Month: December 2019

Global Warming seems like it’s been a hot topic of discussion for the last couple of decades as we learn more about our environment and the impact we have on it as humans. Surprisingly, though, we’re not even in the warmest period the Earth has seen, and now scientists may have a better understanding of what we’re in for in the future.

According to a report by Science News, the Spanish Cuevas de Artà off the Balearic island of Mallorca has revealed mineral deposits that were the result of higher water levels from long ago. Scientists have dated these deposits to a time that could be over five million years old, a period known as the Pliocene Epoch.

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Pokemon fans can claim a few different freebies right now in Pokemon Sword and Shield, including a free Gigantamax Meowth and a handful of rare Pokemon balls. On top of those, The Pokemon Company is now offering another free gift for players for a limited time, and it’s a pretty nice one.

Until January 30, you can claim 20 free Battle Points in Sword and Shield. These points are a special kind of currency that can primarily be earned by competing in the Battle Tower, which only opens up after you’ve cleared the main storyline, and they’re used to purchase helpful items like Nature-changing mints and other competitive-focused equipment for your Pokemon.

To receive the free Battle Points, you’ll need to select Mystery Gift from the games’ menu and follow the steps below:

• Select Mystery Gift from the menu screen
• Select Get a Mystery Gift
• Select Get Gift via Code/Password
• Follow the prompts to connect online
• Input the download code G1GANTAMAX when prompted

As previously mentioned, a handful of other free gifts are available in Sword and Shield, although time is running out to claim those. You have until January 15 to download the aforementioned rare Poke Balls. That’s also the last day you can claim a free Gigantamax Meowth, which isn’t otherwise available in the games. You can see all the freebies available in Sword and Shield right now in our roundup.

Pokemon Sword and Shield launched for Switch last month and quickly set new sales records for the series. GameSpot awarded the pair a 9/10 in our Pokemon Sword and Shield review and also selected them as some of the best Switch games of 2019. You can read more about the eighth-generation Pokemon games below.

Christmas has come and gone, which means this year’s biggest sales are officially behind us. But while Black Friday may have brought some of the best gaming deals of 2019, gamers looking to pick up Respawn’s brand-new Star Wars game, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, were limited to Xbox One bundles and a slight discount on the Deluxe edition. If you held off on picking this game up during Black Friday or if you received a new PS4 or Xbox One for Christmas, you’re in luck, as the standard edition just hit its lowest price yet in Amazon’s big year-end sale.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has an initial discount of $45 right now, down from the usual $60. To sweeten the deal, Amazon is offering an additional $11.25 off the price, which drops your total cost to $33.74. While you should see extra savings on the product listing right underneath the price, you’ll see the full discount applied during checkout. If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll receive free shipping as usual.

The Deluxe Edition, which is only $10 more than the standard edition at full price, includes a director’s cut with behind-the-scenes features and additional cosmetic items, but it’s not discounted on Amazon right now.

The third-person action-adventure game earned a solid 8/10 in GameSpot’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order review, in which Phil Hornshaw praised its challenging, Souls-like combat; intriguing characters; and vast world for exploration.

“Especially as it wears on, Fallen Order becomes perhaps the strongest conception of what playing as a Jedi Knight ought to really be like,” Hornshaw wrote. “It’s true that Fallen Order borrows liberally from other action games, but those elements work together with Respawn’s combat and environment design, and a story that finds humanity in the Force and in its characters, to hone in on what makes the world of Star Wars worthy of revisiting again and again. Even with some rough edges, Fallen Order represents one of the most compelling game additions to the Star Wars franchise in years.”

Another director has left Sony’s live-action Uncharted film starring Tom Holland as Nathan Drake. Travis Knight is the sixth director to leave the project since plans for the movie were started in 2011.

Deadline is reporting that Travis Knight, who previously directed the Transformers spinoff Bumblebee, has left the project due to scheduling conflicts. Tom Holland’s Spider-Man schedule is forcing the production to crunch on Uncharted, which ultimately cost the studio Knight as the director.

Knight is the sixth director to leave the live-action Uncharted movie after Dan Tractenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane) left in 2019, Shawn Levy (Free Guy) in 2018, Seth Gordon (Baywatch) in 2015, Neil Burger (Divergent) in 2012, and David O. Russell (American Hustle) in 2011.

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Though the holidays are just about over, it’s time to start spending those gift cards and pick up some games and accessories for your new console. GameStop’s latest weekly ad features deals on a number of Xbox One, PS4, and Switch games. PC gamers can also save on some awesome Corsair gear.

The weekly sale technically runs until January 4, but most of the game deals are deemed “special offers” and are only discounted until January 1. The Division 2 drops all the way down to $12 on PS4 and Xbox One, which is a remarkable price for a game that released in 2019. Gears 5 is 50% off, lowering the price from $60 to $30.

For those who received a new Nintendo Switch this Christmas, you can pick up Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 for $40. Arcade multiplayer phenomenon turned console game Killer Queen Black is a steal at $15, and Assassin’s Creed: The Rebel Collection is $30. The Rebel Collection compiles Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and the underrated Assassin’s Creed Rogue.

PC gamers can save on three excellent Corsair products. The Corsair K70 RGB MK 2 mechanical gaming keyboard is $50 off, slashing the price from $160 to $110. You can pair that keyboard with the Corsair M65 RGB gaming mouse that happens to be on sale for $40 (was $60). And if you want to round out your desk space, you can plop both of those peripherals on the $15 Corsair MM300 anti-fray extended mouse pad.

You can browse the full ad at GameStop and check out our favorite deals below–some of which are holdovers from GameStop’s winter sale. You’ll also probably want to take a peek at Amazon’s end-of-year sale, which includes a larger selection of game deals.

Best deals at GameStop

• Assassin’s Creed: The Rebel Collection — $30 (Switch)
• Borderlands 3 — $30 (PS4, Xbox One)
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare — $45 (PS4, Xbox One)
• Death Stranding — $40 (PS4)
• The Division 2 — $12 (PS4, Xbox One)
• Gears 5 — $30 (Xbox One)
• Ghost Recon Breakpoint — $20 (PS4, Xbox One)
• Killer Queen Black — $15 (Switch)
• Madden NFL 20 — $30 (PS4, Xbox One)
• Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 — $40 (Switch)
• Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle — $20 (Switch)
• NBA 2K20 — $30 (PS4, Xbox One)
• Need for Speed Heat — $40 (PS4, Xbox One)
• The Outer Worlds — $40 (PS4, Xbox One)
• Red Dead Redemption 2 — $40 (PS4, Xbox One)
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition — $20 (PS4, Xbox One)
• PS4 Gold Headset — $80
• Corsair K70 RGB MK 2 mechanical gaming keyboard — $110
• Corsair M65 RGB Elite gaming mouse — $40
• Corsair MM300 anti-fray extended mouse pad — $15

Sony’s Uncharted film adaptation has incurred an unexpected setback. Travis Knight, who signed on to helm the project in September 2019, will no longer direct Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg, according to a new report.

Deadline states that Holland’s work with the next Spider-Man installment has caused scheduling conflicts with Knight. As a result, Knight has been pushed out of the director role and the film will receive a brand-new release date. Uncharted was scheduled to hit theatres on December 18, 2020. Sony still plans to move the film forward with a new director, but an announcement on who will lead the project has not been made.

Knight, an animator at stop-motion studio Laika, made his live-action directorial debut with 2018’s Bumblebee. Knight has also worked on 2009’s Coraline, 2012’s Paranorman, 2014’s The Boxtrolls, 2016’s Kubo and the Two Strings, and more. Uncharted would’ve served as Knight’s fifth directorial project.

2019 marked a year of consistent changes for Sony’s Uncharted film adaptation, a project that has been in the works since 2008. It was reported over the summer that the film had been rewritten, with Joe Carnahan penning the first draft. The current script was written by Art Marcum, Matt Holloway, and Rafe Judkins. In addition to several script changes, Uncharted has seen a number of directors sit in the chair, from Shawn Levy to Dan Trachtenberg to Seth Gordon. Knight is the latest director to walk away from the film.