's $100 price tag, which is higher than Nintendo's NES and SNES Classics, which cost $60 and $80 respectively. The price isn't such a big problem this week, because many retailers currently have the PlayStation Classic marked down to $60. That's 40% off a product that released less than a month ago.PlayStation Classic is a miniature version of the original PlayStation console from 1995. It comes with 20 PS1 games loaded onto it and two full-sized controllers so you and a partner can play the games that support couch co-op. You can find the full list of the games included on the system below.Buy PlayStation Classic from B&H -- $55Buy PlayStation Classic from Amazon -- $60Buy PlayStation Classic from Best Buy -- $60Buy PlayStation Classic from GameStop -- $60Buy PlayStation Classic from Newegg -- $60Buy PlayStation Classic from Target -- $60Buy PlayStation Classic from Walmart -- $60Deals this good don't tend to last long, so if you've had your eye on a PlayStation Classic, now is a good time to grab one. Fair warning, though: in GameSpot's PlayStation Classic review, critic Peter Brown wasn't thrilled with the retro console. "The PS Classic doesn't feel like a celebration of PlayStation's formative years the way Nintendo's systems do," he wrote.Speaking of Nintendo's mini console series, if you want an NES or SNES Classic, you might want to pick it up soon, because Nintendo is about to cease production of the miniature consoles. In the meantime, you can still find them in stock at several retailers.PlayStation Classic Full Game ListBattle Arena ToshindenCool Boarders 2Destruction DerbyFinal Fantasy VIIGrand Theft AutoIntelligent QubeJumping FlashMetal Gear SolidMr DrillerOddworld: Abe’s OddyseeRaymanResident Evil Director’s CutRevelations: PersonaRidge Racer Type 4Super Puzzle Fighter II TurboSyphon FilterTekken 3Tom Clancy’s Rainbow SixTwisted MetalWild ArmsInfo from Gamespot.com

It may be hard to believe, but 2018 is nearly over. That means it won't be long before January rolls around, bringing PlayStation Plus members a new set of free PS4, PS3, and PS Vita games to add to their collection. Sony has announced January's lineup, so let's dive in and see what you'll be able to download from PSN between January 1 and February 5.PS4 owners can pick up Steep, an extreme sports game from Ubisoft that lets you ski, snowboard, and glide in a wing suit to go from a mountain's snowy peaks to its powdery base. The other PS4 game for January is Portal Knights, which takes the building component of Minecraft and constructs around it an RPG that encourages crafting and exploration.The PS3 freebies are Zone of the Enders HD Collection, which contains remastered versions of two PS2 mech combat games, and the music/rhythm game Amplitude. PS Vita owners can grab Fallen Legion: Flames of the Rebellion (also playable on PS4) and Super Mutant Alien Assault.If you're reading this in 2018, it's not too late to pick up your free PS Plus games for December. They include the racing game Onrush and the horror game Soma for PS4; Steredenn and SteinsGate for PS3; and Papers, Please and Iconoclasts for PS Vita.PS Plus members should note that, starting in March 2019, Sony will no longer give away free PS3 and PS Vita games for PS Plus members. If you subscribe to PS Plus primarily for those free titles, you'll want to turn off your subscription's auto-renewal option or cancel it then.PlayStation Plus Games For January 2019PS4SteepPortal KnightsFallen Legion: Flames of the Rebellion (also on PS Vita)PS3Zone of the Enders HD CollectionAmplitudePS VitaFallen Legion: Flames of the Rebellion (also on PS4)Super Mutant Alien AssaultInfo from Gamespot.com

Earlier this month, a quickly-deleted tweet from Netflix suggested that the acclaimed sci-fi anthology show Black Mirror would be returning to screens before the end of 2018. It turns out that the tweet was accurate, and the one-off Black Mirror "event" titled Bandersnatch hit the service on. December 28. A trailer was released a day before its launch.The trailer confirms the rumors that Bandersnatch will be set in the 1980s, and will focus on the creation of a new video game. Fionn Whitehead (Dunkirk) plays a developer who is hired by a software company to work on a game based on a novel titled Bandersnatch, whose author "went cuckoo and cut his wife's head off." It looks like a typically weird, futuristic nightmare--check the trailer out above.The episode also stars Will Poulter (Detroit), Alice Lowe (Prevenge), and Asim Chaudhry (People Just Do Nothing). There have been rumors that Bandersnatch will be an interactive "choose-your-own-adventure"-style episode, in which viewers can make certain choices to affect the direction of the story. While we are unlikely to know for sure until tomorrow, it would make sense given what we know of the plot.Season 4 of Black Mirror hit Netflix in December 2017, and in March it was confirmed that the show will return for a full fifth season in 2019. For more on Black Mirror, check out GameSpot's guide to the most WTF moments in Season 4.Info from Gamespot.com

Christmas has come and gone, which means the big shopping frenzy has drawn to an end. Thankfully, you can still get some great deals on video games if you know where to look. This week's sale at Best Buy finds discounts on a number of big games for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Let's take a look at what kind of deals area available between now and December 30.Fans of tiny retro consoles can get a killer deal on the PlayStation Classic this week. This plug-and-play system comes with two controllers and 20 games, and while it normally retails for $100, it's on sale this week for just $60, bringing it more in line with the pricing of Nintendo's Classic consoles. In other hardware news, if you buy any new Xbox One S or X, you'll get a $50 e-gift card for free.As for the games, some of the fall's biggest titles are on sale for steep discounts this week. Fallout 76 is down to $40, as is Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Both of those games are big enough to keep you playing well into 2019. Battlefield V is even cheaper this week at $30, and it's scheduled to keep getting free updates for months to come.No matter which console you have, you can save money on exclusives as well. Anyone with a PS4 can pick up Persona 5 for $30, and PSVR owners can grab the delightful platformer Astro Bot Rescue Mission for $20. Xbox One owners can get Forza Horizon 4 for $35 or State of Decay 2 for $20. Switch owners can pick up Fire Emblem Warriors for $45 or Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle for $25. And no matter which system you have, you can get Starlink: Battle for Atlas Starter Pack--which comes with a toy ship, pilot, and weapons--for $35.You'll find more of our picks below, or you can view the full list of games on sale at Best Buy this week here.PS4Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection -- $20Assassin's Creed Odyssey -- $40Astro Bot Rescue Mission (PSVR) -- $20Battlefield V -- $30Fallout 76 -- $40FIFA 19 -- $30Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise -- $50God of War Collector's Edition -- $60The Golf Club 2019 Featuring PGA Tour -- $30Grand Theft Auto V Premium Online Edition -- $30Jurassic World Evolution -- $50Just Cause 4 -- $45Madden NFL 19 -- $30NBA 2K19 -- $30NHL 19 -- $40Overcooked 2 -- $30Persona 5 -- $30PlayStation VR Worlds -- $10Star Wars Battlefront II -- $10Starlink: Battle for Atlas Starter Pack -- $35UFC 3 -- $20WWE 2K19 -- $30Xbox OneAssassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection -- $20Assassin's Creed Odyssey -- $40Battlefield V -- $30Fallout 76 -- $40FIFA 19 -- $30Forza Horizon 4 -- $35The Golf Club 2019 Featuring PGA Tour -- $30Grand Theft Auto V Premium Online Edition -- $30Jurassic World Evolution -- $50Just Cause 4 -- $45Madden NFL 19 -- $30NBA 2K19 -- $30NHL 19 -- 40Overcooked 2 -- $20PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds -- $20Star Wars Battlefront II -- $10Starlink: Battle for Atlas Starter Pack -- $35State of Decay 2 -- $20UFC 3 -- $20WWE 2K19 -- $30Nintendo SwitchDiablo III: Eternal Collection -- $50Fire Emblem Warriors -- $45Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle -- $25Namco Musem Arcade Pac -- $30NBA 2K19 -- $30Overcooked 2 -- $30Sid Meier's Civilization VI -- $50SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy -- $40Starlink: Battle for Atlas Starter Pack -- $35Sushi Striker: The Way of the Sushido -- $40Info from Gamespot.com

The gift-giving holidays are over, but retailers still need to pay the rent. To help urge you to open your wallet as one year ends and another begins, GameStop is running its Winter Sale, which sees prices dropping on all kinds of PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch games. Read on to see what's on sale between now and January 1.For starters, if you buy two pre-owned games, you'll get one free. The PlayStation Classic just released on December 3 for $100, but the plug-and-play console is already down to $60. No matter which system you have, you can grab the newest toys-to-life game on the market, Starlink: Battle for Atlas, for just $40. And if you trade in select games, you'll get $20 off any new game or pre-order.A good number of games are on sale this week, including many recent releases that are available for up to half off. Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Battlefield V, Hitman 2, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider are available for $30 each only months or weeks after release. Also, $35 gets you Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, which is quite a deal on one of the year's biggest titles.PS4 owners can grab Spider-Man for $40 or Tetris Effect for $30. If Xbox One is your preferred console, you can pick up Forza Horizon 4 for $40. Nintendo Switch owners can get Diablo III: Eternal Collection or Sid Meier's Civilization VI for $50 each. And if you missed out on Middle-earth: Shadow of War on PS4 or Xbox One, it can be yours for just $10.You'll find more of our picks below, or you can check out the full list of game discounts here.PS4Assassin's Creed Odyssey -- $30Battlefield V -- $30Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 -- $35Fallout 76 -- $40Grand Theft Auto V -- $20Hitman 2 -- $30Just Cause 4 -- $45Madden NFL 19 -- $40Middle-earth: Shadow of War -- $10Mortal Kombat XL -- $15NBA 2K19 -- $30No Man's Sky -- $10Shadow of the Tomb Raider -- $30Spider-Man -- $40Tetris Effect -- $30Xbox OneAssassin's Creed Odyssey -- $30Battlefield V -- $30Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 -- $35Fallout 76 -- $40Forza Horizon 4 -- $40Grand Theft Auto V -- $20Hitman 2 -- $30Just Cause 4 -- $45Madden NFL 19 -- $40Middle-earth: Shadow of War -- $10Mortal Kombat XL -- $15NBA 2K19 -- $30No Man's Sky -- $20Shadow of the Tomb Raider -- $30SwitchDiablo III: Eternal Collection -- $50Lego DC Super Villains -- $40Lego Harry Potter Collection -- $40Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 -- $30NBA 2K19 -- $30NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 -- $15Sid Meier's Civilization VI -- $50Info from Gamespot.com

A number of big video game sales are going on right now, including the Steam Winter Sale, PlayStation Holiday Sale, and Xbox Countdown Sale. But if you prefer getting games for free (and who doesn't?), GOG has what you're looking for. Between now and December 30, you can download the horror game Soma for PC, Mac, and Linux, totally free. While you're there, GOG probably hopes you'll check out its own winter sale, which runs through January 3.Soma is a first-person game that takes place in an underwater research lab. As often happens in these sorts of games, you find yourself alone in the facility with no recollection of how you got there or what's going on. Your job is to avoid being killed by what lurks in the shadows as you learn about the lab and make your way to safety.In GameSpot's 9/10 Soma review, Richard Wakeling wrote, "I came in expecting something similar to Amnesia, just in a terrifying new location, but what I found is an intelligent game that forced me to think and contemplate ideas as only the best sci-fi is capable of doing. It may not stir the hordes of wailing YouTubers looking for the next best haunted house, but SOMA succeeds at crafting something much more meaningful in a genre that’s deserving of more than just simple jump scares."To get your free (and DRM-free) copy, all you need to do is hop over to GOG, sign in or create an account, and click the "Claim" button. Do that, and you'll receive an email saying Soma has been added to your library. Easy peasy.That's not the only deal GOG has going right now; over 2,000 games are on sale for up to 90% off. And if you spend just $0.01 during the winter sale, you'll receive a free copy of the 1996 strategy game Fantasy General (regularly $1.50). Spend $15, and you'll get Everspace (normally $30) for free.Info from Gamespot.com

The Dawning, Destiny 2's holiday event, is nearly over, which makes this weekend your last chance to give a few holiday cookies to Xur. The special vendor who only appears from Friday to Tuesday each week also has his usual crop of products: Exotic weapons and armor. Here's everything you need to know about where to find Xur and what you can buy from him during your final Exotic shopping days of 2018.For the final weekend of December, you'll be able to find Xur on Titan in the area known as The Rig. If you still need to deliver him Strange Cookies to get all the Triumphs for the Dawning event, check out our Dawning recipe guide before you miss your chance.As usual, he's offering Exotics from the Year One collection to help you get all the best weapons and armor from before the release of Destiny 2's Forsaken expansion. This week, Xur has D.A.R.C.I., a powerful sniper rifle that gives you a whole bunch of information about enemies when you activate its "Personal Assistant" perk by aiming through the scope. When the Personal Assistant is activated, the rifle does a lot more damage and has better targeting acquisition, making it a pretty great tool both in the Crucible and against enemies throughout the solar system.Xur also carries three pieces of Exotic armor, one for each class of character. This week, Warlocks can grab the Stag helmet, which gives you additional Rift energy when you're critically injured and creates a healing Rift on your body if you die--making it a lot easier for teammates to revive you. For Hunters, Xur has the Ophidia Spathe chest piece, which gives you an extra throwing knife melee charge. Finally for Titans, there's the Ashen Wake gauntlets, which make your fusion grenades explode on contact and increase your grenade throwing speed and distance.Here are all the Exotics Xur offers this week and what they'll cost you:D.A.R.C.I. (Exotic auto rifle) -- 29 Legendary ShardsAshen Wake (Exotic Titan gauntlets) -- 23 Legendary ShardsOphidia Spathe (Exotic Hunter chest armor) -- 23 Legendary ShardsThe Stag (Exotic Warlock helmet) -- 23 Legendary ShardsYou can also buy a Fated Engram, if you can afford it. Dropping 97 Legendary Shards on the item will grant you one Year One Exotic you don't already have for that character. You can also snag a Five of Swords challenge card for free, which allows you to add difficulty modifiers that increase your score in Nightfall runs.These are the last few days of the Dawning, so don't forget to knock out your Triumphs and unlock the Dawning Cheer sparrow. There's also Iron Banner this week, a great place to get Powerful gear while you drive your characters up to the new 650 Power level cap. And last week saw the release of the Izanami Forge, the third of four new forges as part of the Black Armory expansion. Info from Gamespot.com

It's a good time to be a movie exhibitor. In 2018, movie theater revenue broke records, thanks in large part of massive event films like Black Panther and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Because of those major tent pole titles, along with many others, it's expected that the year will end with theaters bringing in $11.8 billion domestically--besting the former record of $11.4 billion in 2016. However, while the films themselves are a hugely important driver of the current boom, there's something else that deserves at least some of the credit: MoviePass.The MoviePass subscription service relaunched in late 2017, allowing customers to see one movie a day, 365 days a year, all for only $9.99 per month. Chances are anyone who's been to a movie theater knows just how insane that is. After all, in many US cities, you'd be hard pressed to see one movie for 10 bucks, let alone a year's worth. Still, those behind MoviePass--which originally came onto the market in 2011 at a higher price and much less fanfare--believed profit would come because of the data they'd be collecting, which could be used in targeted marketing.Right from the beginning, it sounded too good to be true and, as we found out throughout 2018, it truly was. The implosion of the service was a sight to behold. In the meantime, though, the company managed to change the way we, the viewing audience, go to the movies. Suddenly, you didn't have to be picky about what you were going to see because you were going to pay the same price regardless.In many ways, it's similar to what services like the Xbox Games Pass or GameFly does for those who want to experience a wider array of video games without dropping $60 every time they want to try something new. MoviePass allowed people to go outside of their movie comfort zone and try new things at the theater. And, for a period of time, it also allowed them to watch a film more than once.Of course, the flame out that followed was nothing short of catastrophic. Between a shortage of cash and badly handled customer relations, MoviePass went through a series of rule and price changes, leaving many wondering exactly what they had signed up for. Then certain movies didn't have tickets available and the service stopped working at some theaters, while tickets to specific films started adding a surcharge, making users pay more. When the company announced that it would curate which movies its customers could see, it also became increasingly difficult for users to cancel their subscription.It's at this point that many users realized just how bad the MoviePass experiment had gone. And it wasn't just them.. A number of shareholders filed a class action lawsuit against the company, while a member of the board of directors criticized the company's management in his resignation letter.In the end, the service quickly became something of a pop cultural joke and faded into the background to regroup and come up with a way to exist without going even further into debt. In that time, though, other companies saw what MoviePass was doing and figured out their own way of doing things. Because, while MoviePass' time in the sun may have been brief, a movie theater subscription service is a great idea. After all, that's why even MoviePass is still trying to make a go of it, though it no longer offers the plan giving customers a movie ticket each day.And while it may never again attain the heights it briefly held in 2018, at the very least MoviePass will be remembered for revolutionizing the way we see movies. Now let's just hope the others that rose up during its free fall--AMC Stubs A-List and Sinemia, for example--don't suffer the same fateInfo from Gamespot.com

Between now and January 10, you don't have to spend any money to get one of the best platformers of the decade. The Epic Games Store is giving away free copies of Super Meat Boy to anyone with an account. And if you don't have an account, signing up is free. All you have to do is sign in, claim the game, and you're good to go. The only catch is that you'll need to use the Epic Games Launcher to play it.Super Meat Boy is an ultra-challenging side-scrolling platformer that stars an anthropomorphic slab of meat. Your job is to navigate the fragile hero through dozens of stages that are filled with obstacles like saw blades, shards of glass, and piles of deadly salt. It's a tough game, but the levels are mostly short, and you respawn instantly.In GameSpot's 9.5/10 Super Meat Boy review, Tom McShae wrote, "It's impossible to point to just one element that makes Super Meat Boy such an extraordinary game. From the intense-though-always-fair difficulty and the inspired level design, to the pinpoint controls and catchy soundtrack, all of the different aspects converge into something that is truly outstanding."The Epic Games Store launched earlier this month, offering a small selection of games initially, with a promise to increase the selection over time. The company also said it will hand out a PC game for free every two weeks throughout 2019, giving potential customers a reason to keep coming back. The first freebie was Subnautica, but that's now been replaced by Super Meat Boy. Epic has yet to announce what game will be free when Super Meat Boy goes back to regular price on January 10. Info from Gamespot.com

Sony released the PlayStation Classic on December 3, confirming rumors that it was working on a competitor to Nintendo's line of miniature consoles. One of the surprises was the system's $100 price tag, which is higher than Nintendo's NES and SNES Classics, which cost $60 and $80 respectively. The price isn't such a big problem this week, because many retailers currently have the PlayStation Classic marked down to $60. That's 40% off a product that released less than a month ago.PlayStation Classic is a miniature version of the original PlayStation console from 1995. It comes with 20 PS1 games loaded onto it and two full-sized controllers so you and a partner can play the games that support couch co-op. You can find the full list of the games included on the system below.Buy PlayStation Classic from B&H -- $55Buy PlayStation Classic from Amazon -- $60Buy PlayStation Classic from Best Buy -- $60Buy PlayStation Classic from GameStop -- $60Buy PlayStation Classic from Newegg -- $60Buy PlayStation Classic from Target -- $60Buy PlayStation Classic from Walmart -- $60Deals this good don't tend to last long, so if you've had your eye on a PlayStation Classic, now is a good time to grab one. Fair warning, though: in GameSpot's PlayStation Classic review, critic Peter Brown wasn't thrilled with the retro console. "The PS Classic doesn't feel like a celebration of PlayStation's formative years the way Nintendo's systems do," he wrote.Speaking of Nintendo's mini console series, if you want an NES or SNES Classic, you might want to pick it up soon, because Nintendo is about to cease production of the miniature consoles. In the meantime, you can still find them in stock at several retailers.PlayStation Classic Full Game ListBattle Arena ToshindenCool Boarders 2Destruction DerbyFinal Fantasy VIIGrand Theft AutoIntelligent QubeJumping FlashMetal Gear SolidMr DrillerOddworld: Abe’s OddyseeRaymanResident Evil Director’s CutRevelations: PersonaRidge Racer Type 4Super Puzzle Fighter II TurboSyphon FilterTekken 3Tom Clancy’s Rainbow SixTwisted MetalWild ArmsInfo from Gamespot.com