With its $7.5 billion purchase of ZeniMax, Microsoft now has a whopping 23 first-party game development studios, but the company might not stop there.Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told GameSpot sister site CNET that Microsoft will consider snapping up more game developers in the future if it makes sense."We'll always look for places where there is that commonality of purpose, mission, and culture," Nadella said. "We will always look to grow inorganically where it makes sense."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

While Halo Infinite might be delayed until 2021, the Halo engine keeps on chugging with a big new update for Halo: The Master Chief Collection.First and foremost, Halo 3: ODST is out now on PC--you can grab it on Steam, the Microsoft Store, or Xbox Game Pass for PC. It's the fifth game in the package to come to PC, following Halo: Reach, Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, and Halo 3. The sixth game in the package, Halo 4, will be released at some point later in 2020.ODST was already available for MCC on Xbox One, but the big update introduces ODST Firefight on console. Some of the notable updates for ODST Firefight, which is available for PC and Xbox One, are new weapons in the form of the Halo 3 battle rifle and ODST's assault rifle, as well as the Hornet and Anti-Air Wraith vehicles, among other things.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

September 22 was a big day for Xbox, with preorders for the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles opening up worldwide. Similar to the preorder situation with the PlayStation 5, it was something of a fiasco for the new Microsoft consoles. Despite that, Microsoft's next-gen consoles got off to a hot start, it seems."We are humbled by the record-breaking demand for the Xbox Series X and S," Microsoft said on Twitter. "Huge thanks to everyone for the excitement.".We are humbled by the record-breaking demand for Xbox Series X and S. Huge thanks to everyone for the excitement. 🙏If you weren't successful today be sure to sign up with retailers for updates, and expect more consoles to be available on November 10. 💚 — Xbox (@Xbox) September 22, 2020For those who didn't get an Xbox on the first preorder day, Microsoft advised people to speak with their preferred retailer for updates on preorder availability. The company also mentioned that it will have additional stock of the new consoles available for launch on November 10.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Destiny 2 has just expanded greatly for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. The game's two major expansions, Forsaken and Shadowkeep, are both available now for subscribers, making the entire Destiny 2 experience a part of Game Pass.The two expansions add new story missions, planets, weapons, and much more to Destiny 2, and let you level up your guardians to a much higher Light level. If you've only dabbled in Destiny 2, these expansions will let you dive deep.Destiny 2 went free-to-play some time ago, but these expansions have cost money since they launched. The next expansion, Beyond Light, will also be available on Game Pass on the day of its release, November 10.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Assassin's Creed Valhalla is releasing later this year, and the Assassin's Creed UK Twitter account posted a video looking back at the history of the series' most iconic weapon, the Hidden Blade, to celebrate. However, fans were quick to note something off about the video--it only featured men.While the Assassin's Creed series has predominantly featured male protagonists, there have been several major women across the franchise, several of them playable. Most notable was the absence of Aveline de Grandpré, star of Assassin's Creed III: Liberation, the first playable woman in the Assassin's Creed series.The tweet has since been followed up on and a new video has been posted, featuring Aveline and several other women from the series. You can watch it below.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Super Mario 3D All-Stars, the recently released Switch compilation of 3D Mario platformers, has been a big sales success in the UK. 3D All-Stars has had one of the year's best launches in the country, and ranks fairly high in Nintendo's all-time list, too.According to Gamesindustry.biz, 3D All-Stars was the best-selling physical game in the UK last week, tracking ahead of Marvel's Avengers (which saw a sales decrease of 46% compared to the previous week). It was the third biggest opening for any game this year in the country, behind only The Last of Us: Part II and Animal Crossing: New Horizons.Nintendo's bundle featuring HD ports of Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy for Switch is the third biggest game launch of the year in the UK, after Sony's The Last of Us: Part II and another Nintendo staple, Animal Crossing: New Horizons.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

One of the new features in NHL 21 is Hut Rush, which is a faster-paced version of the standard Hockey Ultimate Team (HUT). EA Sports has now published a new gameplay video for it and shared some additional details about what to expect.HUT Rush has a "Style Scoring" system which, as its name suggests, rewards players for scoring goals with style moves. There is a multiplier system so you can chain moves together to score the highest possible amount of points.First look at HUT RUSH #NHL21 👀First goal wins 🥅Playable Mascots 🦁Earn points with style 😎Get HUT Rewards ✅Learn more 👉 https://t.co/xSwirJPaWF pic.twitter.com/gEfawnDmTS — EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) September 22, 2020 Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Right on schedule, the fourth title update for Madden NFL 21 is now available, and it's a big one. The September 22 patch introduces a series of new player abilities, makes fixes and tuning changes for several issues, and addresses bugs with Franchise, Madden Ultimate Team, and The Yard. One of the most notable fixes in this patch is for the bug that could cause the kick meter to "hitch" during field goal tries. Many complained about the kick meter bugging out, causing frustration and missed extra points in some scenarios. In GameSpot's Madden NFL 21 review, we said there was "fairly extreme lag" that could cause kicks to go array.In terms of the new abilities, these include Run Committed and Pass Committed, which help defenders break up plays. Another new ability is called Deflator, and this causes increased fatigue-related penalties when using an aggressive tackle on a ball-carrier. Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is one of several new live-action Marvel shows being made for Disney+, and it was originally set to arrive on the service this summer. However, like many series, the COVID-19 pandemic led to production being halted earlier this year, and it has now been confirmed that it won't be released until 2021.Although it was previously reported that Falcon and the Winter Soldier wouldn't make its August release slot, this is the first confirmation that we won't see it this year at all. The show has a page on Disney+, and "coming 2021" has now been added to the listing.The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was filming in Prague when production was suspended in March. In July, it was reported that Disney had been given permission to resume work by Czech authorities, but with the series months behind schedule, it's hardly surprising that it will now arrive next year.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The Pokemon Company is teaming up with Longchamp Paris to release a Pokemon-themed fashion collection, and Pokemon Go is celebrating the collaboration with its own fashion-themed event next month.Starting October 2 at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET, "fashionable" Pokemon will be appearing in the wild, Raid Battles, and hatching from eggs more frequently than normal. Many of the pocket monsters will be sporting top hats, caps, bows, and other accessories: Smoochum wearing bows will hatch from 7 km eggs, while Kirlia and Shinx wearing top hats will appear as Raid bosses. You'll also find the following Pokemon more frequently in the wild:MareepSkittyRoseliaKricketotCroagunk (wearing a backwards cap)BlitzleCottoneeMinccinoGothitaOn top of that, you'll have a chance to encounter Shiny Kricketot during the event. Event-exclusive Field Research tasks will also be available, and a free Longchamp bag for your avatar--based on one of the real fashion items being released--will be available from Pokemon Go's in-game style shop. The fashion event runs until 10 PM PT on October 8.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Earlier today, Microsoft announced its acquisition of Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media for $7.5 billion. The purchase raised eyebrows online, with some excited about a possible Doom/Halo crossover. This is just one of the many reactions the internet had to the news; you can check out other responses below.Wishing for a Doom/Halo crossover--particularly a buddy cop version, as Twitch streamer ItMeJP jokingly requested--is one of the more obvious reactions to Microsoft and ZeniMax's deal. The two legendary, suited-up super soldiers make sense together, especially given Doom Eternal and Halo Infinite's revamped gameplay and traversal mechanics.This can now actually become reality pic.twitter.com/azmvB4Wwut — Nibel (@Nibellion) September 21, 2020Others responded with memes, like one with Xbox boss Phil Spencer facing the camera and a shopping list floating to the right. The list features various grocery items like bread and eggs, as well as Bethesda. Or another using a scene from It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia to posit a reunion, in which Charlie (Charlie Day, or in this case, Bethesda Game Studios) and Mac (Rob McElhenney, or Obsidian Entertainment) spot each other in a restaurant.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Another artist is performing in Fortnite, and this time it's the biggest boy band in the world. BTS will premiere the choreography music video for their recently released song, "Dynamite," in Fortnite's Party Royale mode on September 25 at 5 PM PT / 8 PM ET.If you want to dance along, two emotes with "Dynamite" dance moves will be available. A Tropical Remix listening party will also take place at the end of the event.Ladies and Gentlemen, a special announcement from @bts_bighit #DynaNite pic.twitter.com/ISAuoAWDLr — Fortnite (@FortniteGame) September 21, 2020BTS joins the ever-expanding roster of artists holding virtual concerts in Fortnite. Anderson .Paak performed in the game on September 19 and Travis Scott also held a pretty successful virtual concert in April. With the global pandemic making real-life concerts impossible in many places, it's likely we'll see more musicians find new ways to perform for their fans.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

PlayStation 5 preorders recently began, and they were a bit of a mess. A new complication has now appeared with the retailer Walmart, one of the first to offer preorders, with users being alerted to wild price drops.Several GameSpot staff have received emails alerting them to a price drop due to a "competitive price match." These have ranged anywhere from $50 to a whopping $377, the latter of which brought the total price of the all-digital console down to a cool twenty bucks. The error also appears to be applying to accessories and games, as emails went out promising discounts on an extra DualSense controller and the PS5 remake of Demon's Souls.For obvious reasons, this seems like a mistake, and these prices won't ultimately be honored. As the console doesn't release until November, the retailer has plenty of time to fix the glitch. It is possible that Walmart will end up price-matching another retailer for preorders at some point, but not at these prices. GameSpot has contacted Walmart regarding the error.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Without a doubt the biggest news of the day is Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda parent company ZeniMax, which now puts properties like Fallout and more under the Xbox banner. But with Microsoft's previous purchases, is there finally potential for a true sequel to Fallout: New Vegas?New Vegas was developed by Obsidian and is still regarded as one of the best adventures in the series to date. Bethesda Studios developed both Fallout 3, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76, with no indication that Obsidian would ever return. At least until today, with Microsoft now owning both the Fallout IP and Obsidian.The connection was not lost on many, prompting Obsidian to reply was as vague a response as you might expect. Will there be a sequel to New Vegas? Will Obsidian get the chance to work on Fallout at all? At this point, no one is really saying.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

In 1989, the Fred Savage and Howie Mandel children's film Little Monsters was released, which centers on a boy who befriends the monster under his bed. However, looking back in a recent interview for the Blu-ray release of the film, he wouldn't do it all again if he had to.In the special feature on the Blu-ray titled "Call Me Maurice," Mandel discusses his early career in showbusiness, which led him to the role of Maurice, a character where he had to spend hours in makeup. "When little monsters was presented to me, I went, 'Okay,' without any thought of what it would mean," Mandel explained. "You know it's a nice experience. I met nice people. I had a nice time personally. Physically, it almost killed me. And I wouldn't have done that. It's not good to spend a summer in the Carolinas wrapped in latex."Cut in with some of the interview is footage from Mandel in the makeup chair on the film's set. The comedian has been very open about his battle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for most of his life, and spoke about it in detail in his 2009 autobiography Here's the Dead: Don't Touch Me.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com