NBA 2K20 once again features a star-studded MyCareer campaign mode, but this year’s has a notably top-tier cast list. Scratch that, it has an insane cast list. Seriously, we don’t know why these people are in an NBA game.
Playing major characters this year are Idris Elba, Rosario Dawson, Ernie Hudson, Lamorne Morris, Maverick Carter, and Lebron James. Oh, and Thomas Middleditch. Yup, Richard Hendricks from Silicon Valley is in NBA 2K20. The world really is that wild.
Idris Elba is probably best known for his roles in The Wire, Pacific Rim, The Office, and this year’s Fast and Furious spin-off, Hobbs & Shaw. It’s great to see an actor of his calibre in NBA, but he’s also joined by Rosario Dawson and Ernie Hudson. Plus, a cast like this wouldn’t be complete without Lebron James, who will also appear in Space Jam 2 in 2021.
PUBG Corp. announced cross-platform play between consoles during the Gamescom edition of Inside Xbox. PUBG will be updated for cross-platform matchmaking between Xbox One and PS4 late September, with the aim to update the live server by early October.
“It will make the pool bigger globally and also offer more competition,” said Koosung Jeong, PUBG Corp. console producer.
Keep in mind, cross-platform matchmaking will not include PC.
The long-awaited cross-play news was delivered after showcasing the PUBG Season 4: Aftermath trailer. Season 4 of PUBG is coming to Xbox One on August 27.
As promised, Microsoft made some hardware announcements during its big Inside Xbox show at Gamescom. We didn’t get any new details on Project Scarlett, but the company did announce two brand-new Xbox One controllers that add to the already-massive lineup of gamepads.
The first of the newly announced controllers is the Night Ops Camo controller. As you can see in the images here, this gamepad features a camouflage design and a metallic golf D-pad. The trigger grips, meanwhile, are etched for a unique look of their own.
The other new Xbox One controller announced during the briefing is the Sport Blue controller. It has a unique geometric design and it also features metallic flourishes. The D-pad is also metallic, while the grips are rubberized for better feel.
Microsoft already sells Sport Red and Sport Blue Xbox One controllers, while the new Night Ops controller follows the Armed Forces and Winter Forces models that also have camouflage designs. The Night Ops controller will be available October 8 for $69.99 USD. The Sport Blue, meanwhile, will be available beginning September 17 for $69.99 USD.
These are just a few of the options available, as Microsoft also offers a series of other special designs including Ocean Shadow, Recon Tech, and Phantom Black options, along with Minecraft-themed controllers, and more. In the US, Microsoft also offers the Xbox Design Lab program that allows you to create your own controller and customize it to your liking, while an Xbox Adaptive Controller designed for people with limited mobility is also available.
If you want to complete the Night Ops Camo or Sport Blue look, matching charging stands are also available. Each Xbox Pro Charging Stand comes also includes a battery cover, rechargeable battery and 6-foot power cord. They are available for $49.99 each with the Night Ops variant available from October 8 and the Sport Blue from September 17.
Two new Xbox wireless controller special editions have been announced: Night Ops Camo and Sport Blue.
Announced during the Gamescom edition of Inside Xbox, the Night Ops Camo edition “will take on the classic and iconic camouflage and includes a metallic gold D-pad and etched trigger grips”, while Sport Blue “features a geometric design with eye-catching metallic accents, a metallic D-pad and rubberized grip.”
Sport Blue will be available from September 17, and Night Ops Camo will be available from October 8. Both controllers will cost $69.99 USD (no UK or AU prices available at time of writing), and are open for pre-orders now.
The two new designs will precede the release of the Xbox Elite Controller Series 2, which arrives on November 4.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds developer PUBG Corp. had some big news to share during this week’s Inside Xbox livestream. Along with a trailer for the game’s upcoming Season 4 update, which is set to kick off soon on Xbox One following its PC release last month, the studio revealed that it is working on implementing a highly requested feature: cross-play on consoles–and it’s coming soon.
According to PUBG Corp., cross-platform play will be enabled on the game’s public test server in late September, with a live rollout expected to follow in early October.
Tom Holland’s Spider-Man has successfully web-slinged its way to the top of the box office, as Spider-Man: Far From Home has now become Sony Pictures’ highest-grossing global release ever.
Variety reports Spider-Man: Far From Home reached $1.109 billion globally this weekend, swinging past James Bond’s 2012 adventure Skyfall, which earned $1.108 billion (without adjusting for inflation), to become Sony’s biggest box office hit.
Last week, it was announced that the action horror movie The Hunt had been pulled from release schedules by distributors Universal, following the shootings in El Paso and Dayton and criticism from President Donald Trump. Now director Craig Zobel has commented on the film’s cancellation.
The film is a variation on the familiar plot used in movie such as The Most Dangerous Game, Battle Royale, and The Hunger Games, in which humans hunt each other for sport or survival. In an interview with Variety, Zobel explained that the movie had been misrepresented in the press, and that it satirized both sides of the political divide. “If I believed this film could incite violence, I wouldn’t have made it,” he said. “Our ambition was to poke at both sides of the aisle equally. We seek to entertain and unify, not enrage and divide. It is up to the viewers to decide what their takeaway will be.
“I wanted to make a fun, action thriller that satirized this moment in our culture–where we jump to assume we know someone’s beliefs because of which ‘team’ we think they’re on… and then start shouting at them. This rush to judgment is one of the most relevant problems of our time.”
Nevertheless, Zobel stated that he supported the decision to pull the movie following the tragedies in El Paso and Dayton. “I was devastated by going to sleep to El Paso and waking up to Dayton,” he said. “These types of moments happen far too often. In the wake of these horrific events, we immediately considered what it meant for the timing of our film. Once inaccurate assumptions about the content and intent of the movie began to take hold, I supported the decision to move the film off its release date.”
The Hunt is produced by Blumhouse Films, who also made The Purge series, as well as movies like Get Out, Us, and Paranormal Activity. It’s co-written by Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof and stars Betty Gilpin, Emma Roberts, Hilary Swank, and Glen Howerton. The movie’s trailer was released at the start of August.
The movie was set for release on September 27, but it was pulled on August 11. The studio commented on the cancellation, stating: “After thoughtful consideration, the studio has decided to cancel our plans to release the film. We stand by our filmmakers and will continue to distribute films in partnership with bold and visionary creators, like those associated with this satirical social thriller, but we understand that now is not the right time to release this film.”
