Microsoft's Halo Infinite isn't coming out until 2021, but one retailer recently updated its website with details on new special edition of the game. In the US, Best Buy will sell a $105 USD bundle that comes with the standard edition of the game, as well as a SteelBook case and a Master Chief PVC statue. It also includes a $10 reward when you pre-order, though the store is not yet accepting orders. The page is very sparse at the moment, so we don't know further specifics like the exact dimensions/details of the statue. This appears to be the first Halo Infinite special edition bundle, and it's expected that more will be announced in the lead-up to the game's release in 2021. And if Microsoft is cooking up a special-edition Xbox Series X/S console, a safe bet is that it might be for Halo Infinite, but this is just conjecture at this stage.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The wide release of Tenet into US cinemas has been looked to as a test case for whether cinemas can resume some level of normal business amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and in its third weekend, things aren't looking so good. The LA Times reports that the film earned $4.7 million over the September 18-20 weekend, and while this is only a 26% drop, the film is still underperforming domestically--especially with no major releases planned for the rest of the month.These numbers can partly be attributed to the fact that cinemas in California and New York largely remain closed--80% across California have not reopened yet--but they're still lower than Warner Bros., and cinema chains, were likely expecting. The film has made a disappointing $36.1 million in the US so far, despite getting off to what was viewed as a strong start.The film's underperformance is likely the reason why Wonder Woman 1984, also from Warner Bros., has been pushed back until December.Internationally, the picture is slightly brighter--the film has made $239 million, according to Box Office Mojo--but the $200 million film will likely not recoup its costs in theatres after marketing is factored in. Internationally, Tenet is the fifth highest grossing film of the year so far, behind Doolittle ($245.6 million). This has created an issue for many cinema chains around the country--after reopening for Tenet, they now find themselves underperforming while also needing to pay for the costs of keeping a cinema open.The next major cinema release for 2020 is Death on the Nile, coming October 23. Marvel's Black Widow is scheduled for a November 6 release, but a delay is expected.Info from Gamespot.com

The Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War alpha test was held this weekend on PlayStation 4, and if you were one of the many, many people who took part, you might have noticed that the sniper rifles felt a little too powerful.This was intentional, according to Treyarch lead designer Tony Flame. He said on Twitter that snipers were buffed during the alpha, and you can expect a nerf for the upcoming beta in October based on player data from the alpha weekend.Ok let's talk Sniping in Cold War.Crossplay is coming, but we knew it wouldn't be in Alpha. We buffed Snipers to evaluate their performance in this Alpha specifically. Sniper Rifles WILL have balance changes for the upcoming Beta based on our analytics data this weekend. — Tony Flame (@Tony_Flame) September 18, 2020Flame also pointed out that the alpha version of Black Ops Cold War that you might have played this weekend represents an outdated look at where the game stands today. The studio has made a range of improvements already, covering weapons and movement, as well as "new gameplay and system features."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War alpha on PS4 has come and gone, and one part of it that's leaving a lasting impression is its use of skill-based matchmaking (SBMM).This is a backend matchmaking system that puts players into matches with players determined to be of a similar skill level. Some people complained about SBMM for the Black Ops Cold War, and now the technology director at Treyarch has responded.They all had SBMM. https://t.co/POpRwO0qXR — Martin Donlon (@wickerwaka) September 19, 2020Martin Donlon corrected someone on Twitter who claimed that games like Black Ops 2, Modern Warfare 3, Modern Warfare 2, and 2007's Modern Warfare did not have SBMM, and this made them better as a result. But Donlon made it clear that they all had SBMM, even if it wasn't immediately noticeable.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Super Mario Bros. recently celebrated its 35th anniversary, and the series continues to be extremely popular to this day. The character of Mario is particularly iconic--30 years ago, a poll outside of Japan found that the character was more recognizable than Mickey Mouse, the head Disney mascot.Nintendo has just published their Q & A summary from Nintendo's corporate management policy briefing for the current fiscal year, and Mario's creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, has reflected on this poll. His reaction to having made such a popular character is surprising--but he also details how the character's popularity galvanized him.Asked about 35 years of Mario, Miyamoto notes how much each major platformer in the series differs. "We often hear our consumers saying that each title in the Super Mario Bros. series feels like a meaningfully different game," Miyamoto says. He then reflects on the Mickey Mouse poll, and how he felt about it. "I felt bad that Mickey Mouse, who had been hugely popular among fans, including myself, for 60 years at that point, was even being compared to Mario, who had just been around for a few years back then."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The Nintendo 3DS has been discontinued, meaning that the console is no longer being produced. Because of this, fans of the device--or owners of many digital games that they don't have downloaded--might be wondering what this means for the system's online functionality, including online play and the Eshop store. According to Nintendo, though, there's no need to worry.In a statement given to Gamesindustry.biz, Nintendo has affirmed that the 3DS online functions will remain in place for a long time yet. "Nintendo and third-party games for the Nintendo 3DS family of system will continue to be available in Nintendo eShop, on Nintendo.com and at retail," a Nintendo spokesperson told the site. "We currently have no plans to end any existing online services for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems."The statement continues, assuring fans that there's nothing to worry about. "Online play and Nintendo Eshop will continue to be available and it will be possible to access and re-download all previously purchased content in the foreseeable future."The 3DS sold over 75 million units to date. Some major digital-only titles on the system include BoxBoxBoy, Pushmo, Pocket Card Jockey, and Crimson Shroud.The 3DS recently received a new physical game, The Atooi Collection, which brought together many previously digital-only releases, although it could only be purchased online. The last 3DS game to receive a wide retail physical release was Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth. Info from Gamespot.com

A first trailer for WandaVision, the upcoming Disney + series about Vision and Scarlet Witch, has debuted. The trailer premiered during the 72nd Emmy Awards, and shows how the series will mix the aesthetics of classic sitcoms with more modern Marvel elements.A release date for the series has not been announced yet, but the trailer promises that it is coming soon.According to the official description sent to press, the series--which stars Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany, reprising their roles from the Marvel Cinematic Universe--will feature Vision and Scarlet Witch living "idealized suburban lives," but realizing that "everything is not as it seems."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Super Mario 3D All-Stars has officially launched on Nintendo Switch, and there's a day one update waiting for players who pick it up. The collection's 1.0.1 patch is now live, but it's fairly minor, primarily making a small handful of fixes and improvements.According to the patch notes from Nintendo's support website, 3D All-Stars' 1.0.1 update improves the screen display for Super Mario Galaxy's two-player Co-Star Mode. Beyond that, the patch also makes several unspecified fixes "to improve the overall gameplay experience." You can read the full patch notes below.Mario 3D All-Stars is a Switch compilation featuring the plumber's first three 3D platformers: Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy. Each game displays at higher resolution and has some modified controls to suit the Switch hardware. You can read more in our Mario 3D All-Stars review.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

CD Projekt Red's Night City Wire series has given us comprehensive looks at the many details and facets of the main setting of Cyberpunk 2077. During their most recent stream, the developers at CD Projekt Red unveiled a fully explorable website that focuses on Night City, which you can check out right now. Similar a real-world website for any major city, the official Night City website is way more blunt and candid about the current state of things in its high-tech metropolis, offering us some surprising details about life in the big, expansive locale--even if most of them are a bit terrifying. It's a cool bit of worldbuilding, and if you're interested in Cyberpunk 2077, it's a fun read to understand just how crazy the game's setting is.One of the more imaginative things about cyberpunk fiction is that it examines our present-day through an extrapolated lens, allowing us to look at our current issues in a different light. This site works well as a satire of capitalism and greed in the western world, putting in similar territory to the satirical look at America in Paul Verhoeven's Robocop, but it also does a lot to show what's in store for players in the game once it releases on November 19. Here's a quick look at some of the most interesting and bizarre details from Night City's official website.A Brief History Of Night CityOne of the first features you'll see on the site is a quick rundown on the history of Night City. Located on the west coast in Central and Northern California, Night City was first established by billionaire industrialist Richard Night. He would not live long enough to see the completion of the city, but his vision would continue on. In the year 2077, Night City is a massive city-state with its own government, law enforcement, currency, and communities that inhabit it. Violence, corruption, and capitalism are the norm in Night City, and 2077 looks to be the roughest year the place has seen yet. The mayor of Night City in 2077, Lucius Rhyne, even shared his thoughts on the state of things.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Earlier this summer, Nintendo released a small, free fitness game on the Switch eShop called Jump Rope Challenge. If you haven't downloaded it yet, however, your time to do so is quickly running out, as the game will only be available until the end of this month.As the company previously announced, Jump Rope Challenge is being removed from the eShop on September 30. It's unclear if it will be offered again in the future, so if you're interested in grabbing it, you should do so before that date.Jump Rope ChallengeNintendo says Jump Rope Challenge was "created by a small group of Nintendo developers while working from home in Japan as a simple game to add some quick and fun movement into their daily lives." The game uses Switch's Joy-Con controllers to mimic jump rope handles and tracks how many times you've virtually jumped rope each day.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Before this week, Twitch viewers would typically only see a video advertisement when first clicking on someone's stream, making sure they didn't miss a moment of the action. That changed a few days ago when Twitch implemented compulsory mid-roll ads, removing creators' ability to choose when they were shown. There was a huge outcry about the ads and, at least for now, Twitch has removed them from the service.Several streamers complained about the change, emphasizing that the amount of content they'd be losing was not worth the extra revenue they'd be getting from having the mid-roll play during their gameplay sessions. Especially if multiple people are playing the same popular game, it could be the difference between a viewer staying on a channel or checking out someone else's gameplay.Hey Bryonato, we've concluded the test, so viewers will no longer see mid-rolls. We've gone through a lot of the feedback provided on the original tweet, UserVoice, etc and will take this into account before we execute on any future ad changes. — Twitch Support (@TwitchSupport) September 17, 2020The official Twitch Support Twitter account clarified that it had finished its advertising test this week and that viewers would no longer see mid-roll. It also said it was taking users' feedback into account regarding these changes, but it also stopped short of promising to not re-implement mid-roll in the future. With competitive games like League of Legends, Street Fighter, and Fortnite drawing big numbers on Twitch, this would have the potential to interrupt matches during their biggest moments. It's like if the NFL cut to a commercial during a goal line stand. Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The PS5 is just a few months away from release, but there are still some big question marks surrounding the console. Among them is the cost of games from certain third-party publishers as well as subscription services--including PlayStation Now. Sony's streaming service has been around for years on PS4 and a selection of other devices, but will PS Now be on PS5, and will this allow you to keep playing your favorite classic PlayStation games on the new console?Will PlayStation 5 Support PlayStation Now?Sony is being much less forthcoming about its plans for the PS5 than Microsoft is with the Xbox Series X. We know Microsoft wants to put xCloud on as many devices as possible, even bundling it into a Game Pass Ultimate subscription and integrating Xbox Series X hardware into data centers for increased performance. Sony, on the other hand, has not mentioned PlayStation Now at all in its PS5 marketing thus far. The service has been around for years and has never attracted the same buzz as xCloud or even Google Stadia, but it would seemingly even the streaming playing field a bit if the PS5 supported it.How Does PlayStation Now Work Today?PlayStation Now currently costs $10 per month or $60 per year and gives you access to hundreds of games for streaming across both PS4 and PC. New games are added each month, and while the majority of them are only available via streaming, there are actually about 300 that can be downloaded for local play. In this way, it's actually similar to Xbox Game Pass as well as xCloud.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The PlayStation 5 is set to be an absolute behemoth, and though it isn't as wide as the Xbox Series X, the PS5 is quite a bit taller than Microsoft's system. Taiwan's National Communications Commission has published several images showing the console next to rulers so you can see just how much space it's going to take up on your shelf, assuming you managed to order one. Spoiler: It's a lot.PS5 (Source: NCC)The PS5 is just under 19 inches tall, and it's about one foot wide. It's certainly not going to take up the same space as a computer tower, but it could be too large for certain living room setups.The images show far more than just the size, however, as we also see how the system's stand attaches to the console horizontally. It has a few hooks on one side that will latch onto the console, ensuring it doesn't slip, and there is also a lip that it will sit up against on the stand. A USB-C to USB-A cable included in the package is fairly standard, and the power cable looks identical to the one used on the PS4 now.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Following September 16's PS5 preorder fiasco, which saw the console go on sale at several retailers without proper warning, Sony has offered an apology. It also promises that you haven't missed out on your chance to get the system this year if you couldn't snag a preorder earlier.Writing on its official Twitter account, PlayStation said its preorders could have gone "a lot smoother" and that it would be releasing more of the systems for preorder in the next few days via retailers.Let’s be honest: PS5 preorders could have been a lot smoother. We truly apologize for that. Over the next few days, we will release more PS5 consoles for preorder – retailers will share more details. And more PS5s will be available through the end of the year. pic.twitter.com/h1TaGsGBun — PlayStation (@PlayStation) September 19, 2020Big stores such as GameStop, Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target already began selling the console, with many running out of stock in mere minutes. Some of these stores, including Walmart, have allocated a small amount of systems in the few days since, and Sony also held a lottery of sorts to determine who could order the PS5 directly from the company.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Start planning out space for your PS5 games on the system's SSD now, because they are going to take up a lot of room. In fact, it might not be too long before you have to start deleting games if the file sizes Sony has revealed are anything to go by.On the PlayStation Direct website, which lets you buy PlayStation games and accessories directly from Sony, Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Demon's Souls both have their file sizes estimated. In the case of Spider-Man: Miles Morales, the standard version of the game takes up 50GB, while the Ultimate Edition, which packs in a copy of Spider-Man: Remastered, takes up 105GB. Demon's Souls, meanwhile, is a full remake of the 2009 PS3 game and takes up about 66GB.With updates down the line, these file sizes could get even bigger. Games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare have drawn some controversy this generation for ballooning file sizes of well over 100GB, and with higher-resolution textures and more detailed game worlds, that only looks to become more of a problem for PS5. The system's 825GB capacity is lower than the PS4 Pro, and though it will support expansion cards to increase that storage space, those are expensive and likely out of many users' budget range.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com