Month: September 2018

Destiny 2: Forsaken’s first Raid is about to begin, and we’re getting a small peek at what it’ll entail and when it will drop. Last Wish will take players and five other guardians into the heart of the Dreaming City, Forsaken’s new area, and it will go live on Friday, September 14 at 10AM PT / 1PM ET / 6PM BST on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

“Assemble a team…Send them into the heart of the City. Kill that creature, and extract its heart,” says the Queen, Mara Sov, in the trailer above. We don’t much else about what exactly players will be doing, but it seems the “creature” could be Riven, which was teased at the end of the campaign. The promise is “the riches of the Dreaming City await those who are victorious,” so you could be in for some pretty good loot if you successfully complete it. “I’ve waited so long to fulfil one last wish,” Mara Sov finishes.

Some players have already managed to nab some of that Raid gear early. An early bug allowed some players to glitch their way into opening Raid chests and earning the gear. In hotfix update 2.0.2, Bungie fixed the issue, but it won’t be taking that gear away from players who’ve already obtained it. Meanwhile, players racing to take part in the Raid encountered an issue over the weekend, when a weekly reset took place sooner than it should have. Although players could earn Powerful gear, the rewards were not dropping at high Power levels, thereby stunting the leveling process. Bungie is investigating the issue, but Tuesday’s reset did not provide as many new opportunities for Powerful gear as it normally would for affected players. If you’re looking for a way to earn a piece of Powerful gear, you can try the new Ascendant Challenge.

In addition to everything coming in the Last Wish Raid, Bungie has introduced a ton of new content with its Forsaken expansion. In addition to a new storyline, there is a lot of new gear including Exotics (both weapons and armor) for Hunters, Warlocks, and Titans. There are new Strikes and the new Gambit mode that blends PvE with PvP. The campaign centers around hunting the eight Barons, powerful boss-like enemies from the new Scorn race.

In GameSpot’s Forsaken review in progress, Kallie Plagge said it was a welcome change from the previous two expansions. “Like with the base game–and unlike with the previous two expansions…there’s a lot to sink your teeth into in Forsaken at launch,” she wrote. While Kallie is still evaluating the expansion for a full review, she applauded Forsaken’s darker more personal tone and boss-focused mission structure that allows for more memorable and exciting fights. There are distinct new enemy types, Gambit mode is enjoyable, and the new combat bow stands out as a fun addition to the arsenal.

“After being let down by Curse of Osiris and Warmind, I’m enjoying Destiny 2 again. The biggest question right now is how long that will last, but there’s plenty to keep me occupied before the Raid drops.”

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4‘s private Blackout beta rolls on for PS4, and developer Treyarch continues to make tweaks and adjustments to the mode each day. The studio has shared another post on Reddit outlining a new list of changes it’s made to Blackout, including the addition of Blackout’s first event playlist, Fast Collapse.

As its name implies, Fast Collapse is a faster-paced version of the battle royale mode. As Treyarch explained on Reddit: “The play space is constrained at almost double the speed as the base game. Scavenge fast and get on the move towards the safe area or you’ll be caught on the wrong side of a nightmare.”

Fast Collapse is the first of three events the developer has planned for the Blackout beta, although it didn’t share any details yet on the other two. In addition to that, Treyarch has made numerous bug fixes and other gameplay adjustments based on player feedback. Most notably, the rate players can aim down the sights of the Koshka sniper rifle has been slowed, and Treyarch is addressing Zombies being able to attack from further away than intended. The studio also says it “continue[s] to slowly refine the quantity, frequency, and quality” of item drops.

Treyarch plans to roll out updates and adjustments to the Blackout beta each day it is available. Already, the developer has increased the beta player count from 80 to 88 and made other improvements, such as increasing the speed of item pickups and reducing the duration of the Sensor Dart, one of the various recon gadgets you can find.

The Blackout beta is currently only available on PS4, but it will expand to Xbox One and PC players who’ve pre-ordered Black Ops 4 on September 14. All other PC players who have a Battle.net account will also be able to jump in beginning September 15.

Xbox One owners might be feeling let down that developer Insomniac’s Spider-Man game is a PlayStation 4 exclusive. That’s a bummer, considering the game’s been getting high critical praise. But Xbox One owners aren’t left completely out in the cold. One of the earlier Xbox One exclusive games was developed by the very same company that made Spider-Man, and it shares more than a little DNA with the new superhero game. We’re talking about the Xbox One exclusive Sunset Overdrive, a game you can get right now for just $3. Take that, Spidey.

Sunset Overdrive is a colorful open-world game that, like Spider-Man, makes moving through the environment a frictionless pleasure. In the game, an evil corporation that makes energy drinks has turned an entire city into violent creatures called OD. Your job is to fight off the beasts and escape the city, using a set of fluid moves like grinding on rails and telephone lines and bouncing off of cars. It’s basically like an open-world Tony Hawk game, but much more violent.

In GameSpot’s Sunset Overdrive review, Peter Brown wrote, “Insomniac Games has crafted an excellent game in Sunset Overdrive. It’s not without a few niggling issues, but you’ll be too busy enjoying yourself to care. You can compare it to games like Crackdown, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and Ratchet and Clank, but by combining the best elements of those games into a single package and injecting it with an anything goes, rock and roll attitude, you’ll never think of it as anything but a singular achievement that stands tall on its own merits. It’s one of the best games on the Xbox One, and a refreshing shot of merriment.”

You can grab your $3 copy of Sunset Overdrive here. Shipping is free.

October’s Humble Monthly is available, and it’s a doozy. If you subscribe between now and October 5, you’ll get immediate access to Overwatch, Blizzard’s enormously popular hero shooter that normally retails for $40. A one-month subscription only costs $12, and Overwatch is yours to keep and play forever, even if you unsubscribe. On October 5, a number of other games will be revealed that you’ll also get to keep. This is an incredible deal for anyone who plays on PC and hasn’t picked up Overwatch yet.

If you keep your Humble Monthly subscription going, you’ll also get free Overwatch loot boxes in November and December, in addition to those months’ free games. Loot boxes contain cosmetic items like skins, emotes, and voice lines for the heroes.

Most of the games you receive come in the form of Steam codes. For an idea of what kinds of games you can expect to receive in September in addition to Overwatch, previous months’ offerings have included Rise of the Tomb Raider, Conan Exiles, Little Nightmares, Sniper Elite 4, Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition, and Battle Chef Brigade. Even though a subscription only costs $12 per month, you generally get around $200 worth of games each month.

Subscribing to Humble Monthly gets you additional benefits beyond free mystery games. You also get access to the Humble Trove, a collection of over 60 games you can download and play for as long as you have an active subscription. Another benefit is that you get 10% off Humble Store purchases. And 5% of your subscription fee goes to charity.

So if you’re a PC gamer who wants one of the best, most reliable deals in gaming, consider signing up.

Jeff Goldblum’s portrayal of Dr. Ian Malcolm in 1993’s Jurassic Park is iconic. However, Malcolm was almost completely written out of the script, and the one who delivered the bad news was none other than director Steven Spielberg.

In one of the special features for the home release of Jurassic World–titled Fallen Kingdom: The Conversation–filmmakers and the cast sat down to discuss the movie. There, Jeff Goldblum recounted when he almost lost the role of Ian Malcolm.

“When I first met Steven Spielberg at Amblin, he came in and said, ‘You know, there’s a movement afoot, a new rewrite is happening, and your character, Ian Malcolm, is being written out,'” explained Goldblum. “‘We probably wanna give these funny lines and kinda incorporate your character into the Sam Neil character.'” The moment Bryce Dallas Howard found out he almost wasn’t in the movie–seen below–was priceless.

Goldblum said he made his case to keep Malcolm in the film but doesn’t think he had any real impact on the final decision for Malcolm to stay. “I was just thrilled to be there and trusted that [Spielberg] would do something great,” he concluded.

Regardless, Goldblum went on to play Malcolm three times in Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park: The Lost World, and in Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom. While Malcolm merely bookends the latest dino-romp, he is the bridge between science and ethics for the series. “He embodies the spirit of Michael Crichton,” producer Frank Marshall said during the special feature entitled “Malcolm’s Return.” “He’s in the original book and he’s sort of the voice of reason.”

In fact, according to executive producer Colin Trevorrow in the same special feature, much of Malcolm’s dialogue from Fallen Kingdom actually came from the book Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. “And it’s amazing how many ideas that apply to this movie are in the original book.”

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is available digitally now; the home release (4K, Blu-ray, and DVD) is on September 18.

It may be the middle of the month, but Netflix is still releasing a ton of content in mid-September to keep its subscribers busy during the week. There is something for everybody, including the return of a couple fan favorite Netflix originals and a former SNL cast member who has a new TV show.

The biggest thing coming out this week is the second season of the mockumentary series American Vandal. In Season 1 of the Netflix original, the series tried to figure out who at a local high school painted penises on the faculty’s cars. With Season 2, the series attempts to uncover who made everyone at another school poop their pants. The trailer for the new season–coming out on September 14–is hilarious. Additionally, BoJack Horseman returns for Season 5, and surely, the adult animated series will provide some laughs and ridiculous situations.

Former Saturday Night Live cast member Norm MacDonald has a new series on Netflix and it’s aptly named Norm Macdonald Has A Show. On the series, MacDonald interviews celebrities like a traditional late night series, but he does it his way, which is a bit more laid back, and at times, he doesn’t hold back. The new series launches on September 14.

Check out all of this week’s releases for US Netflix subscribers below.

September 10

• Call the Midwife: Series 7

September 11

• Daniel Sloss: Live Shows
• The Resistance Banker

September 12

• Blacklist: Season 5
• Life
• On My Skin

September 14

• American Vandal: Season 2
• Bleach
• Boca Juniors Confidential
• BoJack Horseman: Season 5
• Car Masters: Rust to Riches
• Ingobernable: Season 2
• Last Hope
• Norm Macdonald has a Show
• Super Monsters Monster Party: Songs
• The Angel
• The Dragon Prince
• The Land of Steady Habits
• The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes: Season 2 Part A

September 15

• Inside The Freemasons: Season 1

Amazon might have killed off its video game pre-order discount for Prime members, but that’s not the only benefit the online retailer offers gamers. Prime members also get benefits from the Amazon-owned streaming site Twitch. Each month, Twitch gives out a bundle of free PC games, as well as free in-game goodies in titles like PUBG, Overwatch, and most recently, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege.

Between now and December 31, Siege players can get free exclusive in-game gear in which to deck out their Operators. Right now, Prime members can visit Twitch to receive eight Twitch Prime packs containing exclusive items for Hibana, Finka, Ela or Bandit.

In October, four more Twitch Prime packs will become available, and again in November, for a total of 16. You’re guaranteed not to receive any duplicate items, and if you collect all of the packs, you’ll end up with four complete skins. Also included with the freebies is a Legendary Chibi Charm.

To get your free gear, Prime members can head to Twitch and click the crown-shaped icon near the search bar. Here you’ll find your Rainbow Six freebies, along with any other available items you haven’t redeemed yet. You’ll be instructed to link your Twitch and Ubisoft accounts, and then you’re all set. Next time you play Rainbow Six Siege, your Twitch Prime packs should be waiting for you.

If you don’t have a Prime account but you want the gear anyway, you sign up for a free 30-day trial. In addition to the monthly gaming goodies, you also get a free channel subscription each month on Twitch, plus free two-day shipping on many items and access to Amazon Prime video and music. Even if you cancel your membership before the first bill comes, you’ll get to keep the Siege gear, along with any other freebies you collect.

Prime members can currently pick up five free PC games for September, plus in-game loot for Overwatch and PUBG.

Apple has officially unveiled its new lineup of iPhones for 2018. But before you whip out your wallet to throw money at the trillion-dollar company, you’ll want to know a few things first. This is GameSpot’s iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR pre-order guide, complete with release dates, pre-order dates, and other information you’ll need to pre-order these gorgeous phones that launch soon.

Pre-Order iPhone XS

As is common for “S” years for iPhones, this year’s evolution of the iPhone X model doesn’t shake things up in terms of design. It still has the gorgeous 5.8-inch OLED display that takes up nearly the entire front of the phone, plus stereo speakers, dual-cameras, and the True Tone display found in last year’s model.

The processor and GPU will get their standard annual boosts, and Apple says the battery will last about 30 minutes longer than last year’s model (hooray?). Despite the similarities to last year’s model, this is a slick-looking device, and you’re not going to find a more powerful iPhone for the next 12 months.

You can pre-order an iPhone XS starting at 12:01 AM PT (3:01 AM ET) September 14, and it will ship on September 21. Here’s how the pricing breaks down.

iPhone XS Pricing

• 64 GB – $999 ($49.91 per month with Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program)
• 256 GB – $1,149 ($56.16 per month)
• 512 GB – $1,349 ($64.50 per month)

Once pre-orders go live, here’s the link you’ll need to buy it directly from Apple:

• Pre-order an iPhone XS

If you’d prefer to get yours from your cell carrier, check their website to see if their iPhone XS page is live yet.

Pre-Order iPhone XS Max

The iPhone XS Max is a larger version of the XS, with a sizable 6.5-inch OLED display. Aside from that, it has the same features available in the XS. You can pre-order an iPhone XS Max at 12:01 AM PT (3:01 AM ET) on September 14, and it will ship on September 21. Here’s how the pricing breaks down.

iPhone XS Max Price

• 64 GB – $1,099 ($54.08 per month with iPhone Upgrade Program)
• 256 GB – $1,249 ($60.33 per month)
• 512 GB – $1,449 ($68.66 per month)

Once pre-orders open up, here’s the Apple link you’ll need to lock in your purchase:

• Pre-order an iPhone XS Max

If you’d prefer to pre-order yours from your carrier, check their website to see if their iPhone XS Max listing is available yet.

Pre-Order iPhone XR

If you want a brightly colored iPhone, the XR is the model for you. The iPhone XR is a more affordable version of the XS, with lower-end versions of some of the components. Its screen is an LCD instead of an OLED, and it only has one camera on the back instead of two. It comes in smaller storage capacities than its more expensive siblings, but it’s available in a wide selection of colors. In terms of size, it lands right between the XS and XS Max, with its 6.1-inch display. The iPhone XR launches October 26, but you can pre-order one starting at 12:01 AM PT (3:01 AM ET) on October 19. Here’s the pricing for this model.

iPhone XR Price

• 64 GB – $749 ($37.41 per month with iPhone Upgrade Program)
• 128 GB – $799 ($39.50 per month)
• 256 GB – $899 ($43.66 per month)

Once pre-orders go live on October 19, here’s the Apple link you you can use to secure one for yourself:

• Pre-order an iPhone XR

Check your carrier’s site to see if this model’s page has gone live yet.

Apple Keynote 2018 News

• Apple Keynote 2018 Event News Recap
• iPhone XS And XS Max Announced
• iPhone XS, XS Max, And XR Comparison
• iPhone XR Price And Release Date Announced
• iPhone XS, XS Max, XR Release Dates
• iPhone XS, XS Max, XR Prices
• Apple Watch Series 4 Revealed
• The Elder Scrolls: Blades Shows Off The New iPhone XS

Apple has shown off the next iteration of its Apple Watch, which has been “redesigned and re-engineered.” Revealed during its keynote, the company showed off the Series 4‘s bigger screen, which utilises a new user interface to make use of the additional real estate. We also got a release date and prices for the various models, along with the new iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR.

To make the most of the extra space, there are now new customization options for faces and Complications. The modular face can now surface more detailed information from stocks and healths apps. The Breathe app will now be available as a watch face and will guide you through a deep breath exercise when you raise your wrist. Other dynamic watch faces that interact with the larger screen and its curved edges.

The Digital Crown now has haptic feedback and the speaker has been redesigned to be 50 percent louder, which is handy for phone calls and talking to Siri. The microphone has been shifted away from the speaker to reduce echo, while the back of the Series 4 Apple Watch is made of black ceramic and sapphire crystal. Radio waves can pass through the front and the back, which means better reception.

Inside the device is the S4 chip with a dual-core 64-bit processor, which deliverers 2x faster performance. The accelerometer gyroscope has been improved significantly too, to the point where it can tell when a wearer has fallen over. If it senses you’re immobile for more than a minute it starts informing emergency services.

Three new heart features were also announced. The first is a notification when your heart rate is too low. Apple Watch can also screen your heart rhythm in the background and send you information if it detects atrial fibrillation. The final new feature is the ability to take electrocardiograms (ECG); this is the first time an ECG product has been offered over the counter to consumers, according to Apple. Built in electrodes in the back of the watch and the Digital Crown detect electrical signals from the heart and the S4 chip processes this information, before surfacing it to the wearer in the Health app. This information can be exported as a .pdf file and given to doctors. All this data, Apple says, will be protected, as the information is encrypted on the devices and in the cloud.

The Apple Watch Series 4’s battery life has the same 18-hour battery life as its predecessors, even with the enhancements.

Series 4 will be available in silver, gold, and space grey. A stainless collection will also be available, alongside a gold stainless finish. Band colours and styles that are already available will still fit the new watch. Apple Watch Series 4 starts at $399 with GPS, $499 with cellular and will be available to order from September 14 and picked up from September 21. The Series 3 Apple Watch will drop in price to $279. The latest version of WatchOS, meanwhile, will launch on September 17.

Apple Keynote 2018 News

• Apple Keynote 2018 Event News Recap
• iPhone XS And XS Max Announced
• iPhone XS, XS Max, And XR Comparison
• iPhone XR Price And Release Date Announced
• iPhone XS, XS Max, XR Release Dates
• iPhone XS, XS Max, XR Prices
• Apple Watch Series 4 Revealed
• The Elder Scrolls: Blades Shows Off The New iPhone XS

Apple’s big annual event to reveal new iPhones has concluded, and as expected, it’s announced an array of new products coming in the near future. Apple led the event with the Apple Watch Series 4, a gorgeous-looking new version of its smartwatch. It followed that with a pair of new phones, the iPhone XS and XS Max.

Below, we’re rounding up the essential information on all of the big announcements from the event. Surprisingly, there was nothing about new AirPods or the AirPower wireless charging mat; today’s keynote dealt almost exclusively with new iPhones and Apple Watch, although we did get a release date for MacOS Mojave (September 24).

Apple Watch Series 4

A wide variety of new watch faces were showcased, including one that could feature as many as eight complications. There is also expanded support for third-party apps on the watch face; we saw how the MLB At Bat app could show the box score for a baseball game, for instance. Apple also highlighted the watches’ louder speakers and other improvements, as well as new health-related features such as the ability to detect when the wearer falls down (triggering new options for altering emergency services or contacts).

Series 4 watches release on September 21 and will be priced at $399 or $499 for the cellular version.

• Apple Watch Series 4 Revealed

iPhone XS

Next during the keynote was the new iPhones. First up was the iPhone XS–pronounced “ten ess”–that serves as the follow-up to last year’s pricier iPhone X. It features an edge-to-edge screen with curved sides, coming in three finishes: gold, silver, and space gray. It features a 5.8-inch screen when measured diagonally; despite being greater than the iPhone 8 Plus’s screen size, it’s actually a smaller overall phone.

The XS screen is a Super Retina OLED display featuring a 2436×1125 resolution with many of the expected features, like True Tone and HDR10 support. The phone offers Face ID, improved speakers, better CPU and GPUs, and more. It also boasts improved cameras on the front and back, which the company spent a great deal of time showcasing. The battery lasts up to 30 minutes longer than that of the iPhone X.

Pre-orders begin on September 14, with an iPhone XS release date set for September 21. It starts at $999 and comes in 64 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB sizes.

• iPhone XS And XS Max Announced At Apple Keynote

iPhone XS Max

Alongside the iPhone XS is the XS Max. This is the new name for what’s previously been known as the Plus model–it’s essentially a larger XS. It has a 6.5-inch OLED display with a 2688×1242 resolution. And again, despite a much larger screen than the 5.5-inch iPhone 8 Plus, it’s roughly the same size as that phone. The battery life offers up to 90 minutes more than the iPhone X.

Similar to the XS, its release date is set for September 21, while pre-orders begin on September 14. The sizes are the same–64 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB–and it starts at $1099.

• iPhone XS And XS Max Announced At Apple Keynote

The Elder Scrolls: Blades

While not a new announcement, Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls: Blades was featured during the keynote. Todd Howard came on stage to showcase the game and what the iPhone XS’s new A12 chip makes possible in terms of visual effects. He also reaffirmed Blades’ release date is set for sometime this fall; it’s available for pre-order now.

• The Elder Scrolls: Blades Shows Off The New iPhone XS

iPhone XR

Alongside the iPhone XS and XS Max, which are Apple’s high-end devices, the company is also introducing another new phone, the iPhone XR. This is said to offer an iPhone X-style experience (there’s no home button, for instance), but it’s equipped with an LCD screen, rather than the fancier OLED displayed offered on the XS and XS Max. The 6.1-inch display–with what’s called Liquid Retina tech–does still extend to the edges, though.

The camera has the same tech as that of the XS and XS Max, even offering Portrait mode, but with only one camera rather than two; it’s equipped with the A12 Bionic chip; and the battery life compared with the iPhone 8 Plus can last 90 minutes longer.

XR pre-orders begin on October 19, with a release date on October 26. It starts at $749, making it cheaper than the iPhone 8 Plus.

• iPhone XR Price And Release Date Announced

Apple Keynote 2018 News

• Apple Keynote 2018 Event News Recap
• iPhone XS And XS Max Announced
• iPhone XS, XS Max, And XR Comparison
• iPhone XR Price And Release Date Announced
• iPhone XS, XS Max, XR Release Dates
• iPhone XS, XS Max, XR Prices
• Apple Watch Series 4 Revealed
• The Elder Scrolls: Blades Shows Off The New iPhone XS