Sky: Children Of The Light, the social mobile game by Journey developers Thatgamecompany, has announced reaching a new milestone of 20 million downloads across Android and iOS, almost exactly a year on from launch.
Sky launched first to iOS on July 18 last year, and picked up Apple’s iPhone Game of the Year award in its first six months. The game later came to Android in April 2020.
Thatgamecompany is marking a year of release with a week-long in-game anniversary celebration that started on July 13. The celebration opens up Sky’s secret area, The Office, to all players–a zone usually exclusive to players who own the TGC Founders cape or Beta cape.
Madden NFL 21 cover star Lamar Jackson lands at No. 3 overall with a 94 rating. You can check out the full list of the highest-rated QBs in Madden NFL 21 below.
Top 10 Highest-Rated QBs in Madden NFL 21
Patrick Mahomes — 99 OVR
Russell Wilson — 97 OVR
Lamar Jackson — 94 OVR
Drew Brees — 93 OVR
Tom Brady — 90 OVR
Aaron Rodgers — 89 OVR
Matt Ryan — 87 OVR
Deshaun Watson — 86 OVR
Dak Prescott — 84 OVR
Carson Wentz — 84 OVR
While Mahomes might be the highest-rated QB overall, Lamar Jackson is No. 1 when it comes to speed (96). Jackson is known for his rushing and speed–for his rookie season in 2019, Jackson racked up 1,206 rushing yards to break Michael Vick’s record for the most by a QB in a single season in NFL history.
It’s a new week, and that means Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and the battle royale game Warzone are being updated with new stuff to keep things fresh and interesting. Activision announced all the new updates in a blog post, and we’re rounding them up here by game.
Modern Warfare Playlists
Modern Warfare is getting a playlist update this week that will add a new playlist called Party Mode. This includes the One in the Chamber, Gun Game Reloaded, and All or Nothing game modes. Additionally, a 2v2 Gunfight playlist is coming this week.
What’s more, Activision will add a new 24/7 playlist featuring 8v8 multiplayer on the new Cheshire Park map and Shoot House 24/7.
BOOM! Studios is relaunching its flagship Mighty Morphin Power Rangers comic in November 2020. Now titled Mighty Morphin, the series will feature a revamped team lineup that includes a brand new incarnation of the Green Ranger.
Mighty Morphin will be written by current Mighty Morphin Power Rangers writer Ryan Parrott and drawn by artist Marco Renna (All-New Michael Turner’s Fathom). The series will be one of two new Power Rangers comics debuting in November and building on the fallout of the recent “Necessary Evil” crossover, as part of a new direction dubbed “Unlimited Power.” The second title is still under wraps for the time being.
Check out the slideshow gallery below to see three covers for Mighty Morphin #1:
Mighty Morphin will introduce several new wrinkles to the Power Rangers mythos, the most significant of them being the identity of the All New Green Ranger. It’s clearly not Tommy Oliver, as Tommy looks to still be wearing the mantle of the White Ranger. The new series will reveal this mystery character’s identity and explore what happens when the White Ranger and Green Ranger coexist on the same team. Boom notes the All New Green Ranger will first make their debut in October’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #55, the series finale.
The new series will pit the revamped team against Lord Zedd, a villain who’s gained a new mission and new motivations since his last appearance. Boom’s press release teases Zedd’s new mission “will change everything you thought you knew about our heroes.” The press release also teases a major twist that hits very close to home for the Rangers, hinting “the greatest threat to their future is the shocking secret of Zordon’s past!”
“This is a brand new beginning for an all-new Mighty Morphin team featuring characters you know – and an all new Green Ranger. This book is a chance to explore the past, present and future of the team in ways you’ve never seen before,” said Parrott in a statement. “Coming out of Necessary Evil, there seemed like an opportunity to not only start fresh but focus the story in on our new MIGHTY MORPHIN team like we haven’t before.”
“I’m really happy to have the opportunity to work on Power Rangers. I used to watch the TV show every day and being able to draw these characters is a dream come true,” said Renna. “I feel honored to be part of this fantastic team and I am excited to go into this new adventure. I really hope you enjoy my art.”
Fans can find out more about this relaunch at Comic-Con@Home. Boom will host a “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Future is Now” panel on Saturday, July 25 at 1:00 pm PT.
There are more streaming networks than ever before, so If you have questions about the future of streaming, then you’ve come to the right place. All week long, IGN’s State of Streaming 2.0 initiative will feature reviews and in-depth analysis about new streaming providers like NBCUniversal’s Peacock, as well as a look at the coolest hidden features that streaming services are implementing and what the future of Netflix’s interactive space will look like. Today, we’re reviewing one of the newest streaming services currently available, WarnerMedia’s HBO Max. Be sure to check out our reviews of other popular streaming services: Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Apple TV+, and Quibi.
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One of the key elements needed to compete in the Great Streaming War against the likes of Netflix, Disney+, Amazon, Hulu, and others is to possess a vast and diverse entertainment catalog to keep potential subscribers occupied not just for hours, but days, weeks, and even months on end. For HBO Max, the newly expanded streaming service has plenty of content thanks to WarnerMedia’s many subsidiaries: HBO, DC Entertainment, Warner Bros., Adult Swim, Studio Ghibli, Crunchyroll, and many more. At launch, HBO Max promises to provide over 10,000 hours of content.
And while Netflix reportedly has around 36,000 hours of movies and shows at any given time, setting a high bar for quantity, HBO Max has quality on its side: it brings with it a level of brand recognition and prestige that no other service (apart for Disney) can match. Warner Bros. alone has been in the entertainment business for over a century, producing iconic, award-winning films like Casablanca, The Shining, and the entire Batman, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings sagas. In short, you don’t have to wade through nearly as much junk on HBO Max in order to get to the good stuff.
However, even with an impressive list of movies and TV shows to stream at launch, HBO Max’s user interface has to function as seamlessly as its competitors so subscribers can enjoy the overall experience. At launch, the Max has a greater than average number of kinks in terms of its features and availability that it still needs to iron out. Of course, while there are some red flags to consider, if we’ve learned anything from Disney+’s technical debacle when it first launched, it’s never too late to recover.
To learn more about what we thought of the HBO Max streaming platform, read on for a more detailed overview of its movies and shows, user interface, and pricing when compared to other providers.
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HBO Max’s TV Shows and Movies
Photo courtesy of HBO Max
In this competitive streaming landscape, holding the rights to popular shows and films is key. Netflix probably realizes this better than anyone, especially since the streaming giant offered WarnerMedia $100 million just to hold onto the rights to the enduringly popular ‘90s sitcom Friends back in 2018. But Warner refused, and now, all of your favorite episodes of Friends can be exclusively be found on HBO Max (even though the highly anticipated Friends reunion special is currently on hold due to the novel coronavirus). Apart from Friends, HBO Max is also the one and only home to countless series from HBO, TNT, Cartoon Network, Sesame Workshop, and across Warner Bros’ many studio divisions.
This means, especially if you’re already an existing HBO subscriber, that you’ve gone from having access to the entire library of HBO’s hit series like Game of Thrones and The Wire, to now having (nearly) everything else from WarnerMedia’s empire at your fingertips. IGN has a complete list of everything that’s available on HBO Max at launch right here, but some notable highlights include the entire Studio Ghibli collection, all eight Harry Potter films, and a curation of timeless Turner Classic Movies like Gone With the Wind and Once Upon a Time in the West.
But there are glaring omissions in that list. Much in the same way Disney+ did not have its entire lineup available at launch, HBO Max is missing favorites such as Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, and the four Christopher Reeve Superman films due to various licensing agreements with other services that have yet to run their course (or, seemingly, because they want to keep some programming, like Superman and Batman: The Animated Series, exclusively on their DC Universe streaming platform). For more notable movies and shows missing from HBO Max’s library, check out the gallery below:
It’s not all about the library of course: there are also a handful of HBO Max Originals, both scripted and unscripted (read our launch reviews here). These include Love Life, an entertaining rom-com starring Anna Kendrick, and Looney Tunes Cartoons, a modern re-imaging of the classic animated series featuring iconic characters like Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig. Sadly, none of these launch shows are worth the price of admission (see our section on pricing below) on their own. It’s surprising that WarnerMedia did not strive to release a new tentpole launch series here like Disney+ did with The Mandalorian and Apple TV+ did with The Morning Show and See – which both feature A-list actors such as Reese Witherspoon and Jason Momoa, respectively. Perhaps HBO Max’s lack of a prestige series at launch is due to production delays caused by the novel coronavirus, or simply poor planning.
Looking ahead, we’re excited to finally see the Justice League Snyder Cut in 2021, Ridley Scott’s sci-fi drama Raised By Wolves, Ansel Elgort’s Tokyo Vice, the hotly-anticipated Adventure Time specials, high-concept Dune: The Sisterhood, and Greg Berlanti’s live-action Green Lantern series that will feature Sinestro and two Earth Lanterns. But it seems shortsighted for the service to rely so heavily on library content at launch without also touting a buzzy, must-watch series to help lure in subscribers.
HBO Max’s User Interface
Photo courtesy of HBO Max
HBO Max’s user interface is seamless to navigate, with the standard curated carousels for when you’re in the mood for “edgy animation” like Rick and Morty and Primal, or “blockbuster franchises” such as Die Hard and The Lord of the Rings. You can also easily search by genre via a sidebar, and browse WarnerMedia’s various networks by simply clicking on one of the “HBO Max Hubs” to Adult Swim, Studio Ghibli, or DC depending on what you’re in the mood for (similar to the way Disney+ breaks down its content across Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, etc). In terms of its aesthetics, HBO Max is a good looking interface with its vibrant blue, purple, and pink hues that are easy on the eyes.
Where the streaming platform struggles is not with its visual appearance and ease of navigation, but in the lack of features that we’ve all come to expect should be found on any modern-day service backed by a multi-billion dollar company. For starters, there’s no 4K or HDR support available at the time of writing, which is a big disappointment considering that rivals Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon all offer this feature (although a 4K subscription does cost $15.99 per month on Netflix in the US). To its credit, HBO Max does have a “continue watching” option (Disney+ infamously did not when it debuted) and the ability to download shows and movies for convenient offline viewing on a phone or tablet. The fact that the platform’s licensing deals have also prevented a simultaneous global rollout (similar to Disney+, which staggered its international launches over several months) also put it at a disadvantage compared to its competitors.
Another issue plaguing the launch of HBO Max is the confusion consumers are having over the differences between HBO Go, HBO Now, and HBO Max when it comes to existing subscriptions. Thankfully, we have an HBO Max sign-up explainer if you find yourself scratching your head, but the TL;DR is that if you have Go or Now, you probably already have HBO Max without even knowing it, although navigating the sign-up process has proven daunting for some.
And lastly, before you make a decision to sign up, you should be aware that HBO Max is currently not available on Amazon Fire and Roku devices due to WarnerMedia and their parent company AT&T not being able to reach a deal with Roku and Amazon yet. That’s a shame, since these particular streaming devices reportedly account for 80 million TV households.
HBO Max’s Price
Photo courtesy of HBO Max
In terms of cost, HBO Max falls in the higher priced tier of streaming services, on par with Netflix, which currently offers a 4K, four-simultaneous-streams plan for $15.99 in the US. While HBO Max may seem a bit expensive when compared to Disney Plus’s surprisingly affordable $6.99 per month rate, it’s actually a pretty good deal when you consider that HBO Now, along with most cable packages that carry HBO as a standalone channel, have been charging $15 for some time now. HBO has been able to justify that high cost with its outstanding original content. And here, HBO Max is essentially providing that same service with a ton of additional movies and television series from WarnerMedia’s other subsidiaries at no extra cost… it’s basically HBO on steroids.
It’s a big day for Halo fans. 13 years after the release of Halo 3 for Xbox 360 on September 24, 2007, Microsoft has finally brought the game to PC. Additionally, the big Season 2 update for Halo: The Master Chief Collection has arrived for both PC and Xbox One.
You can get Halo 3 right now on Steam for $10 USD, or you can buy it through The Master Chief Collection for $40 USD. Halo’s community director, Brian Jarrard, said Microsoft released the game and the update a little bit early, so you might experience some issues before the “official” launch on July 14.
Yep, Halo 3 PC and the MCC update are now live a bit early. It’s been nearly 13 years, we figure you’ve waited long enough. Note some services may still be coming online ahead of our “official” launch tomorrow AM. pic.twitter.com/hrIeBec6mw
The big Season 2 update for MCC is 23.4 GB on Xbox One, and you can see the complete patch notes below, as posted by Microsoft. MCC owners on the Microsoft Store and Game Pass for PC will see a 20.84 GB update, while people who have MCC on Steam will have a 17.6 GB update.
Ninjala released as a Switch exclusive on June 24, and since then a lot of people have downloaded it. The game, which is free-to-play, has been downloaded over 3 million times, developer GungHo Online Entertainment has revealed.
To celebrate, every player is being given 100 Jala, the game’s currency. As part of the game’s launch celebration, every new player who logs in before August 26 will be able to claim these Jala, on top of the other launch benefits previously offered–so if you jump in for the first time today, you’ll automatically get 400 Jala.
🎊3 Million Downloads!!🎊
Thank you for your support! ✌️😁
To celebrate 3 million downloads of #Ninjala, all players will receive a free gift of 100 Jala! ✨🎁✨
To claim this Jala, you need to load up the game and progress beyond the character creation screen and tutorial. Once you reach the main menu, you can claim it from your in-game mail. 100 Jala can be exchanged for a single gumball, although if you wait and save up, it’s likely that more Jala will be handed out as the game continues to amass downloads.
The Nintendo Switch has received yet another system update, but it’s not a big one. This update, 10.1.0, has made a change to the first decimal instead of the second, but that doesn’t indicate anything major has changed.
As per Nintendo Support, Update 10.1.0’s change log contains a single sentence, and it’s one that Switch fans are well acquainted with. Here’s what it includes:
General system stability improvements to enhance the user’s experience.
In June, the Switch received an update that actually identified and solved a specific issue–10.0.4 fixed a serious credit card issue. Update 10.0.0 was the most recent major patch, and it introduced control remapping, easier data transfers, and new user icons.
Actor Will Ferrell has a small role in Wedding Crashers, but it was a memorable one. He plays Chazz Reinhold, the mentor of Vince Vaughan’s character, Jeremy. When we meet Chazz in the movie, he’s living with his mother, eating meat loaf, and wearing a kimono. He’s moved on from crashing weddings and is now even more of a scumbag who crashes funerals to pick up women.
The scene comes in the final act of the movie, and director David Dobkin told EW that it provided a “rocket boost” to the movie’s conclusion. But it was not part of the original script, and Ferrell almost was not involved.
The idea for the scene came weeks into shooting, when star Owen Wilson thought it would be a funny idea to have his character crash a funeral. Wilson had created the Chazz character and referenced him in the script, but he wasn’t planned to ever be shown in the 2005 comedy.
