Not long after Microsoft brought to light a ton of new info on Xbox Series X, Sony announced that it would broadcast a video featuring Mark Cerny, lead console architect behind PS5, diving deep into the next-gen console tech that would define "the future of gaming." For many, it's about time, as there's very little known about PS5 in the lead up to this presentation.Now that the broadcast has passed, what did we learn? It was a dense presentation by Cerny that outlined an incredible number of details and data points, but it may have been hard to follow if you aren't at least somewhat familiar with the rapid-fire delivery of terms and concepts. To help distill all that valuable specs info down into something digestible, we've got a quick hit list of important takeaways. Let's start with the most familiar PS5 talking point thus far: loading time, or rather, the lack thereof.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Recently, a Chrome extension came along called Netflix Party, and it allows you to watch Netflix content with friends, at the same time, without having to be in the same room. It does this by syncing your streams and providing a chat room, where you can talk to each other and mock movies and TV shows to your heart's content. After testing it with some coworkers, I decided to host my own streaming party.Right now, it's tough for a lot of people. Our routines are shaken up because of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, and many people are forced to work from home or are not working at all. In order to flatten the curve of infections, so hospitals aren't overwhelmed, it's good we're all staying inside. However, not talking to other people sucks. Not being able to see other people sucks.Talking to myselfIn order to kick off this Netflix party, I decided to pick a movie I was sure no one had ever seen before. I found myself searching through Netflix and somehow, I stumbled upon a movie called Undercover Grandpa. The film stars James Caan, Jessica Walter, Louis Gossett Jr., and a teenager with a helmet-head haircut. It's from 2016 and is kind of a family comedy. It's a very, very weird movie. The film is about a teenager whose girlfriend is kidnapped, so he enlists the help of his grandfather who was in World War II as a secret operative or something--ignore the fact that Undercover Grandpa is way too young to be in WWII. There are also a bunch of Russian bad guys around too. I could not tell you why.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Everyone is trying to make the best of the current social distancing situation we find ourselves in as a result of the coronavirus. WWE's events are ongoing, but with a major change: arenas for shows like Raw and Smackdown are empty--and they're taking place at the Performance Center, which will even be the case for Wrestlemania. The result is a distinctly different vibe; we're used to watching wrestling with raucous crowds that will cheer or boo whatever they wish (even if goes against what a company like WWE necessarily wants in a given situation). We've already seen "Stone Cold" Steve Austin deliver a memorable moment on WWE television with an empty arena, and now one fan has done their best to improve upon WWE's product.On Twitter, user SIDEEYEmusic took a clip of a standard promo featuring Bray Wyatt and John Cena and made it into something truly magical. The lack of any crowd noise during a promo like this lends the proceedings the feel of a soap opera--which wrestling already is. So what makes this better? Why, the memorable music of a deeply soap opera-inspired TV show: Twin Peaks.i added twin peaks music to pro wrestling without an audience and it fits perfectly pic.twitter.com/OVauro8c7L — SIDEEYE (@SIDEEYEmusic) March 18, 2020While there might be all sorts of rights issues that would render such an idea untenable, this clip provides a glimpse of what would make for a terrific WWE Network feature. You can still have the normal broadcast, but offer up a secondary feed that overlays the hauntingly beautiful music of Angelo Badalamenti.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

As more and more people stay home from work or school amid the COVID-19 crisis, Microsoft is unlocking double XP for Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Halo 5. Not only will players in those games earn double XP, Microsoft is giving everyone who logs into Halo 5 free XP boost packs for Arena and Warzone every week. "Please remember to wash your hands and keep it clean," Microsoft said in a tweet announcing the bonuses, referencing the "Keep It Clean" achievement for Halo: Reach.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Valve founder Gabe Newell has shared his thoughts on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, saying they're becoming more like PCs.Speaking to IGN, Newell said new consoles have become "just delivery sockets" for games and entertainment. The system architecture is good for developers, Newell said, because they don't need to worry as much about choosing to support console, PC, or mobile. The PS5 and Xbox Series X have similar GPU and CPU designs, so developers don't have to stress as much about support and compatibility across devices, Newell said."Those issues seem to be less relevant. It used to be that supporting consoles or supporting PCs or supporting mobiles was much more of a percent of the total development budget, so those decisions would have bigger impacts on how the industry collectively was investing in terms of the future. I think that's less important now," Newell said. "I think [the new consoles are] just delivery sockets for people's entertainment experiences. I think that's nice. It's good for developers that they're having to make fewer bets that are out of their control in terms of what those things are."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

March 20 will see the release of two very different games from long-running franchises, Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Nintendo Switch and Doom Eternal on PS4, Xbox One, Stadia, and PC (the Switch version will arrive later). Fans have responded to the tonal disparity between these two games with plenty of fan art, and the producer and director of Animal Crossing have taken notice.In an interview with IGN, New Horizons director Aya Kyogoku and producer Hisashi Nogami have commented on the Doom/Animal Crossing fan art they've seen."I definitely do notice and have noticed that there’s a lot of Doom and Animal Crossing collaboration art and illustrations that are being posted, and as I look through them I’m in awe of how much creativity our fans have," Kyogoku told the site. "I think because there is a common denominator of this type of communication happening between Doom and Animal Crossing fans, and also the fact that Animal Crossing is a communication game."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Some big changes are coming for WWE Wrestlemania 36. Following the news that the event is moving from Tampa to the Performance Center, we're now finding out that, despite having no live crowd, this Wrestlemania could be the biggest ever.No one will be able to attend Wrestlemania 36 due to concerns relating to COVID-19 (coronavirus), but those who watch the event on WWE Network or through pay-per-view channels will get more bang for their buck, with the event running over two nights. Wrestlemania will play out across April 4 and April 5, with both portions beginning at 7 PM ET.Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has been announced as the host. The three-time Super Bowl champion took to Twitter to proudly announce his role in this historic Wrestlemania. He'll also appear on SmackDown on March 20 to talk about what fans should expect.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

One of the most-anticipated TV specials ever, the Friends reunion for HBO Max, is facing a delay due to the COVID-19 crisis. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. has decided to delay the previously scheduled March shoot due to concerns around the virus."Given the current state of the global coronavirus pandemic, production has been delayed until at least May," the site reported.One of the sticking points with getting the Friends reunion off the ground was the challenge of aligning each of the six star's schedules. Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer are also attached to in-development TV and movie projects, some of which have also been delayed due to the virus. Whether or not this could cause further delays is unknown.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

This week, Animal Crossing fans finally get the island getaway they've been waiting for when Animal Crossing: New Horizons releases on Nintendo Switch this Friday, March 20. Best of all, Amazon recently discounted Animal Crossing: New Horizons to $49.94, the cheapest we've seen it so far. New Horizons is the first mainline entry in the series since 2012's Animal Crossing: New Leaf, so it's easy to see why fans are so excited. The Switch entry is making some big changes, including the ability to mold your island village however you see fit.In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, your character will be ferried (via the Nook, Inc. charter) to a deserted island, where you can set up a tent and start growing your own town through many of the same activities seen in previous Animal Crossing games: crafting items, shaking trees, fishing, and more. You can read the GameSpot Animal Crossing: New Horizons review-in-progress to learn more.In its Animal Crossing Direct last month, Nintendo revealed a slew of new information about the upcoming Switch game. We finally know quite a few details about New Horizons, including brand-new characters that will turn up on the island, Amiibo compatibility, a new terraforming gameplay mechanic, restrictions on save data recovery, and more.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is only a few days away, but Amazon has decided to give us all a bit of a shock by discounting the first-party Nintendo Switch game. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is currently $49.94 on Amazon right now, so if you want to get the game this Friday at a discount, you'll want to pre-order it now. See Animal Crossing: New Horizons at Amazon Thankfully, those who've already pre-ordered Animal Crossing: New Horizons won't have to worry about doing anything. Amazon pre-orders carry the company's price guarantee, which means you'll get the item's lowest price between the time you order and the time it ships.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

While Black Desert on PS4 and Xbox One is still far behind the PC's Black Desert Online in terms of content updates, big steps are being taken to catch these versions up. The latest of these updates brings the Maehwa class, which is focused on a combination of melee and ranged combat, to Xbox One and PS4 for the first time.The Maehwa was an orphaned child, raised by a high-ranking military official. Under his eye she trained her whole life to become a deadly fighter, eventually mastering the legendary blue flames of the Crescent Petal. Wielding the Kerispear, a long polearm, she fights with a mix of close range melee and ranged combat, using her blue flames for ranged attacks.The Maehwa will be launched with both her original and Awakening skills:Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Steam has added a new tool today for recommending games to users. Steam Interactive Recommender uses machine learning to predict which games you'll enjoy based on what other people with similar taste have played.The Interactive Recommender started as a tool within Steam Labs back in July 2019, but has now become a proper feature of the store.The announcement digs into how all of this works. You can interact with the recommender by specifying that you want popular or niche games, or whether you want older or newer titles, and it'll give you a list of titles based on other Steam users' playtime histories. Tags and reviews are not taken into account, and it's based purely on what people are actually playing. "The basic idea is that if there are other players with similar play habits to you, who also play a game that you haven't tried yet, then that game is likely to be one you'll enjoy too," the announcement reads. Judging on my own taste, it seems very accurate--it recommended me several games that I have played and enjoyed on consoles. The Interactive Recommender isn't replacing any of Steam's other recommendation methods, but will exist alongside them. If you're looking for more recommendations for new things to play, check out our list of games to play while you're stuck inside.Info from Gamespot.com

Doom Eternal is scheduled to officially launch on Friday, March 20, but retailer GameStop will start selling it early. The company has confirmed it will begin selling the new id Software shooter on March 19 in an effort to keep customers and employees safe amid "social distancing" protocols.This is all happening because Doom Eternal and Animal Crossing: New Horizons are both officially releasing on March 20. These are two of the biggest games of Spring, and GameStop is expecting a lot of foot traffic of shoppers coming in to grab one or both of the games. The CDC is recommending against gatherings of 50 or more people, and this would seemingly impact GameStop on big launch days like March 20.To help separate the crowds, GameStop has chosen to sell Doom Eternal a day early. New Horizons will go on sale as scheduled on March 20. This kind of move is seemingly unprecedented.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The coronavirus is now affecting the anime industry, with Funimation being the latest company to close their offices and have employees working from home.The safety of our Funimation family is our top priority, so we’re adjusting our dub schedule to allow everyone to work from home.There will be delays in the coming weeks, but subs are still on schedule! 💜Read more: https://t.co/1Fh5ZvDdbT pic.twitter.com/WXjTWxdzkE — Funimation (@FUNimation) March 18, 2020 Over on the Funimation blog there is a much longer explanation on why this decision was made. The safety and health of the employees has been deemed more important than getting out the dubs on time, but Funimation will still strive to deliver as best they can during this epidemic while keeping their employees safe.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Valve president Gabe Newell recently opened up about returning to the Half-Life universe after so many years and how technology will continue to shape the future of the company.In an interview with IGN, Newell makes a comparison to The Matrix, the 1999 sci-fi thriller, and just how close we are to some of the technology in terms of computing. He is of course referring to the technical side of how the Matrix works as a form of VR, not the robots enslaving humanity as a giant super computer.“We’re way closer to the Matrix than people realize,” Newell says. “It’s not gonna be The Matrix. The Matrix is a movie and it misses all the interesting, technical subtleties and just how weird the post-brain computer interface world is gonna be. It’s gonna have a huge impact on the kinds of experiences that we can create for people.”Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com