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The United States and China have agreed to terms on a new trade agreement that will seemingly prevent the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X from becoming more expensive.

The two nations signed the Phase One agreement earlier this month, and it means that Trump’s proposed 25 percent tax on electronics made in China and shipped to the US will not go forward. The proposed tariffs might have made the new PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles more expensive.

The Entertainment Software Association, which represents the US video game industry’s interests with lawmakers, said it feels encouraged by the signing of the accord.

“We are encouraged that the Administration suspended the implementation of tariffs on video game consoles and controllers,” a spokesperson told Polygon. “These tariffs would have significant implications for our industry, which boasts a trade surplus for the American economy. Tariffs will erode innovation, decrease job opportunities for American workers, and increase prices for consumers.”

In a rare move, Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo released a joint statement opposing Trump’s tariffs. A 25 percent price increase in consoles to match the tariff cost would “likely put a new video game console out of reach for many American families who we expect to be in the market for a console this holiday season,” the companies said in their letter.

For its part, Nintendo was already reportedly preparing itself for the tariffs by moving manufacturing out of China for its new Switch Lite console. Nintendo is also said to be producing a Switch Pro model for release this year, but that is only a rumour for now.

Sony told fans to expect the PS5 price to possibly increase as a result of the tariffs, while Microsoft said the price of Xbox Series X would depend on what happens with China.

While video game consoles and controllers won’t be subjected to the higher taxes, tariffs on materials made in China for tabletop games are still going forward. The executive director for the Game Manufacturers Association told Polygon that “many” raw materials needed to make tabletop games are facing the higher tariffs. The organization hopes to see these tariffs rolled back.

The PS5 and Xbox Series X are slated to launch this holiday, though pricing has yet to be confirmed. Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest on everything you need to know about the next-generation consoles.

Quentin Tarantino’s latest film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, has received a making-of documentary. The 28 minute film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – A Love Letter to Making Movies, comes on the back of a lengthy Oscar campaign, and is clearly made with film fans in mind.

The documentary features footage from the film intercut with quotes from people who worked on the movie, including several members of the cast, such as Kurt Russell, Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, and Brad Pitt. The documentary is also notable for containing footage of Luke Perry talking about Tarantino and the movie. Perry tragically passed away at 52 before the movie’s release.

It’s not the sort of documentary that yields real insight or never-before-heard anecdotes (the story of Tarantino’s inspiration for the film that we’ve previously covered is touched upon again here), but it’s a fun watch for fans.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood received 10 Oscar nominations, and Brad Pitt is generally considered as the frontrunner for the “Best Supporting Actor” award for his performance. The movie also has a reasonable shot in most of the major categories it was nominated in, including Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Picture.

Quentin Tarantino’s next project isn’t announced yet, but it probably won’t be the Star Trek film he has previously talked about doing. He’s also discussed the possibility of releasing a four-hour cut of this latest film.

A man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for committing multiple armed robberies at GameStop locations in Southern California. The US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California announced the sentencing of Frederick Lopez Jr. today.

Lopez is accused of stealing more than $132,000 worth of cash and merchandise during robberies that took place between August 2018 and October 2018 the Los Angeles and Orange counties.

“Lopez entered the stores at night, sometimes accompanied by another suspect, pulled a handgun from his waistband and used it to threaten store employees. Lopez then would order GameStop employees to load game consoles and video games into store bags,” the release states.

The report goes on to detail the extent of the crimes:

“During the West Covina robbery on October 24, 2018, Lopez and his co-conspirator ordered the GameStop store clerks into the store’s back room, demanded their cell phones and destroyed the store’s telephone. Lopez then ordered one of the store’s clerks to help carry stolen items out to a nearby minivan. Lopez used a .40-caliber handgun during this robbery.”

Prosecutors said armed robberies are particularly heinous because they leave “substantial stress and trauma” for the victims. Lopez has been ordered to pay $132,300 in restitution, in addition to his prison term.

In other news about GameStop, the retailer is currently struggling. The company is trading at around $4.28 per share, which is close to an all-time low for the retailer. Management believes the launch of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will help turn things around.

In August 2019, popular streamer Tyler Blevins (aka Ninja) signed an exclusivity deal with Mixer, moving away from Twitch and fast building up a huge following on his new platform. It was clear that a lot of money must have been involved in the transaction, and now a new report is offering a ballpark figure.

According to an article on CNN about streamers being offered lucrative exclusivity contracts, Ninja’s deal was likely worth between $20-30 million. This figure comes from Justin Warden, who is the CEO of marketing and talent management company Ader, and who claims to have inside knowledge of the deal.

This was for a multi-year deal, and still likely represents the largest deal a streamer has gotten for exclusivity. Ninja is so popular that he has his own skin in Fortnite, the game he is most famous for streaming.

Back in 2014, Amazon spent $1 billion acquiring Twitch, which Mixer (owned by Microsoft) is in direct competition with. Other streamers who have left Twitch for Mixer deals include Shroud and Ewok, a deaf teenage Fortnite streamer.

Mixer is just one of the streaming platforms Twitch now competes with–YouTube and Facebook Gaming are also nabbing streamers.

Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski created The Witcher fantasy series of novels, which was adapted into celebrated video games by CD Projekt Red. The books also served as the source material for the recently released–and very popular–Netflix TV show that’s coming back for second season in 2021.

Sapkowski recently gave an interview to i09 about the show, and he had some wonderful responses. Asked to compare the TV show to the video games, Sapkowski said he’s not a great person to ask because the only games he has ever played are bridge and poker. Furthermore, TV shows and video games cannot be compared because they are too different, he said.

“I cannot compare anything to video games, because I have never played any. Since I was a kid I haven’t played any games–with a possible exception of bridge and poker. Video games are simply not for me, I prefer books as entertainment,” he said.

“Anyway, in my opinion TV series and video games–any of them–cannot be compared. They are too different in approach, making–and objective,” he added. “You cannot compare spaghetti carbonara with a bicycle. Even though both have advantages and disadvantages.”

Also in the interview, Sapkowski says he wasn’t very involved in the production of the Netflix show because, “I do not like working too hard or too long.” And on the subject of The Witcher Season 2, Sapkowski isn’t getting his hopes up. “Allow me to quote Joe Abercrombie, the author whose books are very much to my liking: ‘Life is, basically, f**king sh**. Best to keep your expectations low. Maybe you’ll be pleasantly surprised,'” he said.

The rest of the interview is delightful and well worth a read for fans of the show and those who want to read a refreshingly frank and dark interview.

The Witcher TV show sparked renewed interest in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which recently enjoyed its biggest day ever on Steam. CD Projekt Red’s next game is this September’s Cyberpunk 2077, but the Polish studio has teased that it might make The Witcher 4 someday.

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