Authorities in Sweden raided the offices of Payday 2 and Overkill's The Walking Dead developer/publisher Starbreeze today, detaining one person on insider trading charges. Multiple news outlets in Sweden reported today that the country's Economic Crime Authority conducted a surprise raid of Starbreeze's offices in Stockholm, seizing computers and other documents from the premises.ECA communications rep Niklas Ahlgren confirmed to GI.biz that the organisation conducted a raid of Starbreeze's office. "This morning officals from the Swedish Economic Crime Authority raided the offices of Starbreeze in Stockholm. One person was arrested and items were seized," Ahlgren said. "The raid is part of an ongoing investigation involving suspected insider trading."The identity of the detained person was not disclosed, nor are further specifics about the charges against this person.For its part, Starbreeze released a statement confirming that the raid took place "due to suspicions of insider charges." Starbreeze said the company as a whole is not under investigation, however. Starbreeze also said it is cooperating fully with the ECA in this matter, adding that this raid "does not affect" Starbreeze's plans to restructure its business in the wake of troubling financial times for the company.Earlier this month, Starbreeze filed for "reconstruction" with the Stockholm District Court as a means to help itself secure its future financial position, though whether or not that happens remains to be seen. During the reconstruction period, Starbreeze will continue to pay salaries to its employees, and overall, its operations will "continue as usual."As part of the reconstruction, Starbreeze CEO Bo Andersson resigned from the company, while other members of the Board of Directors also left.At the end of November, Starbreeze acknowledged that sales of its latest major game, the poorly received shooter Overkill's The Walking Dead were lower than expected. The game launched in November for PC, but its Xbox One and PS4 editions were delayed. As a result of this, Starbreeze will not be able to recognise the $10 million license fee this quarter that 505 Games is paying Starbreeze for the console edition, which it is publishing.In the wake of these financial challenges, Starbreeze announced it was launching an internal review of its business operations with the aim of reducing costs and focusing more on the core pillars of its business. Starbreeze said it's expecting to see "significant cost savings" as a result of the re-focus. However, Starbreeze shared no specifics on how it would go about cutting costs, or if this move would result in any job losses."We have initiated a review of our costs to ensure better alignment with our revenues. We are designing a program towards that end, naturally while keeping a careful eye on revenue development. We must focus on our core business and ensure delivery of the company’s important games," Starbreeze said.Developer David Goldfarb, Payday 2's former game director, responded to the news in a statement on Twitter. He called the situation a "disaster," noting that he suspects management is responsible for the tough times.All the disaster coming out of Starbreeze and the leadership that appears to be behind it: the casualties are the devs there who were just trying to make games people liked. — David Goldfarb (@locust9) December 5, 2018GameSpot's review of Overkill's The Walking Dead scored the zombie shooter a 3/10. It's getting mostly low review scores across the board."From its restrictive mission structures, unbalanced difficulty and frustrating means of progression, The Walking Dead struggles to justify the time it requires from you," Alessandro Barbosa wrote. "It's a collection gameplay blueprints stacked upon one another without thoughtful consideration on how they might cohesively work together, wrapped up in a dull presentation and mundane combat that very rarely excites. The Walking Dead is a mess of scattered ideas and a lack of direction, and there's no reason to make sense of it all."Info from Gamespot.com

Season 7 of Fortnite is upon us. The new season kicks off on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile this Thursday, December 6. Ahead of that, developer Epic Games announced that it will be taking Fortnite servers offline early in the morning at 1 AM PT / 4 AM ET / 9 AM GMT as it rolls out the big Season 7 update.Epic hasn't provided an estimate for how long Thursday's downtime will last, although previous maintenance periods have typically run a couple of hours. In any event, the new update looks like it'll be a significant one, as Epic has been teasing that some major changes are in store for the hit battle royale game.Just as it has every season, Epic will offer a new Battle Pass for purchase beginning Thursday, which gives you access to weekly challenges and can be leveled up to unlock new cosmetics and rewards. This time, Battle Pass holders will get another incentive; they'll have early access to Fortnite Creative. The new mode will be available to everyone on December 13, but those who purchase the Season 7 Battle Pass will be able to jump in beginning December 6.Beyond that, we don't yet know what awaits in Season 7, although Epic has dropped some clues. The developer has been sharing teaser images each day leading up to the start of the season, confirming some sort of snow theme for the new season. The images have also depicted characters snowboarding and ziplining, while the latest featured a biplane hidden in the background, suggesting that an aerial vehicle may be on the way.With Season 7 just around the corner, there's only a little more time to finish any remaining challenges from Season 6 and unlock the final Battle Pass rewards. You can find tips and guides for all of the season's tricker tasks in our complete Season 6 challenges roundup.Info from Gamespot.com

Ubisoft has made a big-name hire at its Quebec office, the studio that most recently led development on Assassin's Creed Odyssey. The Canadian developer has hired former EA veteran Mike Laidlaw, who worked at BioWare on the Dragon Age franchise and others.Laidlaw takes on the role of creative director at Ubisoft Quebec, but Ubisoft did not say what he'll be working on. In a blog post, Ubisoft acknowledged that Laidlaw had been consulting with Ubisoft Quebec on an "unannounced new project" for the past nine months, so it could be that Ubisoft has now brought him on full time for it.Laidlaw was the creative director of BioWare's Dragon Age franchise for eight years, most recently leading the team on 2014's Dragon Age: Inquisition. He also worked on BioWare games like Mass Effect, Jade Empire, and Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood."We are thrilled to welcome Mike into the Ubisoft Quebec family," Ubisoft Quebec managing director Patrick Klaus said in a statement. Senior producer Jeff Skalski added, "We're excited to have him onboard. He's the perfect fit for our project and I can't wait for everyone to experience the results."In his own statement published on LinkedIn, Laidlaw said his current project at Ubisoft Quebec is so compelling that it convinced him to move halfway across Canada from his former home in Edmonton to Quebec.Laidlaw left BioWare in October 2017. He went on to contribute to the Kickstarter-funded RPG Waylanders, but he's stepping back now that he's joined Ubisoft. In his place, the Waylanders team has brought on former Telltale Games writer Emily Grace Buck to take over "many of the parts" that Laidlaw was contributing to.Beyond hiring Laidlaw, Ubisoft Quebec is expanding in a major way. The studio recently opened a second office in the Saint-Roch neighbourhood, while it has also talked about its plans to hire 200 more people over time.No new Dragon Age games have been announced, but just recently, BioWare teased that it might have some news to share very soon. This week, VentureBeat reported that Dragon Age 4 will be revealed at The Game Awards on Thursday evening, so keep checking back with GameSpot for more. Info from Gamespot.com

After a long hiatus, Capcom is bringing the Devil May Cry series back to its core storyline and set of characters in serious style. Set for a worldwide release on March 8, 2019 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, Devil May Cry 5 is the next major entry in the series, bringing back a sense of style and action that the series helped popularize since its debut in 2001. With multiple playable characters, new weapons systems, and a surprising number of callbacks to previous games, DMC5 looks to be the game that many long-time fans have been waiting for.Though we're still a few months away, we're still in the dark regarding the new game and what it's setting out to do with its current outing. Ever since its first reveal back at E3 2018, there was a lot to take in, so we've broken things down to a few key points. Here's everything we know about Capcom's upcoming return to stylish-action with Devil May Cry 5.Table of Contents [hide]What Is Devil May Cry 5?When Does It Release And How Can I Catch Up?The Reveal TrailerCan I Start With This Game?What's New In DMC5?How Does Nero Play?Where Does DMC5 Fit In The Series Timeline?Is This Related to DmC: Devil May Cry?The Gamescom 2018 TrailerHow Does Dante Play?Are There Microtransactions?The TGS 2018 TrailerHow Does V Play?Is There A Special Edition?What Is Devil May Cry 5?Devil May Cry 5 is an upcoming action-adventure game. Developed by Capcom, the long-running DMC series has always been about fast, stylish action while using a variety of unique weapons. Over the last 16 years, the series has gone on to inspire a particular brand of action gameplay, where fast-paced action and challenging battles go hand-in-hand. With every game, the stakes and scope of the series has grown, and DMC5 looks to the most detailed and elaborate entry yet.DMC5 seeks to continue that tradition of stylish action by telling the next major story in the series. With three playable characters--Dante, Nero, and the newcomer V--you'll go through a main story slashing and shooting demons and other monsters. Running on the RE Engine, the same framework powering Resident Evil 7 and the Resident Evil 2 remake, the game will feature the most detailed and richly realized visuals the series has seen yet. According to the developers, DMC5 will be the biggest game in the series, and seeks to incorporate a number of new features and innovations into the core gameplay.When Does It Release And How Can I Catch Up?DMC5's release date on PC, PS4, and Xbox One is set for March 8, 2019. If you want to catch up and play the previous games, you can check out the DMC HD Collection compiling the first three games on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Also, DMC4 Special Edition is available on the same platforms and offers a revised take on the game with a total of five unique characters to play as. DmC: Definitive Edition, an update of Ninja Theory's reboot, is also an excellent entry in the series. If you're interested in checking that out, the Definitive Edition is available on PS4 and Xbox One (no PC release, unfortunately).The Reveal TrailerAfter years of rumors and speculation, Devil May Cry 5 made its debut during Microsoft's E3 2018 press conference. The trailer began with an enigmatic voice-over talking over widespread carnage and bloodshed as a result of a demonic invasion. Afterward, we finally saw the return of Nero, riding around in his mobile headquarters with a neon blue Devil May Cry logo on the side. The trailer ended with a tease of Dante riding along on an strange, demonic motorcycle--giving a familiar smirk to the viewer.Can I Start With This Game?Though this game references storylines and characters from across the 17 year history, it's totally possible to jump straight into DMC5. Just like with previous games, there will be digest material to help you get up to speed. But more importantly, the game will work as a standalone title, and won't require you to know every single character and their relationships. With that said, the game's plot will make more of an impact if you're familiar with the series.What's New In DMC5?Though many details about DMC5 are still under wraps, the game focuses on offering the same thrilling moments of action--with some added twists. In addition to new weapons and tweaks to existing characters, DMC5 will also feature a new training level called the Void mode. In this practice area, which can be pulled up in between missions, you'll be sucked into a space that allows you to experiment with the different moves and weapons you have available for the three playable characters. Pulling from Capcom's wealth of experience from fighting games, you can apply a whole set of options to your sparring partner--adjusting AI, attack damage, and other options--allowing you to get a feel for what your character can do.How Does Nero Play?Returning from DMC4, Nero is one of the main leads in DMC5. However, some things have changed since his first appearance that was quickly apparent from watching the debut trailer. For starters, his primary moveset is largely the same, using his Blue Rose revolver and Red Queen sword in tandem, which can charged up for extra damage. However, the Devil Bringer from the previous game--allowing him to yank and grapple enemies from afar--is gone, and he'll now have to rely on the new Devil Breaker system.Crafted by series newcomer Nico, who works as a shopkeeper in their mobile headquarters, you'll be able to purchase upgrades and new items from her--including new Devil Breakers. Essentially, Devil Breakers are disposable arms that offer Nero different skills and modifiers to his moveset. For instance, the Gerbera arm will allow Nero to fire off projectile lasers, the Tomboy will amplify Nero's sword and gun strength (at the cost of disabling lock-on), and the Buster Arm will function similarly to his original Devil Bringer. There is a tradeoff to having these weapons, unfortunately. The arms are extremely fragile and will break once you've taken enough damage from enemies or if you want to switch over to another weapon--destroying the equipped arm. However, there are plenty of arms scattered around the levels, allowing to find a new one fairly easily.Where Does DMC5 Fit In The Series Timeline?Devil May Cry 5 is a direct sequel to the events of DMC4, which saw Nero and Dante face off against Sanctus and the Order of Sparda. While the previous games only seldom referenced past events, opting to keep things more in the moment, DMC5 will have some direct callbacks to past games--even explaining who crafted some of Dante's iconic weapons. Interestingly enough, Devil May Cry 2 will also play into the canon despite having been largely dismissed by fans and the developers in past years. Here's the current chronological order for the series.Devil May Cry 3Devil May Cry 1Devil May Cry 4Devil May Cry 2Devil May Cry 5Is This Related to DmC: Devil May Cry?DMC5 is a continuation of the story prior to Ninja Theory's reboot. Though DmC: Devil May Cry ended at a point that hinted at a another game, the upcoming DMC title is a direct sequel to 2008's Devil May Cry 4. There are no plans to continue on with Ninja Theory's reboot.The Gamescom 2018 TrailerIn this new trailer, we got to see more of Nero in action--including his time-stopping devil breaker Ragtime--while also getting a peak at Dante's new weapons and moveset. During the debut trailer, we got a tease at Dante riding a motorcycle, which is a constant throughout the series, but this video showed that it also serves a new weapon for him, called the Cavaliere-B. The weaponized motorcycle turns into two large chainsaws, allowing him to combo back and forth into the vehicle and weapon forms.How Does Dante Play?The original devil hunter makes a comeback, and he's exactly how you remember him from previous games. With the largest arsenal of weapons, Dante will be able to swap between a variety of swords, gauntlets, and other firearms on the fly--all while taking advantage of his signature devil trigger, which greatly amplifies his core damage and restores any lost health. After defeating major bosses throughout the game, Dante will acquire a new weapon for him to take advantage of, adding another deadly tool to his set.One of the newer innovations for Dante is the option to customize specific loadouts for his weapons. In the pre-mission menu, you can pick and choose which weapons you want to bring with you in mission. If you want to come in fully armed--with up to four melee and firearms each--then you can do so. But if you're feeling more traditional and want to stick with one melee and firearm, you can do that too.Are There Microtransactions?During TGS 2018, we learned from our demo that DMC5 will feature a form of microtransactions for players to take advantage of. Using a similar method from Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition, these purchases will only allow you access to Red Orbs--DMC's currency--and they won't throw the game's balance out of whack, according to Capcom. Many of the major abilities and upgrades you can find are tied to the story, thus requiring you to earn access to them.The TGS 2018 TrailerIn the most recent trailer, we saw Dante and Nero revealing more of their respective movesets and weapons. The original devil hunter also shows off a brand-new weapon known as the Balrog. This close-range, brawler-focused weapon features two distinct fighting modes channeling punches and kicks. At the end of the trailer, we also got another tease of the elusive third playable character referred to as V.How Does V Play?So far, we don't have much information to go on regarding how V will play. However, series director Hideaki Itsuno has stated that V is very different compared to Dante and Nero. In the only firm bit of info we have, the enigmatic character is able to control demons in combat for his own ends. We'll have more information regarding how V plays in the months before the game's launch.Is There A Special Edition?Capcom plans to offer deluxe editions of Devil May Cry 5 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. The Digital Deluxe Edition (priced at $80) comes with the full game, four unique Devil Breakers for Nero--including Mega Man's mega-buster--DLC song packs, and alternate color-schemes for characters and weapons. The US will also get a special Collector's Edition ($150) that comes with the Deluxe version, an artbook, enamel pins, a bumper sticker, and special model of the Nico's motorhome. You can read more about these in our DMC5 pre-order guide.However, if you're looking for the ultimate way to experience Devil May Cry 5, then you may to check out the Japan-only Limited Edition. Cost upwards of $8600, this edition comes with the deluxe edition and a replica leather jacket modeled after Dante's threads in-game. If you're a die-hard fan that won't miss spending several thousand dollars for video-game memorabilia, then you want to invest in this edition of the game.Info from Gamespot.com

The launch of The Black Armory, Destiny 2's new DLC expansion, should have marked an exciting event for players. Instead, it proved to be a major source of frustration, and in response, Bungie has quickly made a small change to make it more accessible to everyone.As part of the Annual Pass, The Black Armory will introduce a variety of content over the coming weeks and months, including a new Raid this Friday. The first major piece of content came with Tuesday's update in the form of the first Lost Forge, a sort of Horde mode-style activity for three players. While it does address some complaints about other activities by offering matchmaking (ensuring you don't need to bring your own full group to participate), it did have another big problem: The Power level requirements were way too high.A recent Destiny 2 update raised the game's maximum Power level from 600 to 650 for all players. Those with the DLC who can take part in the new Forge activity found that due to steep requirements, they were unable to reasonably play the new mode. Instead, they were forced to grind through existing content to raise their Power level instead of playing what's new--not exactly the experience anyone was hoping for on launch day. Bungie is aware of the complaints and has taken a first step toward addressing them."Over the past day, we've been taking in your feedback," Bungie wrote on its website. "It's become clear that we made the initial Power requirements for the Lost Forges too high, keeping those sweet new rewards out of reach. Some players at 600 Power have been unable to dive in and beat the final boss without grinding for new Power first."We have just delivered a server-side update to reduce the Power requirements for all the encounters in the Lost Forges by five. We fully acknowledge that this is a small move, but it is the one that we can make today. This is not the full extent of the changes to the player experience that we are investigating, but it should give Guardians at 600 Power a better chance at completing the activity."Bungie also said it plans to further address questions of how players who are further behind can best boost their Power level and catch up to participate in the new content. "The answers to those questions are coming. We have some existing plans and some new ideas in the pipeline," it said, promising further information in its weekly blog post update on Thursday.Info from Gamespot.com

The Resident Evil movie franchise will continue with a reboot set to follow the six Milla Jovovich-starring films that together generated $1 billion at the box office. Now, it's been reported that 47 Meters Down director Johannes Roberts has come aboard to write and direct the reboot.According to Variety, which first reported the news, the Resident Evil movie reboot is a "high priority" for producer Constantin Films. That company was also behind the six Resident Evil movies that starred Jovovich and were directed or produced by her husband Paul W.S. Anderson.Those six movies featured Jovovich as Alice fighting against Umbrella Corp. and zombies. It remains to be seen what the story might be for the upcoming reboot, while details about the cast are also under wraps for now. Production on the film is expected to begin in 2019.The six Resident Evil movies so far were Resident Evil, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Resident Evil: Extinction, Resident Evil: Afterlife, Resident Evil: Retribution, and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.While Jovovich and Anderson and done with Resident Evil movies, they're now working on a film based on another Capcom property: Monster Hunter. Jovovich stars in the film alongside Ron Perlman; you can see the first image here. Info from Gamespot.com

Microsoft has big plans for its Xbox Game Pass subscription service. Speaking at an event today, Xbox boss Phil Spencer talked about how Microsoft not only wants to bring Xbox Game Pass to PC, which Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella first revealed earlier this year, but also to "every device" out there. Speaking at a Barclays conference in San Francisco, Spencer talked about how Xbox Game Pass--when it eventually comes to more platforms like mobile through streaming--will help Xbox reach billions of gamers worldwide instead of millions."When you think about reaching a customer with this content where their only compute device could be an Android phone, you think about, 'What are all the ways that person pays for content today'? So we need to make sure that we're world-class at free-to-play content, but we also look at subscription as a much lower barrier way for a customer to build a library of content," Spencer said."So we built Xbox Game Pass--it started on console, it will come to PC, and eventually it will come to every device--we use the flywheel that we have with customers on an Xbox to start the growth in Xbox Game Pass. But as somebody sitting back and taking a longer-term view of where our business is going, you should look at that as a business model that we think scales to billions of people not hundreds of millions of people like retail does."Xbox Game Pass could come to mobile through Microsoft's new game-streaming service Project xCloud. Microsoft is already testing this service internally, and Spencer mentioned that he was using the service during his recent travels. Right now, the service streams from a data center in Washington, but eventually, it will roll out in other places around the world. Spencer said Microsoft is uniquely positioned for success in streaming because it has Azure data centers around the world already, which would in theory help cut down on latency issues.Also during the Q&A, Spencer talked about how Microsoft's recent acquisition spree--it's acquired or established seven new studios in the past six months--is all about the company building a bigger network of studios to help support its efforts for Xbox Game Pass and the wider Xbox catalog.Xbox Game Pass costs $10 USD per month on Xbox One, and for that fee you can play more than 100 Xbox One and Xbox 360 games. Microsoft sweetened the deal further this year by announcing that all first-party games will launch into Xbox Game Pass, meaning subscribers this year got Forza Horizon 4, State of Decay 2, Sea of Thieves, and others at no extra cost. Next year, subscribers will get Gears 5 for nothing extra, while Halo Infinite will also eventually come to the service. While Xbox Game Pass is similar in structure to Netflix, games are downloaded, not streamed. However, Spencer is suggesting that Xbox Game Pass may eventually include support for streaming through xCloud (which is a working title), and that's an exciting prospect to think about.Xbox Game Pass already has "millions" of subscribers, so it does indeed seem to be off to a good start. According to Spencer, another benefit of Xbox Game Pass is that it introduces players to genres they might not otherwise check out. Developers theoretically stand to benefit from putting their games in Xbox Game Pass, too, as it might help bring in new players potentially years after release in a similar way to how you might check out an old show on Netflix, enjoy it, and watch more.What are your thoughts on Xbox Game Pass and subscription services for games in general? Let us know in the comments below! Info from Gamespot.com

Veteran actor Steve Buscemi's next role is that of the Christian God in the TBS show Miracle Workers, and we're now getting a first look the actor in the role. The network posted a trailer for Miracle Workers today, showing Buscemi playing a version of God who doesn't really care about people anymore. Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe plays Craig, an angel. And, well ... better to let the official show description (via Collider) explain for itself:"A comedy set in the offices of Heaven Inc. When God plans to destroy the Earth, two low-level angels must convince their boss to save humanity. They bet him they can pull off their most impossible miracle yet: help two humans fall in love."Miracle Workers was created by Simon Rich, who was a writer on Saturday Night Live before creating the FXX show Man Seeking Woman (which was based on his book The Last Girlfriend on Earth). The show also stars Karan Soni (Deadpool), Jon Bass (Baywatch), and Geraldine Viswanathan (Blockers). Miracles Workers is just the latest TBS original show. It joins others like Angie Tribeca, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, People of Earth, Wrecked, Search Party, American Dad, and Conan. Info from Gamespot.com

There will be no further additions to the Xbox One's backwards compatibility catalog until the New Year, Microsoft has confirmed. Microsoft's Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb wrote on Twitter that Xbox is pausing releases until 2019 because the team is taking some time off for the holidays. 2018 was another big year for the backwards compatibility library, as Microsoft added more than 100 titles to the catalog during the year. There are now more than 550 games in the library, of which 57 are "enhanced" for Xbox One X. In 2018, Team Xbox added over 100 new titles to Backward Compatibility, bringing the full catalog to over 550 games – 57 of which are Xbox One X Enhanced. We’re taking a break for the holidays, but stay tuned for more BC news in January. Until then, we’ll see you on Xbox Live!🎮 pic.twitter.com/rp4G5iILYt — Larry Hryb (@majornelson) December 5, 2018Microsoft historically temporarily stops releasing major new features or content to its platforms in the weeks leading up to the holidays so it can instead focus on making sure its devices like Xbox One and others are steady and reliable for the many new people coming online during the holidays. All Xbox One models are currently $50 off in the US, and that sale, along with the regular uptick in sales during the holidays, will surely mean many new Xboxes are being switched on during the holidays, so it makes sense that Microsoft would want to focus on that being a good experience.The Xbox One backwards compatibility library includes Xbox 360 and original Xbox games. New titles are added on a semi-regular basis (apart from this holiday season break), with the latest batch--Duke Nukem Forver, The Darkness, and The Bureau: XCOM Declassified--arriving this week.As always, if you own these games already, you can simply put the disc into your Xbox One and start playing. If you own them digitally you can find them in your game collection and redownload them. Check out our full list of backwards compatible games for more. Info from Gamespot.com

Below, the tough roguelike from Capybara Games, is finally--yes, really this time--coming out. The indie title for Xbox One and PC will launch on December 14, the studio confirmed today.It has been a very long road to release, as Capybara originally announced Below all the way back in 2013. In 2016, Capybara delayed the game indefinitely. Speaking to GI.biz, Capybara boss Nathan Vella said it was probably a mistake to announce Below so early."We're definitely not going to announce things too early [in future], that's for sure," he said. "That's the No.1 learning. We know a lot more about when games are ready to be discussed. In the five years since we announced, we've learned a lot and that's a big chunk of our experience."Below is a rougelike dungeon crawler where players wash ashore on a mysterious island, and the only place to go is into a cave. Then you delve deeper and deeper in the mysterious "below."You can watch the launch trailer for Below above. In addition to that, you can check out nine minutes of gameplay in the embed at the top of the page. Info from Gamespot.com

While we're still months away from Marvel's next movie, Captain Marvel, the second trailer has arrived, and yes, she's still punching old women in the face. The character has a very confusing history, which has led to a few people to question who this character is. More specifically, some are not sure why she's a woman. To the average person who isn't well-versed in comic book lore, this can all be a little confusing. Don't worry, we'll get you up to date and explain it all as quickly as possible.First are foremost, comic book continuity is confusing and full of plot holes and errors. Keeping track of what's gone down in stories for the past 80 years or so can be quite the task. However, Captain Marvel at Marvel Comics is a woman and has been for the past six years, and the character behind the mask--Carol Danvers--has been a part of the collective comic book universe for 50 years now. When Danvers took on the role of Captain Marvel, it made the character relevant again, which it hadn't been for 30 years or so.So let's talk Captain Marvel. There are three main characters using this name. The first is DC Comics' Captain Marvel--who goes by the name Shazam now. He's actually a young boy named Billy Batson who becomes a superpowered adult when he yells "Shazam." He's the DC hero in the red suit with a giant yellow lightning bolt on his chest. Zachary Levi will be playing the character on the big screen on April 5, 2019.Then, there's Marvel's first Captain Marvel, Mar-Vell. He was the captain of a Kree militia and a protector of the universe. Mar-Vell died in 1978 after inhaling poisonous gas and getting terminal cancer. He's been resurrected a few times, and still shows up every now and again but he hasn't been a heavy hitter for decades.So that leaves us with Carol Danvers, the current Captain Marvel. Throughout the years, many people of various sexes and races--both alien and human--have fought under this mantle, but Danvers was the person that made this character relevant again. If you grew up in the '90s and watched the X-Men cartoon, you know who this character is. In the realm of X-Men: The Animated Series as well as comic book canon, Rogue got her super-strength and flight by sucking the life out of Ms. Marvel, Carol Danvers. However, Danvers eventually recovered, and years later, after the Avengers vs. X-Men storyline, she took on the mantle of Captain Marvel. Her backstory is wildly confusing, as is almost every cosmic character from Marvel's silver age. However, her origin is getting a little bit of a clean up in the new movie.You can learn more about the character by checking out her history video above to see just how insane it is or wait until Captain Marvel hits theaters on March 8, 2019.Info from Gamespot.com

The new Captain Marvel trailer released last night during Monday Night Football, and it offered up a variety of details regarding the MCU's first solo female hero film. Perhaps most notably, that included what would appear to be a major change to her comic book origin story.Carol Danver's history has no shortage of complicated reboots and retcons, so the idea that she's getting yet another reboot isn't exactly surprising. Her comic book origins are complicated at best and have only recently been modified to be slightly more streamlined care of the recent The Life Of Captain Marvel mini series released this year. However, it seems the movie is going to be putting a completely new spin on things.We learn in this trailer that Carol genuinely has no memory of her life as a human on Earth--she was "found" by the Kree empire, after some sort of accident, and "saved" by a procedure that looks suspiciously like a run-of-the-mill blood transfusion which, apparently, spliced her genes with Kree DNA. The process enabled her to "live longer, stronger," which would explain how and why she'll be blasting into the present (presumably) without having aged after being summoned to Earth by Nick Fury in the present day ahead of Avengers 4, while her solo movie takes place in the 90s.The addition of amnesia is the real pivot point here. Through her various origins and comic book incarnations, Carol has never really lost sight of the fact that she was born a human--or at least, believed herself to be human. There have been some brief instances of brainwashing and some typical comic book flavored stakes involving memory loss and time travel, but nothing that would really necessitate her origin involve her not remembering Earth.This change is likely heralding a larger and more mysterious plot point, pointing back to the still as-of-yet unknown role played by Jude Law, who fans long believed to be Mar-Vell before the trailers started dropping. It's looking more and more likely that Law's character is, in fact, not Mar-Vell, but a Kree villain named Yon-Rogg who has a history rubbing elbows with some of the more dubious branches of the Kree science departments. The Kree Empire's obsession with eugenics and hybridization has long since been an undercurrent of their characterization, often culminating in aborted attempts to genetically engineer stronger and more powerful offspring to strengthen their military prowess throughout the galaxy. Add to this the confirmed role of Gemma Chan, playing Kree science officer Minn-Erva, another character with a shady, genetics-obsessed past, and it seems more and more likely that a major turning point of Carol's MCU story is going to be the revelation that her "accident" and subsequent "rescue" by the Kree was really anything but.Captain Marvel blasts into theaters everywhere on March 8, 2019.Info from Gamespot.com

Netflix has come out to confirm that the iconic TV show Friends will remain available to stream--in the United States at least--through the end of 2019. The confirmation comes after Friends fans noticed that the show's page on Netflix seemed to suggest it would leave the streaming service on January 1. Thankfully, that's not true.In a statement posted on Twitter, Netflix confirmed Friends will remain available to stream in the US through the end of 2019.The Holiday Armadillo has granted your wish: “Friends” will still be there for you in the US throughout 2019 pic.twitter.com/Yd0VqRzk3r — Netflix US (@netflix) December 3, 2018As THR reminds us, Friends is expected to leave Netflix and join rights-holder WarnerMedia's own streaming service sometime down the road. The untitled streaming platform is pegged to launch at the end of 2019.Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos told THR that Friends leaving Netflix soon was only "a rumour."Friends made its digital streaming debut when it came to Netflix on January 1, 2015. The show streams exclusively on Netflix in the US, but in Australia, it streams through Stan and not Netflix. Re-runs still air in the US on TBS and other channels.Critically acclaimed, Friends ran for 10 seasons from 1994 through 2004. Its May 2004 finale drew 52.5 million viewers in America, according to The New York Times. As of 2015, the show was bringing in $1 billion every year from syndication, with stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, and Matthew Perry making $20 million a year from that based on their 2 percent share of syndication revenue, according to USA Today.Cox told People this year that she'd love to do a Friends reboot, but it may never happen. Similarly, Anniston told InStyle that she fantasises about a Friends reboot in this new era of TV where "so many shows are being successfully rebooted." Info from Gamespot.com

Apple has unveiled its editorial selections for the best apps of the year across its various devices, including game selections on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. They include some pretty well known names, particularly in the mobile space.Apple's iPhone Game of the Year is Donut County, the wondrously weird game that riffs on the legacy of Katamari Damacy. Rather than grow an ever-larger ball of junk, though, you control a growing hole that swallows up everything around it. The iPad Game of the Year is Gorogoa, the image manipulation puzzler. On Mac, the award goes to The Gardens Between. Finally, the Apple TV Game of the Year is Alto's Odyssey.The announcement also included chart data for the most popular games of the last year. The top free iPhone and iPad game alike was Fortnite. Other top contenders on iPhone included Helix Jump, Rise Up, PUBG Mobile, and Hole.io. Many of those ranked high in the free iPad chart as well, joined by others like Roblox.The top paid game on iPhone was Heads Up!, the party game, followed by Minecraft and Plague Inc. Minecraft also ruled the roost on iPad, followed by Geometry Dash and The Game of Life. Check below for all the game charts.Top Free iPhone GamesFortniteHelix JumpRise UpPUBG MOBILEHole.ioLove BallsSnake VS BlockRules of SurvivalROBLOXDune!Subway SurfersEpisode - Choose Your StoryWord Link - Word Puzzle GameToon BlastColor Road!HQ TriviaTwisty Road!8 Ball Pool™Kick the BuddySniper 3D Assassin: Gun GamesTop Paid iPhone GamesHeads Up!MinecraftPlague Inc.Bloons TD 6Pocket BuildBloons TD 5Geometry DashThe Game of LifePapa's Freezeria To Go!Grand Theft Auto: San AndreasTrivia Crack (No Ads)Getting Over ItMonument Valley 2Alto's OdysseyTrue SkateThe Room: Old SinsTerrariaExploding Kittens®Five Nights at Freddy'sThe Escapists: Prison EscapeTop Free iPad Games FortniteROBLOXKick the BuddyLove BallsHelix JumpColor by Number Coloring Game!Bowmasters - Multiplayer GameHole.ioRise UpRules of SurvivalSubway SurfersRolling SkyPUBG MOBILEToon BlastSnake VS BlockGrannyPiano Tiles 2™slither.ioRun Sausage Run!Pixel Art - Color by NumberTop Paid iPad Games MinecraftGeometry DashThe Game of LifeThe Room: Old SinsHeads Up!Bloons TD 6Goat SimulatorFive Nights at Freddy'sLEGO® Jurassic World™TerrariaThe Escapists: Prison EscapeBloons TD 5 HDMonument Valley 2Plague Inc.Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister LocationGoat Simulator PAYDAYFive Nights at Freddy's 2Teeny Titans - Teen Titans Go!Teen Titans Go! FigureScribblenauts UnlimitedInfo from Gamespot.com

After a few teases, Niantic recently confirmed that PvP Trainer Battles are coming to Pokemon Go. Now, the developer has announced even more details about how Trainer Battles will work, who can participate, and more. We also went hands-on with a demo version of these battles, which currently don't have a firm release date--though they are set to arrive in Pokemon Go soon.Functionally, Trainer Battles work similarly to Gym or Raid Battles in Pokemon Go. They are more or less real-time and require you to tap the screen to attack, which builds up a stronger "charge attack" that you can unleash for a ton of damage. There are a few differences, however. There's no dodging; instead, before your opponent uses a charge attack, you'll have the option to use a Protect shield to block it. You have a limited number of these per battle (we had two in the demo), so timing their use properly and considering the Pokemon in play adds a bit of strategy to the simple tapping system.As previously announced, there are three "leagues" to help make Trainer Battles accessible to all levels of player. The Great league is capped at 1500 CP, the Ultra league caps at 2500, and the Master league has no CP limit. Before battling, you can set a battle party in each of the divisions. You're allowed three Pokemon per party, rather than the traditional six; Niantic representatives said that six-Pokemon battles dragged on far too long for an on-the-go game. Trainer Battles also have a current time limit of 240 seconds to avoid overlong matches. Note that while Legendary Pokemon are permitted, Ditto and Shedinja won't be allowed in Trainer Battles at launch.You can battle either in-person or remotely, though long-distance battles have more limitations. You can only battle with faraway friends you've been friends with for a while--specifically, you have to be Ultra Friends or above in Pokemon Go. In person, you can battle anyone, even if you aren't friends in the game, just by scanning a QR code in a new battle menu. You also have the option of battling one of the three NPC team leaders for practice.One of the best things about the new Trainer Battle system is that there's no reason not to do it. Both winner and loser get rewards, and each one has the same chance to get a particularly rare item: a Sinnoh Stone, which is used for evolving certain Gen 4 Pokemon. While there's no limit to the number of battles per day, you're limited to three rewards per day when battling real people and one reward per day from the NPC battles. On top of that, the game tracks wins but not losses, and you won't need any healing items post-battle like you do after Gym and Raid Battles, so there's really no downside to battling.Finally, the update will introduce the ability to unlock a second charge attack on any Pokemon using Stardust and candy, though the exact resource cost hasn't been confirmed. The second attack can be used in any type of battle, and it affords you more flexibility with a Pokemon and the type matchups it's prepared for.No release date for Pokemon Go's Trainer Battles has been announced, but a Niantic representative told GameSpot that the update "will begin to roll out to players worldwide later this month." While you wait, Niantic is bringing back six Legendaries for December's Field Research tasks, so it's a good time to stock up on strong Pokemon. Info from Gamespot.com