It's no secret that the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S have been nearly impossible to find over the last six months, and many of those looking to jump into the next generation haven't been able to do so. The consoles are almost never available in retail stores, and online supply has been limited--and often quickly snagged by those who plan to sell it later for a higher price. But just why does the problem seem to be this bad compared to other console launches? Is it the pandemic, massive demand, or something else entirely? We spoke to the experts to get a clearer picture of the problem and when it might be resolved.The world doesn't just provide you with chipsAccording to IDC's gaming research director, Lewis Ward, low inventory of microprocessors and Intel's slower transition to the 10nm process for semiconductors (though both new consoles use AMD chips, which were also affected) played a role in supply issues more generally in the tech industry. And for Microsoft and Sony, the targets they set in place for console production were thrown into a "semi-chaotic state" by the pandemic."As a general rule, it's pretty tough to radically change production schedules and related contract terms," Ward told GameSpot.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Actor, writer, director, comedian, and musician Bo Burnham has filmed a new special that will come to Netflix later this year. The special is called "Inside.""Hi. I made a new special. It was filmed by me, alone, without a crew or an audience, over the course of the past year. It is almost finished. I hope you like it," Burnham said on Twitter.A teaser video for the special shows a clean-shaven Burnham playing piano in a dark room before cutting to a tighter shot of Burnham with a quarantine beard and longer hair.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Nearly 15 years after their original release, The Pokemon Company is polishing up Pokemon Diamond and Pearl and bringing them to Nintendo Switch as Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. The pair will release on Nintendo's hybrid console later this year, and like other Pokemon remakes before them, they update the classic DS games with some modern features. However, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl also stay much more faithful to the originals than previous remakes, even sporting a similar visual style and the series' traditional top-down viewpoint.We got our first glimpse at Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl during the Pokemon Presents event back in February. While we've heard little about the titles since then, The Pokemon Company has already revealed some notable details about the upcoming remakes, with more news likely on the horizon as we approach their launch. In the meantime, here's a look at everything we know so far about Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

According to a developer at Insomniac Games, the studio behind Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, the game's load times may be faster than previously shown.Commenting in the Resetera forums, the developer, James Stevenson, responded to one user marveling over the incredibly fast load time we saw in Rift Apart's latest gameplay trailer. In the trailer, Rivet, the game's new playable character, smacks a large crystal with her hammer, transporting her to another world. The new level is loaded incredibly fast, over the course of a single second.However, according to Stevenson, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart's load times could be even faster. "It'll probably be slightly faster even by the time you play it in June," they responded. It's hard to imagine how much faster load times for Rift Apart could possibly be, considering the load shown in its latest gameplay trailer takes a tiny fraction of a minute. However, it seems like the game may be able to load new levels almost instantly.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

A report from hardware outlet VideoCardz states that Nvidia's upcoming reissue of its RTX 30-series cards will include chips that will limit their ability to mine cryptocurrency. According to the report, Nvidia's GAxx2 chips will ship in the middle of May, and they will feature "LHR" chips, which stands for "Lite Hash Rate."The report notes that Lite Hash Rate is not a marketing term, but a term used internally to describe GPUs to company partners. While these sellers will know which cards include the LHR chips, it will be invisible to the customers buying the chips, hence the "quiet launch" mentioned in the piece. It also claims that these new chips will offer the same performance as cards that are already on the market.In fact, performance might actually increase thanks to the on-board "ResizableBAR" feature, which allows the GPU to transfer data to the CPU more effectively than normal. According to Nvidia, existing 30-series GPUs require a VBIOS update to take advantage of that feature, which also requires compatible hardware.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Actor Michael B. Jordan has seemingly put to bed the growing rumors that he might be tapped to play the starring role in the recently announced Superman reboot movie for DC. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter about the upcoming Tom Clancy's Without Remorse, which is due out on April 30 on Prime Video, the performer demurred about the casting rumors."I'm flattered that people have me in that conversation," Jordan said. "It's definitely a compliment, but I'm just watching on this one."Even if Jordan won't be the Man of Steel, the reboot promises to be, well, very promising. Ta-Nehisi Coates recently signed on as writer for the project, and his being hired alone is incredibly exciting--the journalist and non-fiction writer has long since pivoted to also write rich and deep reinterpretations of long-running comics like Black Panther and Captain America for Marvel. And in addition to Coates, JJ Abrams will be developing the project with his production company, Bad Robot.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

To celebrate the upcoming May Melee Overwatch League tournament, developer Blizzard has dropped a new legendary Mei skin that gives the Overwatch hero an MMA-inspired look. But the change hasn't been well-received, as the community is torn between loving and hating Mei's cornrows, with a segment of players citing this as yet another form of cultural appropriation from a big-name studio.The skin, which is called MM-Mei, sees the Chinese character don a boxer's robe, "Frost"-emblazoned gloves, and even an MMA-inspired belt. The point of contention, however, is Mei's hairstyle. In the legendary skin, Mei is wearing cornrows, a type of braided hairdo typically associated with the Black community, often used to tame knots and foster growth.Put 'em up, MM-Mei is stepping into the ring 🥊Secure this legendary Mei skin TODAY, just in time for the #OWL2021 May Melee!Read more ➡️ https://t.co/4UFOc1uQJq pic.twitter.com/f5PnW9TQE4 — Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) April 28, 2021Players took to Twitter to respond to the skin. Some have demanded the Overwatch team "listen to the black people complaining that you gave her a black hairstyle," arguing that the skin is shortsighted. Others cited the myriad ways Blizzard could've styled Mei's hair while still evoking an MMA-inspired look, including a buzzcut, twin braids, and various kinds of ponytails.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

If the $15 monthly charge for HBO Max is too much for you, then WarnerMedia might have an answer for you this summer--if you're willing to watch a few advertisements. HBO Max will ask $10 a month for its previously-announced ad-supported tier this June, according to a report from CNBC.If you want to go watch Mortal Kombat and Godzilla vs. Kong right now, HBO Max is going for $15; that's the same price you'd pay for the premium channel on your local cable service. HBO Max doesn't offer a free trial right now, unlike major competitor Netflix.CNBC notes that a $10 tier would give the growing service a potential leg up on Netflix; the streaming giant is asking $13.00 per month right now. The other interesting wrinkle is that WarnerMedia won't show you just any ads. Instead, the service will only attach ads for HBO Max-exclusive programming. That means that while you would be seeing ads, they'd be for Doom Patrol and Peacemaker--not for migraine medication for moms, or car insurance sold by tall birds.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Five Nights At Freddy's: Security Breach will be hiding its neon-laden secrets for a bit longer, as series creator Scott Cawthon took to Reddit to confirm the game's latest delay to "late 2021."The game--which was last seen during PlayStation's February 25 State of Play event--was originally slated for release in late 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the game into 2021."As you all know, Security Breach was originally planned to come out at the end of 2020, but as we kept working on it and kept adding to it, it just kept getting bigger and bigger and needed more time to finish," Cawthon said in the Reddit post. "And now, again, I've made the decision to put more time and money into it to make sure it's finished properly, and that means a late 2021 release instead of an early 2021 release like I had originally wanted. It will be worth it!"Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has had a long and troubling road in terms of queer representation onscreen. After Endgame's director-insert "queer character," where a nameless man played by a Russo brother bemoaned missing baseball and bad dates was officially noted as the "first" for the MCU in 2019, it seemed like there was nowhere to go but up. Some fans even started hoping that a show like Falcon and The Winter Soldier could be a chance for Marvel to make good and start to pay off the long-running fan reading of Bucky Barnes as a bisexual man.This wish wasn't without some grounds in the text of the show, and even the promotional material, which teased things like "relationship counseling" between Sam and Bucky.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Actor Jeff Goldblum will be guest starring in an upcoming episode of the Dungeons & Dragons podcast Dark Dice. Goldblum will be role-playing as the elven sorcerer Balmur in the improvised audio drama, and is set to be one of five player-characters. The season featuring Goldblum, which is titled The Long March, is set to launch on May 12.As of this writing, it's unclear whether Goldblum will be making a one-off appearance, or be sticking around for a longer campaign. Dark Dice bills itself as a "horror actual-play D&D podcast that uses immersive soundscapes to create an added layer of immersion… [as adventurers] journey into the ruinous domain of the nameless god."We are proud to announce that JEFF GOLDBLUM will be joining the cast of Dark Dice, starting May 12th, as an Elven sorcerer named Balmur.More Info here:https://t.co/xGI3z3hEDW pic.twitter.com/frVVA4ubQR — The Dark Dice Podcast (@DarkDicePod) April 28, 2021Goldblum should be brilliant on the podcast, as the actor has a well-deserved reputation for performing with absolute commitment and a penchant for eccentric characters--an admirable trait that seems not far off from the man's actual personality. His quirky, curious side is on full display on the Disney+ series, The World According to Jeff Goldblum, in which he journeys into various subcultures--Season 1 of the show debuted in 2019, and had deep dives full of strange digressions in his interviews with people deeply into video games, ice cream, and sneakers. That show was picked up for a second season in early 2020.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The Nintendo 64's Pokemon Snap has held a special place in my heart for over 20 years, partially because there's nothing else quite like it in the Pokemon franchise. Pokemon Snap has nothing to do with catching or battling with Pokemon, and humans aren't at the heart of its story. Instead, Snap has always been about the joy of discovery and uncovering the secrets of the Pokemon world without interfering with it. Its long-lasting charm has stemmed in part from emulating one of the greatest joys of photography: witnessing and capturing moments it felt like you weren't supposed to see, like a group of Charmander performing a synchronized dance inside a volcano. 20 years later, that same charm and mystique is present in New Pokemon Snap on Nintendo Switch. With even more courses and Pokemon to discover, New Pokemon Snap is a brand-new adventure that's absolutely delightful to embark on, incorporating newer generations of Pokemon and stunning environments that feel truly alive.Like the first game, New Pokemon Snap opens with you, a budding photographer, joining up with a Pokemon professor to snap some photos for his research. The mystery at the heart of the game is quickly introduced--Professor Mirror is investigating a strange Illumina phenomenon that's causing some Pokemon in the Lental region to glow, and you're here to catch it in action and discover its source. This sets up an overarching story--something that wasn't present in the first game--that slowly unfolds as you explore each island. The story itself isn't particularly deep and feels somewhat half-baked, but having the narrative reasons for continuing to explore each island does help progression feel natural and well-paced. Charming voice-acted cutscenes with Professor Mirror and the research team help draw you in and add to the overall presentation.What you're really here for, though, are the new courses, which you explore in a pod-like vehicle known as the NEO-ONE. These take you through all sorts of natural Pokemon environments, from thick jungles to vast deserts and underwater caverns. Though some of them are thematically similar to courses that were present in the 1999 game, such as the beach level, New Pokemon Snap also takes you to brand-new environments. These feature a mix of Pokemon from all eight generations existing in their natural habitats. Each environment is full of life, with something happening in nearly every direction you look--it's almost a sensory overload the first time you load up a course. The thrill of discovery is still at the heart of its gameplay--that incredible feeling of spotting your favorite Pokemon out of the blue and snapping about 20 quickfire shots of it that all turn out terrible because you were just so excited and weren't ready for it. Whether you're photographing a Pokemon that burst out in front of you or zooming in to take a shot of one that's hidden in the distance, the sense of wonder and constant anticipation of what you'll see next in New Pokemon Snap is exhilarating.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

A new action-drama called The Baker has been announced and it's assembled a cast of big names. Deadline reports that the movie will feature Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Sons of Anarchy), Harvey Keitel (Pulp Fiction), Joel David Moore (Avatar), and Elias Koteas (The Thin Red Line). The youngster Emma Ho (Code 8) is also lined up to star in the movie.Perlman plays a quiet man who is living a "monk-like existence" in his own self-imposed exile. His estranged son (Moore) gets killed after a drug deal went south, so Perlman's character, who is apparently a baker, must look after his granddaughter (Ho) that he had no idea even existed. Keitel is lined up to play Perlman's nemesis, while Koteas portrays a henchman who is "stuck between the two."Ron Perlman in Pacific RimFilming is already underway in the Cayman Islands. Recently, Perlman shared a photo on Instagram of a stingray "kiss" that he suffered, tagging the photo in the Cayman Islands, which makes sense now.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Nintendo has released a free demo for Miitopia, the upcoming Switch RPG featuring your Mii characters. The demo lets you create and customize your Mii and sample the beginning of the game. Best of all, any progress you make in the demo will carry over once the full game launches on May 21.Miitopia is a light-hearted, turn-based RPG in which you create a party of characters using Miis and travel about the land recovering faces that have been stolen by the Dark Lord (who you also create using one of your Miis). The Switch version is an enhanced port of the 3DS game, which released back in 2017, and features improved visuals, new customization options, and more.A free demo for #Miitopia is available now on #NintendoSwitch #eShop! Download and begin your comedy-filled adventure to bring down the Dark Lord today! The demo even features save-data transfer with the full version!Download the demo and pre-order now: https://t.co/Ms9CjCkjBc pic.twitter.com/KVXB5xg15Z — Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) April 27, 2021Each party member you create in Miitopia can be assigned a different class, which range from traditional RPG staples like warrior and mage to sillier occupations like chef and pop star. Your characters can also form bonds with each other by hanging out together while at inns or embarking on outings, which in turn will unlock extra benefits during battle. This time around, you can also enlist and customize a horse.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Resident Evil Re:Verse, the multiplayer component of the upcoming Resident Evil Village, is coming later this year. An email to "Resident Evil ambassadors" says that the service will begin this summer, rather than alongside Village on May 7. The email did not give more specific timing. Re:Vese is a competitive multiplayer shooter, where players control a set of heroes or villains and battle it out. Downed enemies can become bioweapons to attach to other players. Capcom has been regularly hosting beta tests for the mode.Meanwhile, Resident Evil Village has gotten its own set of demos, albeit with some odd time restrictions. Possibly in response to controversy over the strict demo timing, Capcom opted to extend its final demo by a full week. Some people are already playing the full game, however, as it appears to have leaked in the wild in some territories.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com