CES 2019 kicks off January 8, bringing all kinds of new products and prototypes to Las Vegas for one of the biggest tech industry conferences of the year. With 4,500 tech companies in attendance, the show is a great way to get a sense of how the technology of all sorts of industries is developing, from transportation to computer hardware, virtual reality, and more. CES is a showcase for things you can expect to buy in 2019, as well as pie-in-the-sky ideas that may or may not ever be a reality, but are always interesting.We're slowly seeing information leak out about what to expect at CES this year, but a lot of what will appear at the show is still speculation--undoubtedly, it'll be a place of continuing trends while spawning some whole new ones. One thing's for sure: CES will offer a look at how we use technology in the year to come, and beyond. Here's what we think will be on offer in Las Vegas during 2019's Consumer Electronics Show.Streaming Games And More Powerful PCsGoogle might have started something with the introduction of Project Stream, its beta program that allows players to stream Assassin's Creed Odyssey to their computers rather than purchase and download the game. We've seen streaming services before (remember OnLive?) but internet technology has advanced quite a bit since then, and Google's attempt at the service seems pretty solid. Microsoft also announced a game-streaming service, xCloud, last year, and with the greater and greater push in the gaming industry toward games as a service, it wouldn't be surprising to see some companies show off the possibilities of streaming games in the future.Meanwhile, the biggest push in PC gaming at CES is likely to be on the graphics side. We're expecting news from both Nvidia and AMD about upcoming graphics chips, and the rumor around the internet is that Nvidia is preparing to announce its RTX cards for laptops. And hardware makers such as Alienware, Asus, and Razer are sure to have new gaming products to show off at the show, including new computers, headphones, keyboards, mice, and lots of other peripherals.Smarter TVs, More PixelsWe know already that LG plans to show off some new 8K TVs (including an 88-incher), which also sport new AI integration that's supposed to make them better at upscaling content and mixing sound, so your old DVDs and standard definition TV shows will look crisper and sound better. It sounds like 8K will be the trend at CES this year--even if there isn't much in the way of content that can support those screens--so be on the lookout for even more huge, high-res TVs from lots of different TV makers. There's also some speculation that foldable and rollable displays that have popped up in previous shows might make a splash at CES this year, as well. With that tech and 8K resolutions unlikely to get wide adoption from many consumers just yet, though, there will probably be a lot of different ways TV makers are trying to set their products apart from one another, like voice and virtual assistant integration, so expect lots of smaller additions and improvements.New VR OfferingsHTC took to Twitter with a cryptic image that will likely make a lot more sense during CES. The photo suggests the company has more virtual reality offerings coming to join its Vive room-scale headset and cheaper, standalone Vive Focus headset. It could be that HTC wants to compete a little more closely with Oculus' recent release of the standalone Oculus Go headset, which makes VR a little more affordable at $199, but sacrifices the more robust features of PC-based VR. We wouldn't be surprised if there are several new products in the VR arena, like new versions of Valve's knuckle controllers for the Vive, as companies try to keep up the hype of the technology and make it more accessible to more consumers, without draining their wallets.More Things At Which To Yell "Hey Alexa!"If you're the kind of person who likes yelling at their appliances, good news: it's very likely we'll be seeing virtual assistants like Siri, Cortana, and Alexa integrated into a whole lot more products at CES this year. Amazon will have a big presence at the show, as will Google, and both are vying to get their AI assistants in new products to help make smart homes, appliances, TVs, and more even, uh...smarter. There are tens of thousands of devices with integrated virtual assistants at this point, and CES is likely to show off quite a few new ones--whether you want to be able to talk to your headphones, your refrigerator, or your hair dryer, or not.The Reign Of 5GThe next big thing in mobile networks, 5G, is supposed to come to fruition in 2019. The thing that makes the tech so appealing is its super-fast speeds of 10 gigabytes per second. While the networks that allow such capabilities won't be ready to go until 2020, we're still expecting plenty of companies to be touting the amazing possibilities of the 5G future. Wireless carriers Verizon and AT&T are both set to give keynotes at CES, where we'll probably see the companies touting what the speeds will be capable of delivering. Expect a lot of other companies, like smartphone makers and hardware developers, discussing 5G's capabilities as well.All Kinds Of Transportation TechCES will see Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao deliver a keynote this year, focusing on self-driving cars and drones. Finding a way to create safer cars that drive themselves is a big push between the technology and automotive industries, and we're likely to see new takes on a lot of different tech that's necessary to make self-driving cars an everyday reality. That's to say nothing of the further integration of various technologies to make riding in the car more entertaining, even when you're stuck driving one.We'll have plenty of coverage of all the most interesting tech out of Las Vegas, so stay tuned to our CES 2019 hub for all the latest.Info from Gamespot.com

Actor Patrick Wilson turned plenty of heads with his over-the-top performance as Orm, the self-proclaimed Ocean Master, opposite Jason Momoa's Arthur Curry in the DCEU's buckwild superhero adventure movie, Aquaman--and he's ready to come back for more, if he ever gets the chance. While Aquaman 2 is unconfirmed at the moment, the movie's box office success and favorable reviews seem to be leaning in a positive direction, meaning Wilson might just get the chance to don the extravagant silver mask again in a redemption arc.In speaking with GameSpot, Wilson laughed, "I don't really know anything--I mean, I know some things, but I'll speak as a fan. When you look at that scene before the Ring of Fire, when he says 'go home, Arthur,' you see a guy that honestly loves his brother and wishes he didn't have to do this. Then at the end you see with his mother, you see the payoff and you see a guy, a son, that is broken and beaten but not out. I think the question is, can you trust him? But I certainly think he's got some good things to do."Wilson continued, highlighting that the appeal of Orm's character isn't really in his capacity for evil, but his motivation to save his people by any means necessary. "With Orm, we learn from what the character says and what the people say about the character. You hear about him. You hear about his leadership. How he is this angry half-brother. How he rules Atlantis. How Atlantis is in trouble and then you meet him and then you see that really he's just violently upset at the way the surface world has polluted his ocean," he explained. "And knowing that, immediately you care, is what I think. That's the fun thing for an audience to walk in there and at times, it doesn't matter if you like or dislike these people. You care and you wanna see them work it out. You don't need to know anything other than what you learn. He's an angry guy with a distraught family and resentful and jealous of his half-breed brother who's Aquaman. He's an evil warrior but he's really just trying to save his oceans."A redemptive turn for the Ocean Master isn't entirely out of the realm of possibility, according to the comic book source material. Like most characters in the Aquaman pantheon, Orm's published history is riddled with retcons and changes, both major and minor. At his first introduction, he was actually a full-blooded human before being modified to being half-Atlantean, and then finally a full-blooded Atlantean warlord. He's been proficient in magic with the ability to modify reality, which he's used to proclaim himself Aquaman on at least one occasion, and he and Arthur have buried the hatchet more than once. In fact, in recent comics, Orm has actually shown total disgust at the moniker "Ocean Master" and a distrust for Atlanteans trying to overthrow the throne.Naturally, the DCEU isn't beholden to any published version of Orm's character as future films are planned, and the generally positive note things ended on as Atlanna reclaimed the throne leaves plenty of room for potential reconciliation between the entire Curry family--even if Orm might be a bit difficult to trust in the future.However, as we saw in the post-credits stinger, it looks like any subsequent Aqua-films will actually take their focus off the inner workings of Atlantean politics and take a dive into the bad blood between Aquaman and Black Manta. This, of course, could possibly clear the way for an Arthur and Orm team-up, especially given Orm's relationship to Manta and all the drama that could be stirred up between them.Look, in a movie where Julie Andrews voices a giant kaiju, it's safe to say that stranger things have happened and, while a heroic Ocean Master may be a stretch for some die-hard fans, it's far from out of the realm of possibility.Info from Gamespot.com

The annual Game Developers Choice Awards will be returning for another year this March. Ahead of the show, organizers have now revealed the list of this year's nominees in each category, with Red Dead Redemption 2 leading the way in total nominations.Rockstar's critically acclaimed open-world western is up for seven awards, including Best Audio, Best Design, and Game of the Year. The title is certainly no stranger to accolades; it took home four awards during The Game Awards this past December, and it was selected as GameSpot's overall Game of the Year for 2018.Not far behind are two of PS4's biggest exclusives of 2018: God of War and Marvel's Spider-Man, each of which has earned six nominations. Indie hits Celeste and Return of the Obra Dinn are also each up for multiple awards, including Game of the Year. You can take a look at the full list of nominees and honorable mentions in each category below.In addition to the video game awards, this year's show will present two developers with the Pioneer and Lifetime Achievement awards. The recipient of the former will be announced at a later date, while the latter will be awarded to industry veteran Amy Hennig, who has worked on Naughty Dog's Uncharted series as a writer and director.The Game Developers Choice Awards are scheduled to take place on Wednesday, March 20, at 6:30 PM PT. The event will be held at the San Francisco Moscone Center during this year's Game Developers Conference, with Double Fine founder Tim Schafer set to return as the host. If you can't attend in person, you'll be able to watch the awards show on Twitch and other as-yet unannounced platforms.In addition to the GDC Awards, the winners of the 2019 Independent Games Festival are slated to be announced on March 20. The nominees for this year's awards were recently announced and include the aforementioned Return of the Obra Dinn, as well as the "voyeur simulator" Do Not Feed the Monkeys, the beautiful Alto's Odyssey, and others.Best AudioCeleste (Matt Makes Games)Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)God of War (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment)Marvel's Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)Tetris Effect (Monstars and Resonair / Enhance)Honorable MentionsBeat Saber (Beat Games)Wandersong (Greg Lobanov / Humble Bundle)Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope / 3909)Battlefield V (EA DICE / Electronic Arts)Forza Horizon 4 (Playground Games and Turn 10 Studios / Microsoft Studios)Best DebutPolyarc (Moss)Mountains (Florence)Nomada Studio (Gris)Villa Gorilla (Yoku's Island Express)Sabotage (The Messenger)Honorable MentionsBeat Games (Beat Saber)Digital Sun (Moonlighter)Two Point Studios (Two Point Hospital)Okomotive (Far: Lone Sails)Best DesignMarvel's Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)Celeste (Matt Makes Games)Into the Breach (Subset Games)Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)God of War (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment)Honorable MentionsFrostpunk (11 bit studios)Minit (Kitty Calis, Jan Willem Nijman, Jukio Kallio & Dominik Johann / Devolver Digital)Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope / 3909)Astro Bot Rescue Mission (SIE Japan Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment)Monster Hunter: World (Capcom)Best Mobile GameAlto's Odyssey (Snowman)Florence (Mountains / Annapurna Interactive)Reigns: Game of Thrones (Nerial / Devolver Digital)Holedown (Grapefrukt Games)Donut County (Ben Esposito / Annapurna Interactive)Honorable MentionsFuristas Cat Cafe (Runaway)The Room: Old Sins (Fireproof Studios)Pocket Run Pool (Zach Gage)Alphabear 2 (Spry Fox)Twinfold (Kenny Sun)Innovation AwardRed Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)Florence (Mountains / Annapurna Interactive)Nintendo Labo (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)Tetris Effect (Monstars and Resonair / Enhance)Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope / 3909)Honorable MentionsMinit (Kitty Calis, Jan Willem Nijman, Jukio Kallio & Dominik Johann / Devolver Digital)Celeste (Matt Makes Games)God of War (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment)Astro Bot Rescue Mission (SIE Japan Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment)Moss (Polyarc)A Way Out (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts)Best NarrativeFlorence (Mountains/Annapurna Interactive)God of War (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment)Marvel's Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope / 3909)Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)Honorable MentionsAssassin's Creed Odyssey (Ubisoft Quebec / Ubisoft)Detroit: Become Human (Quantic Dream / Sony Interactive Entertainment)Celeste (Matt Makes Games)Life is Strange 2 (Dontnod Entertainment / Square Enix)Where the Water Tastes Like Wine (Dim Bulb Games and Serenity Forge / Good Shepherd Entertainment)Best TechnologyMarvel's Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)Assassin's Creed Odyssey (Ubisoft Quebec / Ubisoft)Forza Horizon 4 (Playground Games and Turn 10 Studios / Microsoft Studios)God of War (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment)Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)Honorable MentionsSea of Thieves (Rare / Microsoft Studios)Far Cry 5 (Ubisoft Montreal and Ubisoft Toronto / Ubisoft)Battlefield V (EA DICE / Electronic Arts)Detroit: Become Human (Quantic Dream / Sony Interactive Entertainment)Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope / 3909)Best Visual ArtGris (Nomada Studio / Devolver Digital)Marvel's Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)God of War (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment)Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope / 3909)Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)Honorable MentionsBattlefield V (EA DICE / Electronic Arts)Tetris Effect (Monstars and Resonair / Enhance)Dragon Ball FighterZ (Arc System Works / Bandai Namco Entertainment)Assassin's Creed Odyssey (Ubisoft Quebec / Ubisoft)Below (Capybara Games)Best VR/AR GameBudget Cuts (Neat Corporation)Beat Saber (Beat Games)Tetris Effect (Monstars and Resonair / Enhance)Moss (Polyarc)Astro Bot Rescue Mission (SIE Japan Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment)Honorable MentionsJurassic World Alive (Ludia)In Death (Sólfar Studios)Tendar (Tender Claws)Firewall Zero Hour (First Contact Entertainment / Sony Interactive Entertainment)Deracine (FromSoftware / Sony Interactive Entertainment)Game of the YearRed Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope / 3909)Marvel's Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)Celeste (Matt Makes Games)God of War (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment)Honorable MentionsTetris Effect (Monstars and Resonair / Enhance)Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Bandai Namco Studios & Sora / Nintendo)Into the Breach (Subset Games)Assassin's Creed Odyssey (Ubisoft Quebec / Ubisoft)Florence (Mountains / Annapurna Interactive)Monster Hunter: World (Capcom)Info from Gamespot.com

Note: This post contains tons of spoilers for Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, so if you haven't watched it, read on at your own risk.One of the earliest choices in Bandersnatch is a bit of a trap. The feature-length Black Mirror episode is also a choose-your-own-adventure story, and this early choice works to teach viewers unfamiliar with the concept of branching narratives about how the concept works. It's effectively an immediate game over that results in restarting the story, but the dead-end branch early in Bandersnatch also hints at one of the interactive episode's most interesting underlying ideas.The choice is only the third that viewers come across, when Stefan (Fionn Whitehead) first arrives at Tuckersoft and is offered a chance to work with the company, and his game developer idol Colin Ritman (Will Poulter). Stefan has been working on an intricate game called Bandersnatch that's all about making choices and following various branching paths. When the Tuckersoft guys offer Stefan the chance to work with them, viewers can either choose for Stefan to throw in with the company or continue working on the game alone.It seems likely that most people would choose to join the company, which is, seemingly, Stefan's dream and an ideal outcome. The trouble is, choosing to work in the Tuckersoft offices puts Stefan at the whim of Mohan Thacker (Asim Chaudhry), whose biggest concerns are getting the game out on time and on budget. Stefan finishes the game but it's compromised, thin, and far from his original vision.It's by far the least painful of the endings for Stefan, which get much more tragic from here, but a useful teacher for viewers--as Stefan watches a TV show that reviews video games and hears about all the weaknesses of his game, he tells his dad (Craig Parkinson) that he's going to "try again." Stefan storms out of the room, and a second later, reawakens in his bed at the start of the film, preparing again for his initial visit to Tuckersoft.What's interesting about Bandersnatch is the way the film builds its interactivity into the narrative. It's not just that you go back to key moments in the narrative and pick different choices to see how things will play out differently; there's something deeper at work in the story, and some of the characters become aware that they've been forced down multiple different paths. As that first dead-end path suggests, Stefan is aware of his ability to go back in his story and attempt a different outcome--essentially, to time travel. What he knows and when he knows it is hard to track, though.A later conversation between Stefan and Colin lays out some version of what's underlying Bandersnatch: multiple, parallel realities. Colin basically likens the world to Stefan's game, where all choices are available, and in other timelines, Stefan can try those choices and bring them to their conclusions. What's important isn't the individual timelines, according to Colin, but how they influence each other, and over the course of Bandersnatch we see Stefan seemingly being influenced more and more by those failed timelines and our choices in creating them.How Stefan accesses these alternate universes is never really clear, but they do give him some limited ability to time travel, and seemingly to take at least some knowledge and familiarity with those other timelines with him. Whenever Stefan fails to achieve his optimal path, he finds himself resetting to that first day when he heads to Tuckersoft. Again, it's not clear how much Stefan knows or remembers--but since we the viewers are making his key decisions and we can remember what happened, we're able to help him navigate toward better outcomes.Like a lot of time travel stories, though, for Stefan, time travel almost always makes things worse. Every time he hits a story dead end and restarts, the changes tend to escalate the horribleness of his life as he tries to complete Bandersnatch. One path results in him killing his father; another choice after that finds Colin arriving at Stefan's home as he's trying to hide the body, which can lead Stefan to kill Colin. In fact, there are a lot of endings that result in Stefan engaging in some kind of carnage.And for all the timelines Stefan accesses, there's one powerful regret he can never take back. That's the death of his mother, who was killed in a train derailment after she was delayed by a five-year-old Stefan looking for a toy his father had hidden from him. Stefan blames his dad for his mom's death, as well as himself, and that event informs just about everything about him throughout the story. Tellingly, a flashback lets the viewer visit the moments before Stefan's mother's death, where we're prompted to stop looking for the toy and go with her, or stay and search for it. It's the only choice in Bandersnatch with only one option, because no matter how much Stefan wants to change it, he can't.Looked at as a whole, it can be kind of tough to track the throughline of what Bandersnatch is getting at. There's a whole divergent storyline in which Stefan comes to believe he's being monitored and controlled by a government conspiracy; another has him plagued by the supernatural demon from Bandersnatch. Still another reveals to him that he's actually controlled by Netflix viewers, which takes him to a couple of weird moments in which he has an action movie fist fight with his therapist and dad, or a fourth wall-breaking interaction with the Bandersnatch film crew.Looked at as a time travel story, though, things become a little clearer. Though the story plays with ideas of choice, ceding free will to technology, and searching for escapism in digital media, as a time travel story, its primary focus is on obsessing over past mistakes that can't be changed. Stefan is unable to get over his mother's death or to stop blaming his father and himself for what happened, and that inability is ruining his life. His obsession with trying to change that event only makes things worse.There are plenty of time travel stories that deal with those same ideas, often ending on the tragic note of the main character finally succumbing to their obsession. In Bandersnatch, the ultimate conclusion doesn't come from Stefan fixing the past--it comes from him tragically accepting that he never will. What feels like the ultimate conclusion of the story is when, after listening to Colin, Stefan discovers that he can use a mirror to travel back to the death of his mother.With the right choices, Stefan can travel back in time, locate the toy, and place it where he lost it, which allows five-year-old Stefan to find it and change the past. But that doesn't mean Stefan saves his mom and fixes his life, as one might expect in a more traditional time travel story. Finding the toy doesn't allow Stefan's mother to leave earlier and avoid the train derailment. But replaying the moment gives the viewer a new choice: to let Stefan go with her. He spends his final moments with his mother on the doomed train, dying with her instead of lose her.After all those resets, different paths, and alternate choices, what seems like the culmination of Bandersnatch--which is itself a bit speculative since the story can be replayed over and over--is Stefan coming to terms with his trauma over his mother's death. Stefan might be able to try different choices, but he can't fix anything through time travel and venturing through different realities. The only thing he can ultimately change is himself. Or rather, Stefan realizes that he never will.The attraction of the idea of time travel is in how we might alter our own lives with the benefit of hindsight, but like most of its sci-fi concepts, Black Mirror uses it for a downbeat look at the ways we try to escape the things that harm us. Bandersnatch's point is that the benefit of escapism, whether it's obsessing about how to fix our mistakes or getting lost in alternate worlds, isn't in the escape from reality, but what we learn about ourselves before returning to it. Info from Gamespot.com

2018 was a big year for streamer Ninja, whose real name is Tyler Blevins. While he was already an established name in the gaming world having competed as a professional Halo player for years, Ninja entered a new stratosphere of success in 2018 following his record-breaking Fortnite stream with rapper Drake.He's ridden that wave and prospered financially. He told CNN in an interview that he made nearly $10 million in 2018. He told the site that 70 percent of his revenue came from Twitch and YouTube, through ads and subscriptions, with the remainder coming from his sponsorship deals with companies like Samsung, Uber Eats, and Red Bull.The $10 million figure cited in the CNN piece is likely pre-tax, so more than likely he did not take home that much at the end of the day. Still, it's an eye-watering figure.In March, Ninja said he was making around $500,000 every month from his various revenue sources.Ninja told CNN that he spends around 12 hours each day streaming, and in 2018, he estimates he played around 4,000 hours of Fortnite; that's about 140 days.He's enjoyed success among mainstream audiences this year through his appearance on Jimmy Fallon's late night TV show and as a cover star of ESPN the Magazine.Ninja said he thinks Fortnite still has lots of room to grow, but in the event that Fortnite loses steam, the streamer is diversifying through efforts like a Ninja-branded clothing line.2018 wasn't a blemish-free year for Ninja, as he stirred controversy when he told Polygon that he wouldn't stream games with women to avoid dating rumours. Info from Gamespot.com

Following the cancellation of the PlayStation Vita and Wii U versions of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, the game's Mac and Linux versions have now been canned as well. For those counting at home, that's now four versions of the game that have been canceled (the Wii U edition was canceled in favour of Nintendo Switch version).In a update posted on the game's Kickstarter page, developer Koji Igarashi said the studio made the "tough decision" to cancel the Mac and Linux editions "due to challenges of supporting middleware and online feature support and making sure we deliver on the rest of the scope for the game."People who backed the game looking for a Mac or Linux version will be given the opportunity to change platforms; you can send an email to request a platform change; be sure to submit the request with the email address association with your pledge."We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience and we hope for your understanding," the developer said.It's unclear if refunds will be available or if the only option is to switch platforms.Also in the blog post, Igarashi said development on Ritual of the Night has "reached its peak," which sounds like it's nearly finished."We are currently checking the performance of Bloodstained on each platform. Overall, we are done with enemy placement and entering the adjustment phase. But there are still many progression-blocking bugs that must be taken care of," he said.Igarashi worked at Konami for a long time, and there he worked on games like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Ritual of the Night is said to be a spiritual successor to that game.Ritual of the Night is due out sometime in 2019 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC. The game raised more than $5.5 million from its crowdfunding campaign back in 2015.Info from Gamespot.com

Lego: The Lord of the Rings and Lego: The Hobbit have been removed from a number of digital storefronts on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation. You can no longer buy the games digitally, and their removal could be tied to the expiration of a licensing deal.Lego: The Lord of the Rings (2012) and Lego: The Hobbit (2014) seemingly require numerous licenses, from the films, Lego toys, and other rights-holders, so it's not a total surprise to see them leave digital stores. Other Lord of the Rings games, like Middle-earth: Shadow of War, remain available to buy, however.Reddit user SuperMoonky, who first reported the removal of the games, reckons the Lego games might have been removed because they feature dialogue and music that came straight from the movies, while Shadow of War does not do this.In other Lord of the Rings news, a new, online-focused Lord of the Rings game is in the works, but basically nothing is known about it at this stage.Outside of games, Amazon is producing a very expensive Lord of the Rings TV show that is set long before the events of the movies. Additionally, a movie about author J.R.R. Tolkien and his wife Edith Bratt is in the works with Nicholas Hoult and Lily Collins.Info from Gamespot.com

The UK's best-selling physical video games of 2018 have been revealed, with the usual suspects leading the charts. FIFA 19 came out on top, selling just under 1.9m units.Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption 2 was the second-biggest seller, shifting 1.75m copies, while Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 found its way into 1.2m UK homes, placing it at No.3. Sales monitor GfK Chart-Track says the PS4 exclusive Spider-Man--which finished at No.4 in the overall chart--sold more copies than any other exclusive game in 2018. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (No.5), God of War (No.8), and Forza Horizon 4 (No.9) were the other exclusive games to sell well.Overall, video games now generate more revenue than any other entertainment medium in the UK. The games market has more than doubled in value since 2007, with a large portion of that growth coming from digital sources such as DLC and microtransactions. Digital sales make up over 80% of the UK games market."The games industry has been incredibly effective in taking advantage of the potential of digital technology to offer new and compelling forms of entertainment, said CEO of the Entertainment Retailers Association, Kim Bayley. "Despite being the youngest of our three sectors, it is now by far the biggest."Take a look at the top 20 biggest-selling boxed games of 2018 below. Note this table does not include digital sales data, and so should not be considered representative of all UK game sales.PositionTitleCompanyPhysical Unit Sales1FIFA 19Electronic Arts1,889,4012Red Dead Redemption 2Take 21,757,2123Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4Activision Blizzard1,172,8554Marvel's Spider-ManSony Computer Ent.676,6215Mario Kart 8 DeluxeNintendo458,6756Far Cry 5Ubisoft434,1337Crash Bandicoot N. Sane TrilogyActivision Blizzard430,5518God Of WarSony Computer Ent.399,3959Forza Horizon 4Microsoft392,96010FIFA 18Electronic Arts351,78811Grand Theft Auto VTake 2339,80512Spyro Reignited TrilogyActivision Blizzard333,72513Battlefield VElectronic Arts313,10014Assassin's Creed OdysseyUbisoft305,93715Super Smash Bros. UltimateNintendo284,15516Super Mario OdysseyNintendo240,71017Call Of Duty: WWIIActivision Blizzard230,57618Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu!Nintendo227,76719Shadow Of The Tomb RaiderSquare Enix / Microsoft226,12520Fallout 76Bethesda Softworks218,534Info from Gamespot.com

Fortnite fans will no doubt want to start 2019 off on the right foot by securing themselves a healthy helping of Battle Stars, and it just so happens that there's another batch of challenges now available for them to complete. We're in Week 5 of Season 7 now, so you should know how this goes, but if you're new to it all here's a quick breakdown.Challenges come in two varieties, with the first free to everyone playing Fortnite's battle royale mode, and the second available exclusively to those that spend V-Bucks to get a premium Battle Pass. By completing challenges you are rewarded with Battle Stars, which in turn upgrade your Battle Pass and make cosmetic unlocks available. If you've got a premium pass, you get the option of doing more challenges and thus can earn more Battle Stars and get new unlocks faster.In the free category, Week 5's challenges involve dealing damage to an opponent's structures, eliminating an enemy player from a specific distance, and completing a multi-stage challenge that begins with dancing on top of a water tower.For those with a premium Battle Pass, you'll need to search a location that can be found between a giant rock man, a crowned tomato, and an encircled tree. There's also a challenge that asks you to get three elims with a silenced weapon, along with another that requires you to search chests in Wailing Woods and Paradise Palms. The final challenge in this section is another multi-stager that is activated by landing at Polar Peak. Take a look at the full list of challenges below.FreeStage 1: Land at Polar Peak (1) -- 1 Battle StarsDeal damage to opponent's structures (5000) -- 5 Battle StarSuppressed weapon elimination (3) -- 10 Battle StarsBattle PassStage 1: Dance on top of a Water Tower (1) -- 1 Battle StarsSearch chests at Wailing Woods or Paradise Palms (7) -- 5 Battle StarSearch between a giant rock man, a crowned tomato, and an encircled tree (1) -- 10 Battle StarsEliminate an opponent from closer than 5m away (3) -- 10 Battle StarsIf you haven't been keeping up with challenges thus far, we've got a very handy Fortnite Season 7 challenge guide that keeps track of all the weekly challenges and provides links to guides for the more difficult ones. Use that to get any outstanding challenges completed and you'll have the unlocks you want in no time.Fortnite developer Epic Games released a new update for the game on January 2. Along with various tweaks, it introduced the Boom Box, which is an item that does significant damage to built structures. This item is very handy for removing barriers between you and any enemies you may be gunning for. If you're on the receiving end of its destructive power, you can counter by shooting the Boom Box. Check out the full Fortnite update 7.10.2 patch notes for more on the item and the other changes and tweaks.Info from Gamespot.com

Here's what we know so far about Bayonetta 3: Platinum Games is developing it, and Nintendo will publish it as a Switch exclusive. When it will arrive is anyone's guess at this point, however. We saw a teaser trailer during the Game Awards 2017, but the upcoming action title was a no-show at E3 2018. So far, we find ourselves with more questions than answers. Despite the lack of information, you can already lock in your Bayonetta 3 pre-order, and even get a nice discount from one retailer.The teaser trailer is the only actual Bayonetta 3-related document that's available so far, and it doesn't show any gameplay footage, so it offers few hints. But it does feature the leather-clad heroine wielding dual pistols, her weapons of choice in the previous installments.Bayonetta 1 & 2 on SwitchSpeaking of previous installments, if you're looking to brush up on the series before Bayonetta 3 comes out, $50 gets you a physical copy of Bayonetta 2 on Switch, which comes with a digital code for the first game. For those who prefer digital Switch games, you can buy both titles from the Nintendo Eshop for a total of $60.But if it's Bayonetta 3 you're after, you have several pre-order options so far. No pre-order bonuses are available at this time, but we'll add them here if that changes in the future.Buy Bayonetta 1 & 2 from AmazonBuy Bayonetta from Nintendo EshopBuy Bayonetta 2 from Nintendo EshopPre-Order Bayonetta 3At the time of this writing, Walmart has the best Bayonetta 3 pre-order deal, offering $10 off the MSRP.Buy it from Amazon -- Currently UnavailableBuy it from Best Buy -- $60Buy it from Newegg -- $60Buy it from Walmart -- $50Info from Gamespot.com

We're in Week 5 of Fortnite Season 7, and that means there's new challenges to be completed. At this point, the challenges aren't exactly a huge surprise, but that doesn't mean they're all super easy to complete. One of the challenges available to those that have a paid Battle Pass, for example, is a bit of a treasure hunt. We've done the leg work and have the exact location of that Battle Star, so you won't have to spend too much time looking.The challenge in question says "search between a giant rock man, a crowned tomato, and an encircled tree." If you know your way around the map, you'll know that means you need to head southeast of Tomato Temple, just south of the bridge. Now that you have that specific location, the easiest way to get there is to just start a new match, hop out of the Battle Bus at the right time, and plummet down to the island.Click image to view in full screenOf course, you'll need to be careful about other players hanging around in the area, as they will want to take you out to complete challenges or work their way to that precious Victory Royale. When you land, make a beeline for the Battle Star and you should be fine, but be prepared to take a few attempts at it if the landing zone is hot.Take a look above for a map of the exact location and a screenshot from the area where the Battle Star can be found. You can also watch the video above and see us complete the challenge, which will give you a good indication of where to land to maximize your chances of grabbing the Battle Star before being popped by an enemy.Once you're done with that challenge, you've got six more to complete. You can see all the Fortnite Season 7, Week 5 challenges here, and if you haven't already finished up the challenges from previous weeks, you can use our full Fortnite Season 7 challenge guide to do so.On January 2, Fortnite developer Epic Games released a new update for the game. You can see all the changes, tweaks, and new additions in the full Fortnite update 7.10.2 patch notes. The headliner for the update is the Boom Box item, which does big damage to any built structures. This is a handy item to keep an eye out for, as one of the other challenges for Week 5 asks players to do 5000 points of damage to structures.Info from Gamespot.com

Cult movie star and character actor Bruce Campbell is rebooting the TV series Ripley's Believe It Or Not for The Travel Channel. The channel has ordered 10 episodes, one hour each, that will be hosted by Campbell. He's also serving as executive producer.The new episodes will be shot on location at the Ripley Warehouse in Florida and will tell "astonishing, real, and one-of-a-kind stories" from around the globe. It's set to premiere in Summer 2019. The launch this year makes it mark the 100-year anniversary of the Ripley's Believe It Or Not brand.This will be the fifth series in all. The first aired on NBC in 1949 and was hosted by Robert L. Ripley, the namesake of the show. It has since been revived or rebooted by several networks over the years, with hosts like Jack Palance and Dean Cain. It even had an animated series.Most recently, Campbell has appeared as a series regular on the AMC series Lodge 49, and reprised his iconic role as the monster-hunter in the Starz series Ash vs. Evil Dead."Travel Channel fans have an insatiable curiosity about the world and sharing this wonderful and weird series with the next generation of fans is a thrill," said general manager Jane Latman, in the announcement. "This entirely new version of Ripley's is a fresh contemporary approach to the odd and unusual and will be jam-packed with larger-than-life characters, cool facts, history and science."Info from Gamespot.com

Fortnite's Season 7, Week 5 is in full swing, and among them there are a couple of tricky challenges. Both of these are exclusive to those that have paid for a Battle Pass, with the first tasking players with searching a specific location for a Battle Star (we've got a guide for that), while the second is a multi-stage quest that involves dancing on towers.The quest begins by asking players to dance on a Water Tower. Once the first part of the challenge is complete, it'll be updated and direct players to dance on top of a Ranger Tower, and then on top of an Air Traffic Control Tower. So, three in total, and although they're pretty easy to spot, you'll need to be in their general vicinity first.To make things easier for you, we've put together a map of where you can find each of the towers, as well as listed their locations below. All you've got to do is either land on or build up to the top of the towers and then bust a move.Fortnite Tower LocationsWater Tower: Can be found at Retail RowRanger Tower: Can be found at Lonely LodgeAir Traffic Control Tower: Can be found at Frosty FlightsWith this challenge and the "Search Between" challenge mentioned above completed, you've done all the hard work for the week. All that remains is mopping up the rest, which will just require you to have solid Fortnite fundamentals and put some time into the game.If you've got outstanding challenges from previous weeks, you can use our comprehensive Fortnite Season 7 challenge guide for a full breakdown on every challenge that has been featured so far, as well as links to guides for the more difficult challenges for each week. Info from Gamespot.com

Netflix has confirmed the released date for The Punisher Season 2. Following last week's leak, the streaming giant has confirmed that the Marvel show will return on January 18 and revealed the date announcement in a new teaser trailer.The teaser doesn't feature any footage from the new season, but instead teases the upcoming confrontation between Frank Castle and Billy Russo--better known as the Punisher's classic nemesis Jigsaw. Actors Jon Bernthal and Ben Barnes provide an intense voiceover that suggest that this will be a fight to the death--check it out above.While there is much anticipation for The Punisher Season 2, the future of the show is unclear. In recent months, three of Netflix's roster of Marvel shows have been cancelled. While the axing of Iron Fist and Luke Cage weren't necessarily surprising, the cancelation of Daredevil within a few weeks of the acclaimed Season 3 hitting the service suggested that Netflix is looking to drop all of its Marvel shows.Disney is launching its own streaming platform, named Disney+, later this year and is developing several Marvel series for it. Netflix still officially has The Punisher and Jessica Jones as active shows, and Season 3 of the latter is expected later this year. However, it remains possible that both will be cancelled once these latest seasons have been released.In terms of new Marvel shows, in November Disney confirmed that Tom Hiddleston will star in a Loki show for Disney+. In addition, it has been reported that a Falcon and Winter Soldier team-up series is in development, and there are also rumors of a Scarlet Witch show. Info from Gamespot.com

January is officially here! While the flow of big releases is slowing down, that doesn't mean there aren't exciting new games coming this month--let alone in 2019 as a whole. There are still a handful of noteworthy games on the way you should keep an eye on.Headlining January's releases are new installments and re-releases in several classic franchises. The long-awaited Resident Evil 2 remake is set to launch at the end of this month, as well as the climactic conclusion to the Kingdom Hearts series. But if you're in the mood to play older games on current-generation platforms, we're getting remasters/enhanced ports of Tales of Vesperia, Onimusha: Warlords, and New Super Mario Bros. U.That's only a smattering of this month's releases. You can see all of the biggest games on the way for each platform in January 2019 below. For a look at all of the most notable releases coming in 2019, check out our complete list of game release dates in 2019.Resident Evil 2 Remake -- January 25 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)Ever since the outstanding Gamecube remake of Resident Evil 1 in 2002, fans have adamantly requested the same treatment for its much-loved sequel. After years of waiting, Capcom granted this wish when it confirmed development of Resident Evil 2 Remake in August 2015. Resident Evil 2 fans and newcomers, rejoice! We're finally going to be able to play the game this month. It features a host of changes and improvements over the original, such as a new over-the-shoulder camera, revised puzzles, and modernized controls.Further reading:Resident Evil 2 Remake's Clever Changes Make It Terrifying All Over AgainResident Evil 2 Remake Hands-On: A Fresh Perspective On A ClassicAda Gameplay, Release Date, And What We Know So FarResident Evil 2 Remake: US Pre-Order GuideKingdom Hearts III -- January 29 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)The Kingdom Hearts saga is coming to a close at this end of the month. This much-awaited concluding chapter is looking to wrap up Sora's quest to thwart the evil Xehanort's plan to form a true Organization XIII. Kingdom Hearts III will include new worlds to explore based on Disney and Pixar properties, an expanded party system, mini-games inspired by classic Walt Disney animations, and much more. If you're looking to catch up on previous entries before Kingdom Hearts III releases, we highly recommend the Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 Remix on PS4, which collects the majority of the series on a single disc.Further reading:Kingdom Hearts 3: Story Timeline, Release Date, And Everything Else We KnowKingdom Hearts 3 Creator Discusses Dealing With Expectations And The Future Of The SeriesKingdom Hearts 3 US Pre-Order Guide New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe -- January 11 (Switch)The Nintendo Switch is getting a collection containing enhanced ports of both New Super Mario Bros. U and its standalone expansion, New Super Luigi U. While the games remain largely the same, there are a couple new additions. A new character named Toadette is being added, and Nabbit, who you could previously only play in New Super Luigi U, will be playable across both games.Further reading:New Super Mario U Deluxe Works With Switch's NES ControllersNew Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe Nintendo Switch Pre-Order GuideFull January Release ScheduleGamePlatformRelease DateMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey3DSJanuary 11New Super Mario Bros U DeluxeSwitchJanuary 11Tales of Vesperia: Definitive EditionPS4, Xbox One, PC, SwitchJanuary 11Onimusha: WarlordsPS4, Xbox One, PC, SwitchJanuary 15The Walking Dead: The Final Season Episode 3PS4, Xbox One, PC, SwitchJanuary 15YIIK: A Postmodern RPGPS4, PC, SwitchJanuary 18Ace Combat 7: Skies UnknownPS4, Xbox OneJanuary 18Travis Strikes Again: No More HeroesSwitchJanuary 18Resident Evil 2 RemakePS4, Xbox One, PCJanuary 25Tropico 6PS4, Xbox One, PCJanuary 25Kingdom Hearts IIIPS4, Xbox OneJanuary 29Info from Gamespot.com