Yet another video game industry group has come out to say government control of loot box regulations is a bad idea. International Game Developers Association (IGDA) CEO Jen MacLean released a statement this week where she called on developers and publishers to take this issue seriously to avoid a scenario where politicians get involved and put forth legislative action that could impact games with loot box mechanics."By not taking significant action as an industry and global game developer community to self-regulate how loot boxes are used, we run the very real risk that governments around the world will take that action for us, and perhaps create significantly restrictive laws that could impact any random reward elements in games," she said. "I offer my strongest advice to game developers and interactive entertainment businesses on this matter: addressing how loot boxes are used is both the right thing, and the smart thing, for the global game development industry to do."MacLean's statement comes in response to the news this week that the US Federal Trade Commission may launch an investigation into loot boxes. Australia's government has also called for a "comprehensive review" of loot boxes to determine what might be done. The IGDA backs up what the Entertainment Software Association has already said: the industry should self-regulate when it comes to loot boxes. Politicians, meanwhile, will argue that laws are necessary to ensure that something is being done to protect young people from falling into dangerous gambling habits. Self-regulation may be a good idea in theory, but actual laws or regulations would put more pressure on developers and publishers.In her statement, MacLean--a former executive at Curt Schilling's controversial defunct Rhode Island developer 38 Studios--said loot boxes with real-money mechanics "run the risk of triggering gambling laws."As an industry, MacLean said she advises the following three steps be taken immediately to avoid a situation where the government gets involved:Affirm an industry commitment to not market loot boxes to childrenClearly disclose the odds of different rewards when purchasing loot boxes (as many games already do to comply with Chinese law)Launch a coordinated education campaign that boosts awareness of the parental controls that are available to appropriately limit how players engage with gamesA politician from Hawaii, Democrat Chris Lee, is trying to make a law that would limit the sale of video games with "gambling-like mechanisms" to people under 21. Lee told GameSpot that he was aware of ESA lobbyists being flown to to Hawaii to try to stop the conversation about loot boxes from happening."We have to try and stand up for what is right," Lee said earlier this year. "I think it is inevitable that, whether it was spurred by Battlefront or some of the recent big-title games just being so ridiculously exploitative of the player base, there is enough of generational transition in politics and positions of authority around the country and the world, that you have people who understand what the industry is doing and are willing to stand up and take action and do something about it. Inevitably, the industry will have to change."Because more and more jurisdictions are going to start protecting their citizens from the kinds of exploitive and predatory practices that the industry has been employing lately. Inevitably, that means a better industry for everybody and better games for everybody."Conversation around loot boxes heated up at the end of 2017 in the wake of EA's Star Wars: Battlefront II. For a brief period of time, before the game's official release, the title was set to allow players to spend real money on loot boxes that could potentially include items that impact gameplay. Some said this made Battlefront II effectively a slot machine where players could pay for the chance to get something they wanted. EA removed loot boxes from Battlefront II on the eve of the game's public release, though it appears the controversy negatively impacted the game's sales. Battlefront II re-introduced microtransactions in 2018, but only for cosmetics. EA's newest shooter game, Battlefield V, features no loot boxes at all, while microtransactions aren't turned on yet. Other games, such as Overwatch, continue to use loot boxes as an extra method of monetisation.Info from Gamespot.com

After more than two months, Season 6 of Fortnite is coming to a close. Epic has rolled out the game's final set of Season 6 challenges on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices, giving you one last chance to level your Battle Pass up and unlock any remaining rewards from the season. As always, there's an extra incentive to complete these challenges; if you manage to clear all the ones from a given week, you'll complete one of Season 6's Hunting Party challenges.Each Hunting Party challenge you clear will reward you with a special loading screen. Not only do these screens feature a cool piece of artwork showcasing some of the game's newest skins, they also contain a very subtle hint that points you to a free item hidden somewhere around the island. Depending on how many Hunting Party challenges you complete, this item will either be a Battle Star--good for leveling your Battle Pass up by one tier--or a special Banner that can be used as a profile icon.If you clear all 10 weekly sets of challenges in Season 6, you'll unlock the loading screen pictured below. It showcases DJ Yonder--one of the new skins introduced at the start of the season--deejaying a giant party attended by other new and popular skins. Look closely at the speakers just to the left of Yonder, however, and you'll notice a set of coordinates that read G8, G9, H8, H9. This is the clue to where you can find the final free Banner.The aforementioned coordinates lead you to into the desert, near the area where the mysterious purple cube that played such a prominent role in Season 6 first appeared. At the start of a match, glide to where the coordinates intersect and the free Banner will pop up. Collect it as you would any other item and you'll be able to use it as your profile icon after finishing the match, whether by getting eliminated or securing a Victory Royale.However, just as with previous free Banners, the usual caveats apply. The item won't appear on the island unless you've completed all of the necessary challenges and unlocked the aforementioned loading screen. This means you won't simply be able to head to the right area and collect it without first clearing all 10 weekly sets of challenges. Season 6 of Fortnite is scheduled to end on December 6, which means Season 7 will follow not too far behind. You have until then to complete this season's challenges and unlock any remaining Battle Pass rewards. If you need some assistance, we've rounded up some helpful tips in our complete Season 6 challenge guide. You can also find our guides for all Season 6's other free Battle Stars and Banners below.Fortnite Hunting Party Challenge GuidesFortnite Secret Battle Star Location: Week 1 Hunting Party ChallengeFortnite Secret Banner Location: Week 2 Hunting Party ChallengeFortnite Secret Battle Star Location: Week 3 Hunting Party ChallengeFortnite Secret Banner Location: Week 4 Hunting Party ChallengeFortnite Secret Battle Star Location: Week 5 Hunting Party ChallengeFortnite Secret Banner Location: Week 6 Hunting Party ChallengeFortnite Secret Battle Star Location: Week 7 Hunting Party ChallengeFortnite Secret Banner Location: Week 8 Hunting Party ChallengeInfo from Gamespot.com

Tom Hanks is one of Hollywood's biggest names, and now his next role has potentially been revealed. Collider reports that Hanks is being eyed to play Geppetto in Disney's upcoming live-action Pinocchio movie. Geppetto is the toymaker who builds Pinocchio out of wood, and then wishes on a star for Pinocchio to come to life. Magically, it works.Disney's live-action Pinocchio is being directed by Paddington's Paul King, with Star Wars: Rogue One writer Chris Weitz producing. Paddington writer Simon Farnaby wrote the newest draft of the script, taking over for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child writer Jack Thorne.According to Collider, the new Pinocchio has a budget of $150 million, with production expected to begin in summer 2019. If it's anything like the 1940 original, you can expect a wild ride.Hanks has worked with Disney before. He voices Woody in the Toy Story franchise, while he played Walt Disney himself in Saving Mr. Banks. His next big role is Fred Rogers in the upcoming untitled film about the iconic children's TV show host.Pinocchio is just the latest live-action remake from Disney. The company's next big one is The Lion King, and Disney just recently released a stunning trailer for it. There are also live-action remakes of Mulan and Aladdin in the works, while some of Disney's previous live-action reboots included Beauty and the Beast starring Emma Watson and The Jungle Book from Iron Man director Jon Favreau.Info from Gamespot.com

Two major new releases, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and Fallout 76, failed to sell up to expectation at GameStop, the retailer announced today in its latest earnings report.CFO Rob Lloyd said Black Ops 4 was "not as successful as we had hoped." For Fallout 76, the executive said the game's review scores likely hurt sales. "Obviously, you can see in the market what the Metacritic scores are around Fallout 76, and that's impacted its sell-through. I'll probably just leave it at that."Some of the sports games that released in August and September were also "not up to our expectations" in regards to sales, Lloyd explained. He didn't name any titles, but Madden NFL 19, FIFA 19, NBA 2K19, and NBA Live 19 all released in August and September this year.On the brighter side, GameStop management said Red Dead Redemption 2 and Spider-Man for PS4 were two of its top-sellers. And while Black Ops 4 did not sell up to GameStop's expectations, the title launching in October instead of November helped GameStop's overall game sales rise by more than 10 percent during the quarter.GameStop management did not say what its sales expectations were for any new release, so we don't know the degree to which Black Ops 4 and Fallout 76 underperformed. However, their underperformance was significant enough to disclose on the earnings call.GameStop's total global sales--comprising hardware, software, accessories, and more--rose by 4.8 percent to $2.1 billion for the quarter ended November 3. New hardware sales rose 12.8 percent thanks to gains from Xbox One X and PS4. As for software, as mentioned, game sales jumped by 10.9 percent. Accessories sales, meanwhile, posted the biggest gains of all, rising 32.6 percent. Pre-owned sales dropped by 13.4 percent.Overall, GameStop posted a loss of $488.6 million for the quarter, which compares to a profit of $59.4 million during the same quarter last year. GameStop management said the loss was due to an "impairment charge" of $587.5 million that it paid as a result of the "sustained decline in the company's share price." Indeed, GameStop's share price has been steadily falling for years now from more than $45 per share in 2015 to around $14.5 today.Times have changed in the video game business. Game sales are increasingly trending toward digital over physical, which is theoretically a problem for GameStop, as physical sales--and re-selling games--was for a time the bread and butter of GameStop's business model.In June this year, GameStop announced that it was entering "exploratory discussions" with outside companies about potentially selling itself. Earlier this month, GameStop announced its plans to sell off its Spring Mobile division for $700 million.The company is currently conducting a comprehensive review of its business, and this presumably also includes a potential sale. Former Xbox boss Shane Kim is the company's interim CEO; he took over after Michael Mauler quit GameStop after only three months for "personal reasons." Longtime GameStop CEO Paul Raines died in March at the age of 53. GameStop is currently working with an executive hiring company to find a permanent CEO. Info from Gamespot.com

The Marvel Netflix show Daredevil has been canceled. It becomes the third Marvel show on Netflix to get canceled in two months, following the axing of Iron Fist and Luke Cage in October.In a statement to Deadline, Netflix confirmed Daredevil's third season, which premiered in October, was its last. "We are tremendously proud of the show's last and final season and although it's painful for the fans, we feel it best to close this chapter on a high note."Netflix thanked showrunner Erik Oleson, as well as the writers, cast, and crew, while the network also said it was grateful to the fans who watched the show since it premiered in 2015.Daredevil's three seasons will stay on Netflix "for years to come," Netflix said, adding that you can expect to see Daredevil the character in "future projects" from Marvel.Charlie Cox played Daredevil on the Netflix show, with a supporting cast led by Vincent D'Onofrio.With Daredevil's cancellation, Netflix now has just two Marvel shows that continue production: Jessica Jones and The Punisher. Marvel's move away from Netflix is not all that surprising, given parent company Disney is launching a streaming service of its own, Disney+, in 2019.The Deadline report also offers some insight into the relationship between Netflix and Marvel, and it sounds less than great. Netflix and Marvel reportedly clashed over the number of episodes in a season, while there have been creative issues as well, the site said. You can read the full story on Deadline here. Info from Gamespot.com

343 Industries has shared a new piece of concept art for the upcoming Halo game Halo Infinite. Revealed in a new Community Update, 343 says the art comes from a Halo Infinite reveal trailer that originally aired during E3 back in June.What secrets does the image contain? Have a look for yourself--be sure to zoom in and enhance--and let us know in the comments below what you might have found. The Halo Infinite reveal trailer from E3 was actually for the game's new engine, Slipspace, and not the game itself. The company has yet to show off the game itself yet, however, but we do know it is coming to both Xbox One and PC.There is an intriguing rumour that claims Microsoft is planning to launch the game in two parts--first the single-player in 2019, with multiplayer coming in 2020. Microsoft hasn't made any official announcements regarding release plans, however.Halo Infinite places more of an emphasis on Master Chief, which is good to hear after Halo 5 controversially strayed away from him. It's also apparently a very big game, as Halo franchise manager Frank O'Connor said the game will have "capacious" missions/levels.No release date has been announced for Halo Infinite, but it's one of our most anticipated upcoming Xbox One games for sure.Info from Gamespot.com

With a new Destiny 2 DLC, The Black Armory, launching next week, Bungie has released the game's latest major update. Patch 2.1.0 is out now, and while we'll have to wait for the DLC for the big nenw content, this free does mark the start of Season 5--the Season of the Forge--and add a wide variety of new items as well as numerous changes and tweaks that are detailed in the full patch notes.When you first log in with the update installed, you'll likely want to head to Tess at Eververse first. There you'll be able to see the season's new Bright Engram, the Etched Engram, and its contents. This includes some awesome-looking cosmetics and other Exotics items; there's a firey sparrow, new Exotic weapon ornaments, and much more to collect. You can see a handful of these below.As for the patch notes, a variety of weapons have been tweaked. Prometheus Lens gets a damage buff, while Ace of Spades' Memento Mori perk has been "reduced to five bullets, but can now be refreshed on reload without having to get rid of all the bonus damage bullets." Machine guns get a slight accuracy boost, while submachine guns get slightly increased range.Crucible sees the return of Mayhem as a 6v6 playlist, and both Lockdown and Showdown are back in a rotating playlist. Shaxx has new voicelines you'll encounter across an assortment of modes. Shaxx also has new items for direct purchase, as well as new seasonal items and a pinnacle weapon quest. Progression-wise, Valor and Glory now work like Gambit ranks, as they are each divided into three sub-ranks. Legend, however, is not divided into subranks, and you don't have to win at Legend rank to increase your Valor.Gambit sees progression changes of its own, as rewards should "better match Valor and Glory;" ranking up a subdivision will net you a guaranteed piece of Legendary Gambit gear. Gambit bounties reward twice as many Infamy points as before, and they should be easier to complete. The catch-up mechanic has also been adjusted so that the team in the lead has a better chance of holding onto that lead.The full patch notes can be seen below or on Bungie's website. The developer has also revealed new Exotics coming with the Black Armory DLC, as well a roadmap of Destiny 2 content updates.Destiny 2 Update 2.1.0 Patch NotesSandboxSupersChaos ReachFixed an issue in which having multiple Chaos Reach beams active at one time caused their visual effects to merge togetherFixed an issue to allow Chaos Reach beams to penetrate friendly Banner ShieldsFixed an issue in which Chaos Reach did not damage Taken BlightsNote: Changes to Chaos Reach Cancellation will come with Destiny 2 Update 2.1.1, scheduled for 12/4/2018Nova WarpFixed an issue in which Nova Warp would sometimes fail to detonate on release.SentinelFixed an issue in which Sentinel Shields and Banner Shields would lose energy when guarding near friendly detonations (most notably Thundercrash)Spectral BladesRetuned the Spectral Blades Super to increase the reliability of melee attacks in PvP and to bolster the effectiveness of Super’s stealth capabilities More information here: This Week at Bungie – 11/08/2018Burning MaulDecreased camera shake and screen flash on hit in an attempt to alleviate feelings of motion sickness when using the Burning Maul SuperThundercrashAdjusted camera during flight sequence in an attempt to alleviate feelings of motion sickness when using Thundercrash SuperExotic ArmorFixed an issue in which Ophidian Aspect was not increasing the melee range on various Warlock charged melees (Igniting Touch, Ball Lightning, Entropic Pull, Devour, and Atomic Breach)Fixed an issue in which buffs granted by Lunafaction Boots would last for only 15 seconds inside Well of Radiance rather than the entire durationFixed an issue on Ursa Furiosa so that Super gain from guarding is more consistent between PvE and PvPWeaponsWarden’s LawReplaced perks on Warden's Law that did not function properly with the weapon's archetype Triple Tap replaced with Feeding FrenzyFourth Time's the Charm replaced with Zen MomentWarden's Law now has bullet contrailsUpdated the intrinsic perk text on Warden's Law to distinguish it from Aggressive Burst SidearmsHigh-Impact Scout RiflesHigh-Impact Scout Rifle damage increased by 1.87% Dev commentary: Previously it was possible to, at VERY high resilience levels, survive three headshots from a high impact scout rifle. This change will ensure that players at any resilience level will be defeated by three headshots.Note: A fix that will return High-Impact Scout Rifles to 150 RPM is planned for Destiny 2 Update 2.1.1, scheduled for 12/4/2018Shotguns Rapid-Fire Frame on Shotguns now increases the reload of all Shotgun shells when empty instead of just the first shellTrench Barrel Trench Barrel perk now deactivates after three shotsTrench Barrel description updated to reflect new behavior and also fix an error where it called out increased accuracy instead of increase reload speedSubmachine Guns Slightly increased range on Submachine GunsMachine GunsSlightly increased accuracy on Machine GunsExotic WeaponsPrometheus LensPrometheus Lens damage increased by 10%Hard LightFixed an issue where Hard Light could overpenetrate an enemy Banner Shield"Ace of SpadesMemento Mori reduced to five bullets, but can now be refreshed on reload without having to get rid of all the bonus damage bulletsGeneralFixed mantle animation for the QueenbreakerFixed an issue where some particle effects were appearing in first-person view when using One Thousand VoicesFixed an issue where Bows would sometimes become invisible when equippedPolished the Blade Barrage animation for when the player is holding a BowBuffed out a missed spot on the Refer-a-Friend Borealis ornamentFixed an issue that would delay the nocking of an arrow when the player picked up ammo while the Bow was both stowed and out of ammoFixed an issue where the Headseeker perk would no longer function after being activated numerous times without dyingFixed an issue where the Ikelos Hand Cannon and Shotgun where displaying icons for Malfeasance and Chaperone in the obituaryPolished Grenade Launcher strafing animations to remove up and down reticle veeringPolished Grenade Launcher animations while jumping to prevent stocks from blocking the first-person cameraPolished Sniper Rifle and Machine Gun animations while jumping to prevent stocks from blocking the first-person cameraFixed an animation issue that would occur when firing and walking with a Machine GunPolished Tractor Cannon's sprint animation to feel more naturalFixed an issue where Swords dropped with mods intended for Rocket Launchers, and Rocket Launchers dropped with mods intended for SwordsRapid Hit now displays a status effect buff on activationKnown issue: Sniper Rifle precision kills will stack the perk twice; this will be fixed in a later patchUpdated Oathkeeper's Exotic perk to remove text for Bow charge speedTireless Blade perk description updated to match actual behavior where ammo is returned on every other powered Sword killFixed an issue where the Momentum Transfer perk was not functioning properlyCrucibleModesMayhem will return as a 6v6 rotating playlist with scoring support for new Forsaken SupersLockdown and Showdown will return as rotating playlists and have been added to Private MatchesScorched and Team Scorched have been added to Private MatchesNew Shaxx lines, spread between Rumble, Lockdown, Showdown, and a few special medalsSingle round modes (Clash, Control, etc.) now end with a "Match Complete" countdown similar to those displayed at round complete in round-based modesAdded new Crucible medals and associated Triumphs for Forsaken Supers, the Machine Gun weapon archetype, and the Lockdown game modeAdded two new gold-tier medals—happy hunting!Fixed an issue where "The Cycle" medal was not being tracked properlyIron Banner now awards unique Iron Banner-themed medals with unique audio cuesIron Banner uses new unique Match Complete bannersRanksValor and Glory are now subdivided into three sub-ranks similar to GambitValor and Glory have NOT subdivided the Legend rankValor does NOT require players to win at LegendShaxx Shaxx has a new rotation of items available for direct purchase.Players must earn Valor to collect these itemsA new set of Seasonal Items has been added to Shaxx's inventoryPrevious seasons' exclusive items have been removedA new pinnacle weapon quest has been added to Shaxx's inventoryTo allow players to make progress on any character, each step features account-wide objectivesThis quest requires two types of objectives to be completed: Reach a specific Rank and complete a specific Triumph; players can complete these objectives in any orderPrevious pinnacle weapon quests continue to be available on ShaxxGambitRanksAdjusted Infamy rank rewards to better match Valor and Glory. Subdivision rank ups will now always award Gambit Legendary gearBounties and QuestsInfamy Rank Point rewards from all Gambit bounties have been doubledMany bounties have had their objectives retuned to take less time and be easier to completeAdded a new daily bounty for killing Primeval envoys, and slotted it into the daily rotationFixed an issue where the Malfeasance quest could be progressed in Crucible modesNOTE: Once S5 begins and Infamy is reset, you must play one Gambit match before redeeming any bounties. Players who turn in these bounties after Season of the Forge begins, but before playing a Gambit match, will not correctly receive points to their Infamy rank from these bounties.Primeval MechanicsCatch-up mechanics have been adjusted to ensure that the leading team retains more of an advantageThe trailing team will now receive a maximum of only one bonus stack of the Primeval Slayer buff (previously, they received up to three stacks depending on how far behind the trailing team was)The time before the bonus stack kicks in has been increased to 32 seconds, up from 22 secondsPrimevals will hard ping less often, to reduce stunlock against highly coordinated teamsMatchmakingFurther addressing error codes that could occur during matchmaking, leading to potential quitter penaltiesClansGeneralLast Wish raid bounties are now available to anyone who has access to the Last Wish raid.Does not require Clan Rank 4A new season of progression is available, with new perks to pursueItems and EconomyGeneralFixed an issue where the "Rainmaker" consumable didn’t provide showers of Glimmer from defeated enemiesFixed an issue where Public Defender Ghost perk wasn't properly applying to public events on Mars, the Tangled Shore, or the Dreaming CityFixed an issue where Nightfall unique rewards were not dropping at the rate intended for non-Forsaken ownersFixed an issue where not picking up Prime Engrams could allow players to earn more than the Prime Attunement buff allows for, putting them in a deficit of further Prime Engrams for a time corresponding to the number of extra Prime Engrams receivedTriumphsFixed an issue where the title of Triumph "Steadfast" was "Meet Sloane on the moon Titan" (you must still meet Sloane on the moon Titan)CollectionsAdded missing Year 2 gunsmith weapons to Collections (not purchasable due to random rolls)Fixed an issue where the BrayTech RWP Mk. II Scout Rifle was not counting towards Collections for some playersUnearned Season 4 gear is now hiddenPCControlsAdded new "Take Screenshot" keybind (defaults to the "Print Screen" key)Text Chat Added new friend management commands/addfriend/removefriendAdded new fireteam management commands /invite/joinNote: The fireteam commands can target any player by providing the player's full BattleTag, allowing players to assemble fireteams without sending friend requests.UIGeneralAdjusted item tooltips to fix an issue where perks or other information was cut off on the Character ScreenFixed an issue where the rank-up banner for Crucible and Gambit was not being appropriately displayed on 21:9 resolutionsFixed an issue where players were unable to return to orbit while the Results Screen was up at the end of an activityLocalizationTraditional ChineseFixed an issue where some parts of the Traditional Chinese UI was not loading properly in-gameMiscPerformanceImproved activity and destination load times on consoles Note: We are actively investigating load times for loading the player inventory screen, switching between UI tabs starting up the game, signing on, and selecting characters. See This Week at Bungie - 11/08/2018 for more details.HDRFixed an issue where brightness was not adjusting properly for playersGeneralFixed an issue with missing Transmat FX on Amanda's exchangeFixed an issue with erroneous source strings on multiple Dawning and Crimson Days itemsFixed an issue that caused several shaders to be unavailable for bulk exchange at RahoolFixed an issue where some UI elements would not load properly if interacting with a vendor and launching into character inventoryFixed an issue where the Fortunate Projection was causing visual effects issues in third personFixed an issue in which the IGR version of the "High and Mighty" bounty did not count wanted escapee killsFixed an issue in which the IGR version of the "I'm Not Sorry, I'm Lost" bounty required too many points for completionFixed an issue in which the IGR version of the "Through the Crucible" bounty required too few points for completionFixed an issue that caused high amounts of Baboon errors in the TowerInfo from Gamespot.com

Bungie unveiled a bunch of information about its next Destiny 2 expansion, The Black Armory, and Season 5 this week, which has brought new Exotic items to Eververse. Along with the details about new activities and a new Raid comes a look at four new Exotic weapons to chase.Those four Exotics are Anarchy, Le Monarch, Izanagi's Burden, and Jotun, detailed in Bungie's Black Armory vidoc (watch it above). Three of the Exotics are modeled after the three different Golden Age families--French, Japanese, and Norse--at the heart of the story of the Black Armory, who each worked to become the greatest weaponsmiths of all time. The last Exotic, Anarchy, takes its design from the Fallen. We also know about a fifth Exotic, which Bungie says will be a returning weapon from Destiny 1.Anarchy, the first Exotic, is a Fallen-styled grenade launcher. Its big cool perk is Arc Traps, which turn its grenades into proximity mines that stick to surfaces. It sounds like the gun will live up to its name by creating ridiculous chaos, especially in Crucible Control matches.Le Monarch is an Exotic bow in the style of the French family. It takes a page from the Destiny 1 gun Thorn: its perk, Pestilence Arrows, create a cloud that damages enemies around whoever you're shooting at.From the Japanese family comes Izanagi's Burden, a sniper rifle that also looks kind of like a sword. Its perk is Honed Edge, which allows you to hold down the reload button to slam the entire four-round magazine into one shot. According to Bungie, the resulting blast is so powerful it can take down an enemy in a single body shot--which will make this a powerful option for the Crucible, and a weapon that can stand up to favorites Sleeper Simulant and Whisper of the Worm.The last Exotic, Jotun, is shown in Bungie's vidoc. It's a fusion rifle players wear on their hands (the developers call it the "arm blaster"), and fires a large flaming slug that explodes on impact. It also tracks enemies, which will make it deadly in the Crucible.As far as the last Exotic, we don't know which Destiny 1 gun it'll be, but Bungie might have dropped a few clues in the vidoc and with its long-term schedule for Destiny 2's Year 2 content. In the vidoc, when the final Exotic gets mentioned, footage from the strike The Corrupted is shown. It's the version of the strike that players run through when they're working on the quest for the Exotic Malfeasance, during which they're sent by the Drifter to find the grave of a Guardian named Callum Sol.Speculation is that the Drifter is closely related to Dredgen Yor, a figure from Destiny lore who supposedly created Thorn, an Exotic hand cannon from Destiny 1. Yor famously became corrupted, and was eventually hunted down and defeated in a duel by Shin Malphur with another Exotic hand cannon, Last Word. We know from Bungie's content roadmap in Season 5 that an Exotic quest is coming on January 29. That quest's name: The Draw. Given those clues, it seems we could be seeing either Thorn or Last Word popping up in Destiny 2 come January. From a story perspective, that'd make sense, since Season 6 is all about the Drifter.Unfortunately we'll have to wait and see what Exotic finally does pop up in The Black Armory, and how player will go about getting the four Bungie has detailed. Destiny 2's next expansion drops on December 4.Info from Gamespot.com

Red Dead Online, the multiplayer mode for Red Dead Redemption 2, has started to roll out to select beta participants; it's expanded today and will continue building to a full launch later this week. If you pre-ordered or bought a special edition, you have some bonuses waiting for you in the online Wild West, but you may be unsure where to claim them.For any bonuses, first you have to complete the Red Dead Online tutorial. From there, you can find your extras in a couple of different locations. To claim a horse, just sell the default one to make space and then pick up a new one from the stable. For guns and outfits, you can visit a store, or just consult the catalog that you carry with you wherever you go. The catalog is given to you during the tutorial.Only Ultimate Edition players had access to Red Dead Online on Tuesday, but that has expanded now to include everyone who played the base game on launch day. After that, on November 29, the beta will open for anyone who played by October 29. Finally, on November 30 the mode will be widely available for anyone who owns any version of Red Dead Redemption 2. The initial launch began at 8:30 AM ET / 5:30 AM PST / 1:30 PM GMT / 12:30 AM AEDT, so we expect each phase to launch at that time on their respective days.However, the launch didn't go off without a hitch. Rockstar Support dealt with an issue impacting Xbox One owners of the Ultimate Edition that prevented them from accessing the beta. In our own playtime, we've gotten into the game but suffered frequent errors that eject us. Rockstar has warned that this is very much a beta, and that issues are expected.Info from Gamespot.com

Nintendo set sales records over the holiday weekend from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday, the company has announced. The Nintendo Switch became the best-selling Nintendo console in US history for those five days, even surpassing the Wii, and the system also had its best-selling week ever in the US. All of these figures are for the US only.In the announcement, Nintendo also noted that Adobe Analytics showed Switch among the most purchased items online on Thanksgiving day and the best seller for video games during the full Black Friday to Cyber Monday time period. Overall Nintendo sold $250 million worth of products during the holiday, according to internal sales figures. That includes Switch, 3DS products, the NES and Super NES Classic systems, and accessories and games.Nintendo also noted that Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee have reached a combined 1.5 million units since launch. Super Mario Party reached 1 million as well, making it the fastest selling Mario Party game. Total lifetime 3DS sales have reached 22 million, while the Super NES Classic has hit 2.5 million and the NES Classic is at 2 million.Some of these records may be due to increased shopping time, as more stores are choosing to open for select hours on Thanksgiving day. That gives shoppers a head-start on Black Friday deals. The Nintendo Switch also had an appealing bundle option this year, packaging Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in with the system at no extra charge. Some retailers piggybacked on that bundle with extras of their own. The 3DS also got its own holiday bundle, packaging a specially colored 2DS with Super Mario Maker for $80.Info from Gamespot.com

The best deals of Black Friday and Cyber Monday may be past, but November's round of PlayStation Plus freebies is still available to anyone who has a subscription to the online service. This month adds a unique take on the first-person shooter, a detailed RPG set in modern-day Japan, and plenty of game-show and arcade action. They will be available through December 4 on the PlayStation Store, and we've also now learned what the PS Plus December 2018 games will be.As previously announced, the PlayStation 4 offerings this month include Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition and Yakuza Kiwami. Bulletstorm is a remastered version of the over-the-top first-person shooter, with a unique grapple mechanic that lets you yo-yo enemies to control the battlefield. Yakuza Kiwami is a remake of the very first Yakuza game from 2006, following Kazuma Kiryu as he tries to find a load of cash stolen from his gang.PS3 owners get Jackbox Party Pack 2, the party mini-game collection that links up with your smartphones to serve as controllers. The retro-styled Arkedo Series is also available on PS3 as well. Finally, the Vita gets throwback B-movie game Roundabout and the adventure game Burly Men at Sea. Both of those Vita offerings are also available on PS4 for good measure.As always, these games will be linked with your PlayStation Plus subscription, and will be available as long as you have it. If you unsubscribe, you'll also lose access to the games. If you're in the market for more cheap games, meanwhile, keep an eye on our Black Friday round-ups.Free PS Plus Games For November 2018PS4Bulletstorm: Full Clip EditionYakuza KiwamiBurly Man at Sea (also on Vita)Roundabout (also on Vita)PS3Jackbox Party Pack 2Arkedo SeriesPS VitaBurly Men at Sea (also on PS4)Roundabout (also on PS4)Info from Gamespot.com

December is almost here, which means PlayStation Plus members will soon get a new batch of PS4, PS3, and PS Vita games they can download for free. Sony has announced the PS Plus lineup for next month, and it's a good one. Let's take a look at what games you'll be able to grab for free between next Tuesday, December 4, and January 1.For one, PS4 owners will be able to pick up Soma, a sci-fi horror game set in a research facility at the bottom of the ocean. But unlike many creepy games that mainly offer jump scares, this one actually has something to say. In our 9/10 Soma review, Richard Wakeling called Soma "an intelligent game that forced me to think and contemplate ideas as only the best sci-fi is capable of doing."Also free on PS4 is Onrush, an online team racing game that has a lot more going on than just rushing to the finish line. Using influences ranging from Burnout's takedown mechanic to Overwatch's hero abilities, "Onrush is such a bold, refreshing twist on the genre," according to our 9/10 review. The game was also previously a free Games With Gold title on Xbox One.Meanwhile, PS3 owners will be able to pick up the space shooter Steredenn and the mind-bending visual novel SteinsGate. The free PS Vita games for December are the Metroidvania-inspired Iconoclasts (also playable on PS4), and the indie gem Papers, Please.If you hurry, you can still grab November's PS Plus games, which include Yakuza Kiwami and Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition on PS4, Jackbox Party Pack 2 and Arkedo Series on PS3, and Burly Men at Sea and Roundabout on PS Vita.As always, you'll have access to the games you add to your account as long as you have a current PS Plus subscription.Free PS Plus Games For December 2018PS4SomaOnrushIconoclasts (also on PS Vita)PS3SteredennSteinsGatePS VitaPapers, PleaseIconoclasts (also on PS4)Info from Gamespot.com

One of the first images on the screen at the start of Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is an "Approved By The Comics Code Authority" stamp, trailing right behind a glitched out slideshow of different studio logos. It's a nod that comics history buffs will no doubt appreciate, both as a fun Easter egg, and as a perfect tone setting introduction. This is a comic book movie--not a movie based on characters from comic books. It is literally a comic book turned into a movie, and every single piece, from the character designs to the animation itself, has been designed from the ground up to make that possible. The result is visually stunning and completely unique.Into the Spider-Verse is the story of Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), a slightly put-upon but otherwise unassuming teenager in Brooklyn who is struggling under the weight of his parents' lofty expectations. However, during a slightly less-than-legal graffiti excursion with his slightly less-than-reputable Uncle Aaron, Miles' life is turned upside down when he's bitten by a dimension-hopping radioactive spider. Dimension-hopping becomes a recurring theme--it's the basis for the titular "Spider-Verse," an inadvertent convergence of Spider-people from different universes, brought about by a villain's scheme. It's all pretty sci-fi, but never too sci-fi, even for those who are less well versed in comic book science than others--especially not in the same year as Thanos's snap or Ant-Man's exploration of the Quantum Realm.In fact, Into The Spider-Verse's self awareness of just how over-the-top its own science is makes for some of the most clever gags in the movie. It's brilliantly playful in introducing a supporting cast of various alternate reality Spider-people to the mix, like Nicolas Cage's Spider-Man Noir, a nazi-punching 1930s detective who is animated in perpetual black and white; John Mulaney's Spider-Ham, an anthropomorphic pig animated like a Loony Toon; or Hailee Steinfeld's Gwen Stacy--A.K.A. Spider-Woman--who carves her own path of cool through this film. At one point, Miles points out that Noir's constant rain-slicked, windblown look makes no sense--they're inside--but Noir shrugs and says that "wherever I go, the wind follows." And that's the end of that, even if Miles is practically left looking directly into the camera and contemplating how his life has gone so far off the rails.The entire movie oozes this same sort of style. It's an explosion of color--part motion comic, part music video, part traditional animation--with a driving, almost frantic energy that carries every scene. There are montages that pluck real life comic covers off the shelves, word balloons splashed on screen to represent internal monologues, benday dots smearing over shadows to convey depth--really, you name it. There seems to have been no limit to the aesthetic experimentation allowed here, and the end result is an animation style that feels completely and totally new. It may take some getting used to for the purists out there, but by the second act even the weirdest visual quirks manage to level themselves out and become totally endearing.Somehow even more endearing is the relationship between Miles and Peter Parker (Jake Johnson)--not the Peter of Miles' Earth, but one from an alternate dimension who is a little past his prime. Peter becomes Miles' unwilling mentor, which builds into as many laugh-out-loud gags as it does genuinely touching moments. Sure, this Pete may be a decade or so away from the youthful exuberance of someone like, say, Tom Holland, but that doesn't make him any less familiar--in fact, it really only makes him even more relatable for the twenty and thirty something crowd. That relatability is really Into The Spider-Verse's core, when you get down to it. The premise may be bundled in a sci-fi camp wrapping and served up as a desperately stylish, rapid fire visual extravaganza, but its heart is pretty simple. Anyone, anywhere, has the power to be as heroic and as special as Spider-Man. It doesn't matter if you're an angst ridden teen struggling through high school, a middle aged divorcee down on their luck, or a cartoon pig with no concern for the laws of physics--the ability to do good, the ability to make the world a better place, is universal. It's multiversal, even. It's a constant.It may seem a bit saccharine, typed out in so many words, but it's a message that superhero comics--that Spider-Man comics specifically--have been touting for ages, and something that's been long overdue for a big screen debut. It probably wouldn't work if Into The Spider-Verse weren't just so funny, self aware, and bleeding-edge modern--but it is, and it does. It manages to blow right past the dangers of sinking into after school special territory by believing wholeheartedly in its own message and delivering it with appropriately genuine stakes. The end result is an instant animated classic, and, with any luck, the first of many of its kind.The GoodThe BadIncredible, unique animation and style Johnson and Moore's hilarious chemistry A great message Almost too many easter eggs for comics fans to count Interesting, new spins on classic characters Info from Gamespot.com

Black Friday and Cyber Monday may have left a crater in your bank account, but look out, because the regular weekly deals on video games are coming back around again. Among these sales is this one on Xbox Live, where you can find discounts on digital Xbox One and Xbox 360 games across a number of genres. To get some of the deals, you'll need an Xbox Live Gold subscription, while others are available to everyone. In either case, all of these discounts end on December 3. Let's dive in.If you got used to last week's long lists of game deals, this week's meager offerings might come with a harsh dose of reality. Not many games are on sale this week, but even so, you might find something worth buying. For instance, if you missed (or have nostalgia for) the BioShock series, you can grab BioShock: The Collection for just $15 / £11.25 this week. If you're in a similar boat with Rockstar's LA Noire, you can scoop up the Xbox One version for $20 / £17.50.More recent releases that may be of interest include the gothic action-RPG Vampyr for $30 / £25 or the sci-fi action-RPG Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor - Martyr for $48 / £42.39. And if you're looking for lighter fare, you can pick up Coffin Dodgers for $4.80 / £3.84 or Bridge Constructor Portal for $10 / £8.You can find more games on sale this week below, including some on Xbox 360, or you can check out the full list on Major Nelson's blog.Xbox OneBioShock: The Collection -- $15 / £11.25Bridge Constructor Portal -- $10 / £8Carnival Games -- $30 / £26Coffin Dodgers -- $4.80 / £3.84Pinball FX3 - Jurassic World Pinball -- $5 / £4Pinball FX3 - Marvel Pinball: Cinematic Pack -- $4 / £3.35LA Noire -- $20 / £17.50Vampyr -- $30 / £25Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor - Martyr -- $48 / £42.39Xbox 360Conan -- $3 / £2.24Elements of Destruction -- $1.50 / £1LA Noire -- $9 / £6Legend of Kay Anniversary -- $4.50 / £3.74 Info from Gamespot.com

A change to one of the bonus items included in the Fallout 76 Collector's Edition has raised the ire of some fans, and Bethesda is apologizing for an apparent brusque response from its support team. However, it's still unclear whether Bethesda notified customers of the impending change to its expensive collector's edition before release.The item in question is a tote bag that came in the $200 Collector's Edition. It had been advertised as a "Canvas West Tek Duffel Bag," but Reddit users noticed the canvas bag had been swapped for a nylon one. One Reddit user reached out and received a response from the Bethesda Gear Store support team, stating that the prototype bag was "too expensive to make" and that the company is "not planning on doing anything about it."GameSpot reached out to confirm the support email, and received the following statement from Bethesda:"We're investigating the response from the Bethesda Gear Store Support team and we apologize to the customer who took the time to reach out," it read. "The support response was incorrect and not in accordance with our conduct policy. Unfortunately, due to unavailability of materials, we had to switch to a nylon carrying case in the Fallout 76: Power Armor Edition. We hope this doesn't prevent anyone from enjoying what we feel is one of our best collector's editions."GameSpot followed up with an inquiry regarding when the change was made and whether customers had been notified, but has not received a response as of the time of writing. The official store listing currently shows nylon listed in the text, though the image still says canvas. On a cached version of the same page from November 20, a week after release, the text still read canvas as well.Fallout 76 has received a middling reception from critics, including in GameSpot's review. "Bethesda has stated it intends to continue supporting the game for a long time, but at launch, Fallout 76 is a poor experience," wrote critic Edmond Tran. "There are echoes of the series' admirable qualities, but look past that facade, past the cute Vault Boy animations, past the familiar radio tracks, and you'll find no heart--just an inconsequential wasteland doomed to be nuked over and over again."Bethesda has acknowledged some "frustrating issues" and promises patches for a long time to come. Some of the ones coming in the immediate future have already been detailed. Info from Gamespot.com