Stranger Things Creators Making New Shows And Movies For Netflix

Twin brothers Matt and Ross Duffer are perhaps best known for their hit TV show Stranger Things on Netflix. Now, the brothers are branching out with new content for the network.

Netflix announced that it has signed the Duffer brothers to a “multi-year” deal that will see them create new movies and TV shows for Netflix. This is an “overall” deal, which means the Duffer brothers are working exclusively with Netflix, and the network may or may not own the IP rights to whatever the create for the streaming giant.

Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos said in a statement, “We’re thrilled to expand our relationship with them to bring their vivid imaginations to other film and series projects our members will love.”

He added: “We can’t wait to see what The Duffer Brothers have in store when they step outside the world of The Upside Down.”

The brothers, meanwhile, said they are “thrilled” to be working with Netflix on new shows and movies. The first of the new projects will be Stranger Things 4. The first teaser for the fourth season suggests the story may stray away from Hawkins, the town that has been the setting for the past three seasons. At the same time, the statement from the Duffer brothers specifically mentions that they are excited for their “return trip to Hawkins.”

Before finding success with Stranger Things, the Duffer brothers sold a script for the post-apocalyptic horror movie Hidden to Warner Bros. Additionally, The Sixth Sense director M. Night Shyamalan brought on the brothers to write episodes of the show Wayward Pines.

Stranger Things was released in 2016 to much praise. A lawsuit that claimed the Duffer brothers stole the idea for Stranger Things was dropped just days before it was due to go to trial.

Which Version Of Destiny 2 Is Right For You?

With the release of Shadowkeep, Destiny 2 is changing its structure with a free-to-play-version of the game on PS4, Xbox One, and PC called New Light. Which begs the question; as a new or returning player, what version should you spend your money on?

Overwatch Characters In Smash Bros.? “I Think That Would Be Awesome,” Dev Says

When Blizzard’s popular hero shooter Overwatch was announced for Switch, some fans wondered if any of the game’s 31 characters might make the jump to Nintendo’s own popular fighting game Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a DLC character.

Nothing is confirmed one way or the other as of yet, but now, one of Overwatch’s developers has spoke about the idea of Overwatch characters in Smash.

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Speaking for himself, principal game producer Wes Yanagi told GameSpot that he would be floored to see an Overwatch character duking it out with the cast of Smash.

“As a player and big fan of [Smash], I think that would be awesome,” he said. “It would be an honour if Nintendo chose to bring one of our characters into Smash Bros.”

Five DLC characters are included with the Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighters Pass. Three of these, Joker, Hero, and Banjo & Kazooie, have already been released. The next will be Fatal Fury’s Terry Bogard, with one more unnamed character to come later in the Pass. During the September Nintendo Direct, the company confirmed that it will release even more new DLC characters once the Fighters Pass roster wraps up.

In April this year, Nintendo executive Reggie Fils-Aime (who has since left the company) told IGN that Smash director Masahiro Sakurai’s aim with Ultimate’s DLC is for the new characters to be “unique” and “different.”

Fils-Aime explained that Sakurai and the team working on Ultimate’s DLC don’t necessarily see characters from franchises not typically associated with Nintendo as a limiting factor when it comes to Smash Bros.

So far, there have been no rumors or reports about an Overwatch character coming to Smash Bros. Ultimate as a DLC fighter. It’s still intriguing to think about, especially now that Yanagi has commented about it.

Overwatch launches for Switch on October 15. It includes all the content from the other versions, including all 31 heroes, 28 maps, and game modes. Keep checking back with GameSpot this week for more from our interview with Yanagi about on Overwatch for Switch.

Which Overwatch character would you like to see in Smash? Let us know in the comments below!

New Nintendo Switch Update Out Now, Here’s What It Does (Not Much)

The newest Nintendo Switch update has arrived, but do not expect much from it. Version 9.0.1 is very basic, as it’s focused on improving general system stability and simple bug fixes.

Specifically, the 9.0.1. update fixes an unspecified “issue” that could lead to errors in gameplay. It also fixes a bug that caused the system to tell people to remove the Joy-Con when setting up their Switch Lite for the first time.

This is the first new Switch firmware update since 9.0.0 earlier in September. That update was far more substantial, as it introduced a number of new features, tweaks, changes, and fixes. One of its biggest fixes was for a Fire Emblem: Three Houses bug that prevented the game from booting.

You can see the full 9.0.1 update notes below, as posted on Nintendo’s website.

Nintendo Switch 9.0.1 Update:

  • Resolved an issue that may have triggered errors during game play.
  • Resolved an issue that may display an instruction to remove the Joy-Con during the initial setup of Nintendo Switch Lite.

Zynga Hack Reveals Personal Information Of 200 Million Accounts

Mobile giant Zynga has acknowledged a data breach by “outside hackers” that has reportedly resulted in the personal information of 200 million accounts becoming exposed.

In a statement, Zynga said cyber attacks are “one of the unfortunate realities of doing business today.” The FarmVille and Words With Friends studio said it recently became aware that “certain player account information” might have been “illegally” obtained by hackers.

The San Francisco-based company said it launched an investigation “immediately” and brought on outside forensic teams to help. Additionally, Zynga said it has been in contact with law enforcement officials regarding the breach.

Zynga said it believes no financial information was obtained in the hack, though some “account information” was exposed. The company said it already launched security campaigns on behalf of accounts that might have been compromised, and right now seems like a good time to change your Zynga password if you have an account there.

“The security of our player data is extremely important to us. We have worked hard to address this matter and remain committed to supporting our community,” Zynga said.

The company added that Facebook, iOS, and Android passwords were likely not exposed in this breach because Zynga does not collect these passwords in the first place.

According to Hacker News, a hacker from Pakistan has claimed responsibility for the Zynga breach, which specifically targeted Words With Friends and Draw Something. As part of the breach, the hacker reportedly gained access to more than 218 million user accounts. Players names, email addresses, login IDs, passwords, phone numbers, and more information might have been accessed in the breach.

Check out this Zynga support page to find out how to change your password.

The Last Of Us 2’s Companions Can Do Much More This Time

When looking at the recent trailer for The Last of Us Part II, it’s clear that Ellie is in for a tough fight against the new threat coming from the Wolves. Add Clickers on top and there’s certainly a lot for her to deal with. But she won’t always be alone in her struggle as, just like in the original game, Ellie will encounter a variety of characters who will join her on her journey.

Unique characters are part of what made The Last of Us such a stellar game from a storytelling perspective. However, it was a common occurrence during combat situations that companion characters weren’t as helpful as they could have been. In The Last of Us Part II, the developers at Naughty Dog wanted to address this concern from the original. Speaking with The Last of Us Part II co-director Anthony Newman, he explained why allies would have a more significant impact during combat in the sequel.

“I can’t get too much into the exact ratio of time you spend alone. I’d say the game is definitely a blend of being by yourself as you were in the second part of the demo, and being with an ally,” he said. “Allies are at the core of Naughty Dog games. We get a lot of great stuff out of them in terms of this back and forth as you were pointing out.

“I think, as you may have noticed in the first part of the demo interacting with Dina, our allies can do a lot of pretty exciting new stuff where they can get stealth kills independently. They have their own pretty nuanced melee system where they can interact with enemies in melee and also help you out and rescue as they did in the first game. They’re a little bit more flexible and nuanced this time around.”

In our recent hands-on impressions of The Last of Us Part II, editor Phil Hornshaw talked about how handy the companions were during the many fights he got himself into. In one instance, he noticed that shots from companions posed a more tangible threat to enemies. In these cases, he’d rely on their shots landing, which allowed him to finish off the weakened enemies with his attacks. There seems to be a lot more nuance to how the companions operate, which is undoubtedly appreciated this time around.