From cash handouts to rent freezes to “economic patriotism,” here’s how countries are responding to the coronavirus.
Soap Star Greg Rikaart Calls Coronavirus ‘The Hardest Experience’
The actor said he had “difficulty breathing” and fever for 11 days in isolation from his family.
WWE Takeover Tampa Matches To Appear On NXT
Sports Illustrated is reporting that NXT’s Tampa Bay Takeover will air on the WWE Network, starting next week on April 1. With Wrestlemania becoming two nights, which will include the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, the black and gold brand’s biggest night got bumped up to NXT’s regular night.
🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨
As first reported by @SInow:
– @TripleH will appear on tomorrow’s #WWENXT.
– The matches originally scheduled for #NXTTakeOver: Tampa Bay will now take place on #NXTonUSA, starting 4/1!https://t.co/prKzBXERuk— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) March 24, 2020
The final card isn’t officially set, but Triple H will be live on March 25th’s episode of NXT to be on commentary and more than likely put things in stone. Right now, the only confirmed match is a six-woman ladder match to determine the #1 contender for the NXT Women’s Championship (Chelsea Green, Mia Yim, and Teagon Nox are the only named competitors at this time).
More than likely, Adam Cole will defend his NXT Championship against the returning Velveteen Dream, while Keith Lee will defends his North American Championship. With only a week to hype things up, it’ll be interesting to see if they can make fans watching at home invested enough to tune in.
Kim Kardashian Breaks Silence On Taylor Swift, Kanye Video: ‘She Is Actually Lying’
The reality TV star fired off a series of tweets about the ongoing feud between her husband and the pop singer.
Sony Slowing PS4 Download Speeds In Europe To Help Internet Reliability
With internet usage growing due to social distancing during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Sony has announced plans intended to help mitigate the impact of the PlayStation Network on internet reliability in Europe. Specifically, Sony Interactive Entertainment president Jim Ryan has announced the company is “working with internet service providers in Europe to manage download traffic to help preserve access for the entire internet community.”
While PS4 wasn’t specifically cited, it’s undoubtedly PS4 users that represent the bulk of SIE’s network traffic. (Recent weeks have seen some massive updates and game download sizes, including those of Call of Duty: Warzone and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.) However, while downloads themselves may be slower, it doesn’t sound as if European PSN users shouldn’t expect online gameplay to be impacted.
“Players may experience somewhat slower or delayed game downloads but will still enjoy robust gameplay,” Ryan explained in a PlayStation Blog post. “We appreciate the support and understanding from our community, and their doing their part, as we take these measures in an effort to preserve access for everyone.”
Plague Inc. Developer Donates $250,000 To Fight Coronavirus
Plague Inc. developer Ndemic Creations’ game simulates what might happen in the event of an unstoppable pandemic, but the company is now doing its part to stop one. Ndemic announced this week that it donated $250,000 in order to fight the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
The donation was made to the Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Innovations as well as the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. The former is dedicated to developing and financing vaccines to treating new infectious disease, while the latter is focused on preventing, detecting, and treating COVID-19 worldwide.
“Eight years ago, I never imagined the real world would come to resemble a game of Plague Inc., or that so many players would be using Plague Inc. to help them get through an actual pandemic,” the game’s creator James Vaughan said in the announcement. “We are proud to be able to help support the vital work of the WHO and CEPI as they work towards finding a vaccine for COVID-19.”
Ahead Of Resident Evil 3, Save On The Resident Evil Franchise In Latest Xbox One Weekly Deals
Each week, Microsoft discounts a huge selection of games on the Xbox Store. This week’s deals just went live and are led by a Resident Evil franchise sale. The timing is perfect, as the Resident Evil 3 remake launches April 3 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Microsoft is also hosting a promotion on game add-ons for popular titles like Grand Theft Auto V, Rocket League, Black Desert, and NBA 2K20. If you spend $50 or more on microtransactions until March 31, you’ll get $5 back ($10 if you’re a Game Pass subscriber). Square Enix’s publisher sale is still live for another week, so there’s still time to get a bunch of Final Fantasy games for cheap.
If you feel like replaying old Resident Evil games again or stepping into their frightful worlds for the first time, now’s a good time to take the plunge. Last year’s superb Resident Evil 2 remake is 50% off at $20. Meanwhile, the most recent mainline game, Resident Evil 7, drops to $15 (was $20). Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil 5, and Resident Evil 6 are even cheaper–each are available for just $8 (were $20).
On the lookout for a gripping adventure? All three modern Tomb Raider games are on sale for really low prices. Tomb Raider (2013) is down to $6 (was $30), Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration drops to $9 (was $30), and Shadow of the Tomb Raider is $19.79 (was $60).
Women Expecting Babies During Coronavirus Ask: Who Will Be With Me In Labor?
No partners. No doulas. Giving birth alone is hardly what these women had in mind.
Top Public Health Expert: Lifting Coronavirus Restrictions Now Could Kill Millions
The U.S. health care system would be stressed “far beyond” what it could bear, a health official warned.
Death Stranding’s Expanded PC Photo Mode Is Also Coming To PS4
Death Stranding is coming to PC this summer with a few enhancements, including an expanded photo mode. However, PS4 players won’t be left out, as the console version is getting an update that gives you even more ways to take pictures during your cross-country journey.
Director Hideo Kojima revealed the news on his official Twitter account, saying the PS4 version will actually be getting the PC version’s photo mode before the PC version is out. His studio’s goal is currently to have it out by the end of the month in a title update.
Today’s good news!
DEATH STRANDING PC ver. Photo Mode will be also implemented for PS4 ver. as many of you requested! We are doing the final checks right now and trying to make it happen at the end of this month’s update. Photo Mode during your journey and delivery👍😍 pic.twitter.com/Dspi2DpVpS— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) March 24, 2020
Once released, the update will let you take images of protagonist Sam while you’re exploring the world and delivering supplies. Previously, you could snap images while Sam looked into the mirror in his room, complete with silly faces.