It looks like Star Wars fans may have more than just one TV series set in a galaxy far, far away to look forward to.
During an earnings call (via The Hollywood Reporter) Disney CEO Bob Iger told investors the company is developing multiple Star Wars TV shows for its forthcoming streaming service, which will debut in 2019.
Full SPOILERS follow for Black Lightning “Black Jesus.”
Tobias Whale finally gets a story worth talking about with the introduction of his sister Tori (Edwina Findley). His character was quickly becoming cartoonish and we didn’t need another slow motion strut alongside his deadly assistant. In a show that has been grounded in reality thus far, Tobias was the outlier, so it was nice to see Marvin “Krondon” Jones III smiling in a non-maniacal way upon first greeting his sister.
Lady Eve (Jill Scott) effectively brought Tobias down to Earth in a stomach-churning scene at her Blackbird Funeral Home. Using his Albino looks against him was a mighty way to get her point across concerning his recent failures. There are cases of black-on-black racism that are rarely addressed on network television and it was a pleasant surprise to see the writers tackling these issues here. Their interaction also added some much needed context surrounding Tobias’ past. Learning about his political origins explains his oratory skills and charisma as a gang leader.
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is a strange game. Like the 2009 PSP game that spawned it, it’s a battle royale between your favourite Final Fantasy characters from most of the games in the series (including Type-0 and Tactics!), but the reworked combat couldn’t be more different. Dissidia NT is a 3v3 arena brawler with a real emphasis on team structure and strategy, and while it’s occasionally brilliant, it is unique among fighting games and cluttered in a way that makes it difficult to pick up and play. Also baffling is the weak single-player content, which Square Enix should’ve learned by now is an unforced error.
The Overwatch League looks like it’s set to get its first female player.
ESPN reports “multiple sources close to the players involved and the organization” have said South Korean player Kim “Geguri” Se-yeon will be joining the Overwatch League as a member of the Shanghai Dragons.
Geguri previously played for ROX Orcas as an off tank and currently holds the No.6 tank spot on the South Korean Ladder. She is said to be brought in alongside fellow South Koreans Element Mystic’s Lee “Fearless” Eui-Seok and MVP Space’s Cheon “Ado” Ki-Hyun.
Netflix reportedly paid over $50 million to acquire The Cloverfield Paradox.
The news, courtesy of sources close to The Hollywood Reporter, comes just two days after the film was announced with a trailer during the Super Bowl and debuted hours after that reveal.
The deal for the movie, previously known as God Particle, was reportedly made by J.J. Abrams, Paramount’s Jim Gianopulos, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos and Scott Stuber, and others. Worried the movie would perform poorly in theaters, talks reportedly began over the holidays, with the final deal taking shape in January.
Few knew what to expect when Nintendo teased a new “experience” for Switch last month, but no one could have predicted that project would turn out to be Nintendo Labo, a DIY game/toy line coming to the hybrid console this spring. Nintendo certainly hasn’t been shy about packaging peripherals with titles in the past to offer a unique kind of gameplay experience, but Labo differs from any game the company has ever released by requiring players to construct their own accessories. The title is bundled together with sheets of cardboard that can be fashioned into various objects known as Toy-Cons, which are then used to interact with the Labo software.
The most surprising aspect of Nintendo Labo, however, is just how well it all works. It’s difficult to appreciate the sheer ingenuity behind the project without experiencing it firsthand, but assembling your own Toy-Cons–which are actually quite intricate constructions that can take upwards of several hours to put together–fills you with a sense of accomplishment, and then seeing that object you created work with the Switch in a variety of clever ways feels like magic. The fact that you can fold a piece of cardboard into the shape of a car and drive it across a table simply by attaching your Joy-Cons to it almost beggars belief, and the moment you discover that makeshift RC car also uses the Joy-Con’s IR camera to stream a night vision and infrared view of where it’s heading opens your eyes to the seemingly endless possibilities Labo affords.
At launch, Labo will be available in two “kits,” each containing a separate game card and assortment of cardboard sheets, string, rubber bands, and other materials with which to construct the corresponding Toy-Cons. Despite the complexity of the Toy-Cons, the actual process of assembling them is impressively intuitive. Rather than laying out the instructions in a booklet (as is the case with Lego sets and other construction toys), each step of the process is displayed on the Switch, and you’re able to zoom, rotate, and view previous steps simply by pinching, tapping, or sliding your finger on the console’s touch screen. The cardboard sheets are also clearly labeled and perforated, making even the most intricate Toy-Cons easy to put together, although you’ll need to punch the pieces out delicately to avoid tearing them, as the cardboard is fairly thin.
Once your Toy-Con has been assembled, you’re able to use it to play a corresponding mini-game on the Switch. Each of the cardboard peripherals houses the left and right Joy-Cons, which are what enable it to interact with the Labo software. The RC Car, for instance, features slots on each of its sides for the Joy-Cons, while the Switch itself acts as a remote for the car. By pressing buttons on the Switch screen, the car drives around using the Joy-Cons’ HD Rumble vibrations. Conversely, the keys on the Piano Toy-Con are affixed with IR tape, which the right Joy-Con’s IR camera reads to determine which note to play when that key is pressed. The House Toy-Con features a slot in its center for the Switch console; when the system is inserted into the peripheral, its screen displays the “interior” of the house and the fluffy creature living inside. You can interact with the creature indirectly by plugging different cardboard knobs into the sides or bottom of the Toy-Con; one acts like a switch, allowing you to turn the lights in the house on and off, while another makes a faucet appear, filling the house with water when twisted.
While the Toy-Cons are ostensibly a way to demonstrate Labo’s mini-games, they turn out to be more satisfying to build than to actually play with due to the games’ simplicity. Each mini-game works as intended and shows off a unique use for the Switch hardware, though they appear to lack the depth needed to be anything more than an amusing diversion. Of the five activities featured in the Labo Variety Kit, Motorbike and Fishing Rod are the most enjoyable. The former’s Toy-Con resembles a set of handlebars. You accelerate by twisting the right handlebar and turn the Toy-Con left and right to steer your character around a racetrack on the Switch screen, competing against a handful of AI opponents to place in first. It’s a surprisingly responsive setup that feels fun to use. Likewise, rotating the reel on the Fishing Rod Toy-Con feels good and elevates Labo’s simple fishing game into one of the best activities in the package.
Far and away the most complex peripheral is Robot, which Nintendo is releasing as its own Labo kit. This Toy-Con comes in the form a backpack that houses an intricate pulley system; when worn, it allows you to control a robot on the television, your punches and stomps translating to the same motions on the screen. The sheer range of actions the Robot Toy-Con is capable of reading is truly amazing; crouch down and your on-screen robot will transform into a vehicle, while spreading your arms out allows it to fly through the air. The Toy-Con also comes with an accompanying cardboard visor; when lowered over your eyes, the on-screen display instantly shifts to a first-person perspective. As impressive as this is, however, the corresponding Robot mini-game was perhaps the least enjoyable of the entire lineup. Maneuvering your robot about the city felt cumbersome, and your objective simply amounted to breaking as many objects as you could within the time limit.
It remains to be seen whether or not Labo will be able to sustain its appeal once its initial novelty has worn off. The mini-games we got to try were fairly rudimentary despite the unique ways in which they used the Switch hardware, but I still came away from my time with Labo enamored by the entire concept behind it. Labo’s mini-games are secondary to the actual act of assembling its peripherals, and the appeal of the title stems not from the software itself, but from witnessing the surprising things your humble cardboard creations can do. Labo may be a technological sleight of hand, but the first time you see it in action will make you believe it’s capable of anything.
Nintendo Labo launches in the US and Australia on April 20, with a European release following on April 27. The Variety Kit retails for $70, while the Robot Kit costs $80. For a closer look at what each package contains, be sure to check out our gallery of all the Nintendo Labo Toy-Cons. You can also watch us build our own Toy-Cons and try out each mini-game in our Labo gameplay montage. If you still have questions about the new DIY title, we’ve put together a video explaining exactly what Nintendo Labo is.
We teamed up with RESPAWN Products to give away three of their Respawn-205 series gaming chairs, with the winners’ choice of Blue, Green, Red, or Gray. (List Price: $224.99, scroll down below to enter.)
Competition ends Monday, February 19 at 11:00AM PT. Three (3) winners will be chosen. Entry is open to USA residents only. No purchase necessary.
Enter below (the additional entries are OPTIONAL to increase your chances of winning):
The RESPAWN-205 series is a reclining gaming chair defined by its innovative mesh-backing, which provides a comfortably flexible yet supportive experience. With an adjustable headrest and lumbar support, this chair provides top tier comfort whether used during intense scrims or MMO marathons. Crafted for ergonomics and priced affordably, RESPAWN lets you game longer, game better, and game without compromise.
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Ubisoft’s Rainbow Six Siege, the excellent team-based tactical shooter, will be free to play next weekend as part of a limited-time event. Everyone on PS4, Xbox One, and PC can play completely free from February 15 through February 20.
If you decide to buy the game after the free play weekend wraps up, you might be happy to know that all of your progress will carry forward. Another nice thing is that Siege is currently marked down on all platforms, so you won’t have to pay full price, either.
More details on Siege’s free play weekend can be found here on the game’s website.
In other Siege news, the game’s Year 3 Season 1 content, called Operation Chimera, will launch on PC starting on February 19 through the testing realm. It will later roll out to all players on all platforms on March 6. Additionally, the co-op mode Outbreak launches on Siege’s test server on February 20 before coming to all systems for a limited time from March 6 through April 3.
Ubisoft will announce more details on Operation Chimera and the Outbreak mode will be shared during Siege’s professional tournament later this month in Montreal. Also during this broadcast, Ubisoft will share more details on upcoming Operator characters.
Earlier this week, Ubisoft teased the new Operators coming to Siege and discussed some of what you can expect from the soon-to-launch Outbreak event.
According to Ubisoft, Siege has more than 25 million registered players, so, despite the game having launched back in December 2015, you should still be able to find people to play with.
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Rockstar has announced everything that’s that new in GTA Online this week–and there’s quite a lot, spanning a new vehicle, a free t-shirt, and double RP opportunities.
The new car this week is the Canis Kamacho. It’s described by Rockstar as a “throwback to the glory days of the American 4X4,” and it sure does fit the bill. “With a rock solid chassis and the suitably Spartan interior of a real off-roader, look down on your friends from on high in the Canis Kamacho,” reads a line from Rockstar’s description.
You can get the Canis Kamacho right now through the Super Autos store in Southern San Andreas.
Also new to GTA Online this week is the black Ammu-Nation t-shirt, which you can get for free simply by logging in by February 27. It’s free as part of “Battle Week,” which is the name that Rockstar gave to this week of new content and specials.
You can earn double RP and GTA$ in the Motor Wars mode this week. This is GTA Online’s PUBG-style mode where players parachute in and fight until only one team is left standing. Also paying double RP and GTA$ this week are the modes Hardest Target, Slashes, and Occupy.
In terms of sales, GTA Online is offer sales on weaponised vehicles, guns, upgrades, and more. You can see a full rundown of this week’s discounts below; they are good through February 12.
Warstock Cache & Carry Discounts
Mk II Discounts
Ammu-Nation Discounts
Other
Finally, this week’s Premium Race is “Bumblebee” with the Rocket Voltic vehicle, while the Time Trial is “Route 68.” As usual, the top three finishers in the Premium Race get GTA$ while everyone earns triple RP. For the Time Trial, beating the par time earns you an allotment of GTA$ and RP. Go to Rockstar’s Newswire to see a full rundown of what’s new in GTA Online this week.
Rockstar’s parent company, Take-Two Interactive, will report earnings for the latest quarter tomorrow. The company is expected to talk about GTA V and other projects, so keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.
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