Joel Schumacher, the director behind films like The Lost Boys and St. Elmo's Fire and two Batman movies, has died at 80. The news of his passing comes from Variety, which reports he succumbed to a year-long battle with cancer on Monday.He is likely best-known for his movies about the Caped Crusader, 1995's Batman Forever and 1997's Batman & Robin. He took over directing duties from Tim Burton, who helmed Batman and Batman Returns. During his tenure, both Val Kilmer and George Clooney portrayed Bruce Wayne/Batman. Schumacher's Batman movies leaned heavily on camp, rather than the dark gothic version of the Dark Knight that Burton brought to the screen.Schumacher didn't start his filmmaking career as a director. Instead, he first worked as a costume designer after attending Parsons the New School for Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology. His directorial debut was 1981's The Incredible Shrinking Woman, starring Lily Tomlin and Charles Grodin.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Michael Keaton is among the long list of actors to portray a live-action version of Batman, and he's certainly one of the most beloved to do so. While he's been away from the role for decades, Keaton may be coming back to play Bruce Wayne once again.That's according to a story from The Hollywood Reporter, which states that Keaton is "in talks" to reprise the role for the upcoming movie The Flash. THR also reports that Keaton may appear in "several other DC-oriented film projects" as a mentor, a role similar to Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It seems Batgirl could be one of the films Keaton may show up in.No further details are shared on Keaton's role; perhaps The Flash's time-travel abilities will send him back to a time when Keaton was Batman. Will Flash do him a kindness and bring him the tools to be able to turn his head? Only time will tell.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Crossfire X, the Xbox One version of the massively popular PC FPS game Crossfire, has a closed beta right now, with an open beta running this weekend. The open beta begins Thursday, June 25 and runs through Sunday, June 28.Xbox Insiders (a free program anyone can sign up for) can register to join the closed beta now through June 23 through the Xbox Insider Hub. A limited number of people will be granted access to the closed beta, with the number increasing as it continues.The beta features three game modes: Spectre Mode, Team Match, and Point Capture. Players who complete a match during the beta will receive the X-B.C. Axe weapon skin when the game launches.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Microsoft has announced that it is shutting down Mixer, its streaming competitor to the likes of Twitch. The Xbox owners will be transitioning over to Facebook Gaming instead, partnered streamers having the option to be included with the move or return to Twitch. As of July 22, Mixer sites and apps will redirect users to Facebook Gaming.Mixer, which was known as Beam.io before Microsoft purchased it, struggled to gain the viewership of its competitors since launch. Big streamer acquisitions such as deals with Ninja and Shroud might have initially drawn viewers in, but it's lacked the mass appeal Microsoft, and Xbox specifically, need leading up to the launch of the Xbox Series X and xCloud, Xbox's on-demand streaming service."Ultimately, the success of Partners and streamers on Mixer is dependent on our ability to scale the service for them as quickly and broadly as possible," Xbox boss Phil Spencer explained in a post on Xbox Wire. "It became clear that the time needed to grow our own livestreaming community to scale was out of measure with the vision and experiences we want to deliver to gamers now, so we’ve decided to close the operations side of Mixer and help the community transition to a new platform. To better serve our community’s needs, we’re teaming up with Facebook to enable the Mixer community to transition to Facebook Gaming."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

For the last few years, Apple's iOS updates have mostly happened behind your home screen. The display you see as soon as you unlock your phone as remained largely unchanged, but with iOS 14, announced at WWDC, it's getting a shake up.In a way, it's the most radical redesign of iOS in years, but also not the most innovative one in the grander scheme of the industry. Front and center in iOS 14 are widgets--larger app icons that display more information at a glance, and change up the composition of your home screen drastically.Apple also announced new features to automatically help group similar applications and sort them into folders, which will also be surfaced in groups when an app theme is searched for. Siri, Apple's own digital assistant, is also being reworked so that it doesn't take up the entire screen when dealing with a query. This lets you do more on your display at once than ever before, including new picture-in-picture support (which was introduced on the iPad a few years ago).Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Apple TV+ is one of several new streaming platforms to launch over the past year, alongside HBO Max, Peacock, and Disney+. The service has now released an early trailer for one its big upcoming original shows, the sci-fi series Foundation.The show is based on the novel series of the same name by Isaac Asimov, the legendary sci-fi author also known for writing I, Robot. The story focuses on the institute of the title, run by a "psychohistorian" known as Hari Seldon, and an attempt to save the Galactic Empire from destruction. The trailer itself looks incredibly impressive, with an epic scale, lavish visual effects, and an intense performance from Jared Harris as Seldon. Check it out below:Foundation also stars Lee Pace, Lou Llobell, Laura Birn, and Terrence Mann. The showrunner is David S. Goyer, the veteran DC screenwriter whose credits include Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and the show Krypton. Foundation arrives sometime in 2021.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Respawn has released the full patch notes for the Apex Legends Lost Treasure Collection Event, which will add Crypto's town takeover to Kings Canyon, see the return of the Armed & Dangerous limited-time mode, and offer several new rare, epic, and legendary cosmetics to unlock. The Apex Legends event begins Tuesday, June 23.Lost Treasures also implements several notable balancing changes, as listed in the patch notes. Of note, Revenant, Crypto, Loba, and Mirage all receive buffs, Gibraltar and Caustic are nerfed, Wraith and Wattson get both buffs and nerfs to their abilities, and Lifeline and Octane are reworked--both of their changes are similar to Mirage's transformation at the start of Season 5: Fortune's Favor.The Lost Treasures update makes a rather interesting change to ziplines as well, applying a cooldown to re-grabbing ziplines without touching the ground. Jumping off and back on ziplines while riding them has been a popular strategy for avoiding gunfire since Apex Legends launched. This new cooldown will make it more difficult to constantly implement this strategy--which should make it far easier to snipe someone off a zipline.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

GameStop's latest batch of weekly deals are live now with some nice discounts on Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Borderlands 3, and 2K Sports games. But the most notable aspect of this week's ad is the looming Pro Day Sale. Once again, GameStop will be offering exclusive discounts to PowerUp Rewards Pro members this Saturday, June 27. None of the one-day-only deals have been revealed just yet, but you should mark your calendars and bookmark this page, as we'll be rounding up all the best deals as usual.In the meantime, you can save on some great games all week at GameStop. Two of 2019's most popular games, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Borderlands 3, are discounted to great prices on PS4 and Xbox One. Fallen Order is down to $35, while Borderlands 3 is only $20. Basketball fans can save $10 on NBA 2K20 for PS4 and Xbox One and $5 on NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 for Switch. For those looking for a family-friendly game on Switch, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is on sale for $40.If you're looking for a way to relive your childhood, the excellent Sega Genesis Mini is $60, down from $80. Though we've seen it for $50 before, this is still a great price. The Sega Genesis Mini comes with two controllers and is loaded with 42 classic games.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Best Buy is back with another big sale this week, although instead of its usual one-day sale, you've got four days to take advantage of this one. Many deals are returning from previous sales, including a ton of discounts on Apple products like iPads and MacBooks, but there's also a selection of game deals available along with some 4K TVs, monitors, wireless earbuds, and more. The deals end Thursday, but there's a chance the most popular discounts could sell out before then. See entire sale at Best Buy Best game dealsThe Best Buy sale includes a variety of PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC games, including Borderlands 3 for $15, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare for $54, and Civilization VI (Switch) for $20. A lot of the game deals we're seeing here tend to appear among Best Buy's weekly sales, but they're still worth checking out. Xbox One exclusives like Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice and Sea of Thieves are still down to $10 each, even though Microsoft's huge Deals Unlocked sale is over. Following the announcement of Crash Bandicoot 4, the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is discounted to $34 if you're itching to replay the original trilogy. Check out more of the most notable game deals below--be sure to use the dropdown to select your platform.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Due to sexually explicit comments made by AEW's Sammy Guevara about WWE's Sasha Banks (real name Mercedes Varnado) four years ago on the Raw's 4th Hour podcast, AEW has suspended Guevara without pay until further notice."AEW insists on doing our part to create a world understanding and respect for humankind," AEW wrote in a statement. "We therefore strongly condemn the extremely offensive and hurtful words of Sammy Guevara. As such, effective immediately, Sammy is suspended without pay until further notice."AEW statement on Sammy Guevara pic.twitter.com/11yL2QytF7 — All Elite Wrestling (@AEWrestling) June 22, 2020AEW added that Guevara will be undergoing sensitivity training and then, upon completion, his future status within the company will be re-evaluated. His salary, in the meantime, will be donated to the Women's Center of Jacksonville.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The Lost Treasure Collection Event goes live in Apex Legends on June 23. The limited-time event will implement an update as well, which includes reworks for both Lifeline and Octane. Instead of buffing and nerfing both legends' abilities, Respawn is outright changing several aspects of their abilities--similarly to how Mirage was reworked at the start of Season 5: Fortune's Favor.One of the original eight legends, Lifeline's abilities are being reworked to make her into a more effective combat medic. Since launch, Lifeline has been a character who can transition back and forth between a healer and a fighter. These new changes allow her to do both at once.Lifeline's original passive ability, Combat Medic, is being replaced with Combat Revive. So Lifeline will no longer be able to revive and heal more quickly; instead, she can now use her D.O.C. drone to revive allies while she continues fighting or revives someone else. That's a pretty substantial adjustment for the character--it makes Lifeline the go-to healer again, as her original passive has become somewhat obsolete in the wake of buffs to Gibraltar.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Gearbox is offering an in-game Borderlands 3 face mask to players who donate to Direct Relief to provide aid to medical workers responding to COVID-19 through a partnership with the international humanitarian organization.Anyone that donates $5 or more through Gearbox's merchandise website will receive a shift code that unlocks the Antisocial head cosmetic for Borderlands 3. The donations go directly to Direct Relief to provide aid and personal protection equipment to medical professionals."This campaign and these contributions are coming at a critical time in the pandemic," Thomas Tighe, president and CEO of Direct Relief said. "While states are opening, we continue to see surges in the spread of Coronavirus and there is still a need to provide PPE for frontline healthcare workers. Direct Relief is deeply grateful to Gearbox for its partnership."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Pokemon Sword and Shield's Isle of Armor expansion has arrived. The centerpiece of the DLC is a new storyline centered around the Legendary Pokemon Kubfu, but that's not all there is to do on the island; there's also a lengthy sidequest that involves tracking down Alolan Diglett.Shortly after you arrive on the Isle of Armor, you'll meet a hiker who asks you to search for his missing Alolan Diglett. These are hidden in the ground all around the various areas of the Isle of Armor. You'll need keep your eyes peeled to find them, as the Diglett can be pretty tricky to spot, but you'll know when you've found one when you see their three little hairs sticking out of the ground.There are 150 Alolan Diglett in total to find, and you'll receive a reward each time you hit a particular milestone. These rewards typically come in the form of Alolan Pokemon, but you can also get one of the Gen 7 starters and a Kantonian Slowpoke for your troubles. You can see all the rewards and the number of Diglett you need to find to get them, courtesy of Serebii, below:Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Pokemon has a long history of wonderful spin-off games, but Pokemon Snap is perhaps the most beloved of them all. For years, fans of the 1999 Pokemon photography game have longed for a remake on Nintendo Switch, but out of the blue, Nintendo has given us something better: a true sequel. Literally titled New Pokemon Snap, the upcoming Switch game is being developed by Bandai Namco and features stunning modern graphics. No release date has been announced, but the trailer labeled it as "coming soon," and Nintendo promised more details are coming soon as well. If you already know New Pokemon Snap is a day one purchase for you, the game is available to pre-order now.Like its N64 predecessor, New Pokemon Snap will have you explore various Pokemon environments by traveling in a cart on a set rail path. You'll take photos of Pokemon in their wild environment for research, adding them to your Photodex. In the old game, these photos were then rated by Professor Oak, and you'd score more points for capturing a Pokemon in a special pose, which often required certain items or accessories that you'd earn over time.While the original game only featured Gen 1 Pokemon, the sequel will add Pokemon from newer generations, and we're sure to see all-new environments as well. Pokemon Snap is a natural fit for the Switch's motion controls as well, so we expect to learn more about how that will work within the game when Nintendo reveals more details.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Marvel's Avengers players will get a free upgrade to next-gen on their respective platform, publisher Square Enix announced. Anyone who purchases a copy of Marvel's Avengers, physically or digitally, will get upgraded from PS4 to PS5 or Xbox One to Xbox Series X if they purchase the new consoles.In a PlayStation blog post, Gary Snethen, chief technology officer of developer Crystal Dynamics, said that the team has been working on a PS5 enhanced version of the game for some time, utilizing the power of the new console to offer a high frame rate mode that targets 60 fps and dynamic 4K resolution.Marvel's Avengers will also take advantage of the PS5's high-speed SSD, reducing load times to just a few seconds and making it nearly instant once the game has been optimized for it. No details specific to the Xbox Series X version of the game have been released.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com