One of Microsoft’s biggest exclusives of 2020, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, has reached a new milestone. The game’s Twitter account announced that the Xbox One and PC game has reached “2 million spirits,” which seems to be how many people have tried the game so far.
This isn’t a direct sales figure, however, as Will of the Wisps is available on Xbox Game Pass for Xbox One and PC like all of Microsoft’s games are. Sales figures going forward for Microsoft’s games may be harder to pin down specifically and compare to previous titles due to the rise of Xbox Game Pass.
Of the 2 million people who have played Will of the Wisps, around 423,000 people beat the game, Moon Studios announced. That works out to a completion rate of around 21 percent. Only 45,000 people completed the game on the Hard difficulty.
Will of the Wisps players have collectively played 14.5 million hours of the game, and died 240 million times. You can see more statistics in the graphic below.
Will of the Wisps brings Ori’s journey to a dramatic conclusion, and does it with much of the same style and tone that made the first game so memorable. Now that time has passed, GameSpot caught up with Moon Studios’ founder Thomas Mahler and composer Gareth Coker to unpack the most uplifting and devastating moments of the game–check out our interview here.
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The first “deep dive” gameplay livestream for Madden NFL 21 was held today. EA Sports showed off the next-generation football game and detailed some of its new features during a broadcast that was held on June 25.
During the event, the developers talked about Madden NFL 21’s numerous new features such as more options for pass-rushers, better control of the ball while running, and improved open-field tackling, among other things. EA began to discuss these features earlier this week, but the livestream went into much greater depth and detail.
Madden NFL 21 launches on August 28 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, but you can play early through the MVP Edition. Additionally, everyone who buys Madden NFL 21 on PS4 or Xbox One can redeem a free upgrade to PS5 or Xbox Series X until the release of Madden NFL 22 in 2021.
The coronavirus pandemic has forced many people to spend much more time indoors and distance themselves from friends and family, so finding ways to stay connected while apart has become crucial. One of my favorite ways to hang out with friends virtually has been Tabletop Simulator, an indie game that lets you play digital versions of board games in a player-driven physics sandbox. The game comes with classics like chess, poker, and dominoes included, but the real draw is the massive collection of free player-created board games and card games available in the Tabletop Simulator workshop. Here, people have recreated some of the best board games around, including Pandemic Legacy, Gloomhaven, and Root.
Obviously, some of these creations are more polished than others, but the larger games tend to work really well; in fact, I was really shocked how well complex games like Root worked within Tabletop Simulator. Some publishers have also published official DLC for Tabletop Simulator, so there’s no shortage of content available to try out. If you’re a board game fan like me and can’t always get friends together in person to play, Tabletop Simulator is worth every penny.
Sometimes, Marvel Comics creates super villains with complicated, nuanced, tragic backstories that slowly build them into multifaceted characters with flaws and hopes and dreams all their own. Other times, they create villains like MODOK.
The Mental (Mobile/Mechanized) Organism Designed Only for Killing, MODOK is–well, exactly that. Extremely on-the-nose name aside, MODOK is about to hit the big time, with both a major villainous role in the upcoming Avengers video game by Crystal Dynamics and his very own animated TV show on Hulu starring Paton Oswalt. So there’s never been a better time to learn the ins and outs of Marvel’s infamous, uh, giant floating head with baby arms, because as it turns out, there’s more to this mental organism than just killing.
Just kidding. There’s really not that much more. Superhero comics are amazing.
Invented by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in the very heart of what’s known as the Silver Age of Comics back in 1967, MODOK was primarily a recurring Captain America foe at first–mostly because he resented Steve Rogers’ perfect body. No, we’re not making that up. His original origin story goes something like this. Low-level Advanced Idea Mechanics (AIM) tech George Tarleton was the unlucky test subject for a process meant to design something called the MODOC–mental organism designed only for computing. In this version of continuity, it was AIM who had invented the cosmic cube (the thing that would eventually become popularized as the tesseract thanks to the MCU, and now is more connected to the Infinity Stones than any dweeby cabal of scientist supervillains–just work with us here, we’re dealing with the late ’60s) which was capable of mutating and enhancing human brains. Unfortunately for Tarleton, however, the process did more than just make him super smart–it transformed him into a horrible monster made up of a giant head and tiny limbs that relied on hover technology to move around.
Unsurprisingly resentful with his new lot in life, MODOC rebelled against his creators and became MODOK, ditching his “computing” directive for a new one–killing. Like you do. His new-found love of murder quickly garnered MODOK a lot of respect within the AIM ranks, as you can imagine, and positioned him as a sort of de facto leader–at least for a while. After countless battles with both Captain America and other assorted, physically perfect heroes, AIM’s scientists began to feel frustrated with MODOK’s obsession with violence and revenge–not a lot of inventing or scientific advancement can happen while your homicidal boss is trying to constantly duke it out with the Avengers–and ousted him.
Off the leash and free of what little moral guidance he had, MODOK went on to try and achieve such lofty goals as world domination and the real, emotional connection necessary to facilitate a romantic relationship with another person. The former he continually failed at, the latter he decided to turn into a science project. In a truly Frankenstein-esque move, he kidnapped a friend of Bruce Banner, Dr. Katherine Waynesboro, and transformed her into–wait for it–Ms. MODOK.
This was actually only the first of the female MODOK counterparts to be created. Eventually, AIM created a new one to replace the original MODOK and called it MODAM–mental organism designed for aggressive maneuvers.
It’s–look, sometimes you have to get creative in the name of preserving a naming convention, okay? Give AIM a break.
After several more years of repeated misadventures and foiled schemes for world domination, George Tarleton was captured and “cured” of his mutation and a “new” version of MODOK was introduced in the form of a supercomputer composed of MODOK’s cloned organic brain. It was called MODOK Superior and chances are if you’re reading a modern comic where MODOK shows up, this is the incarnation you’re dealing with. That is, unless you happen upon his “reformed” self, BRODOK (bio-robotic organism designed overwhelmingly for kissing) who cropped up for a hot minute there.
This all sounds like we’re just pulling your leg, but we promise it’s real.
Like many Silver Age relics that were created with very earnest intentions back in the ’60s and ’70s, during the height of the Comics Code Authority’s strict censorship of the medium, but now can only be seen as completely absurd to modern sensibilities, MODOK occupies a strange place in the superhero pantheon. His stories now range from straight-laced and almost-gritty spy thrillers to completely wack-a-doo gags that involve introducing long lost children and sending him on tropical vacations.
The fortunate thing is that this flexibility has become a feature for MODOK rather than a bug. He’s part meme, part genuine threat, and the perfect choice for both a scary, high-stakes encounter with a hero like Kamala Khan in the Avengers game, and a slapstick slice-of-life animated comedy like the Hulu TV show. His design is so absurd that the slightest tweak can take it from hilarious to horrifying. His origin can be pushed into real tragedy or Looney Tunes style series of escalating gags. It all works–and, for the most part, it’s all actually fun to read or watch.
So gear up to clobber MODOK with your embiggened fists as Kamala in Marvel’s Avengers on September 4, or sit down with him in his quiet suburban home on Hulu’s MODOK TV show at some point in the future.
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It’s Halloween and time for a Devil’s Night party on episode 4 of American Horror Story: Hotel. What better way to celebrate than inviting serial killers such as John Wayne Gacy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Aileen Wuornos, and the Zodiac Killer. Forget about unlocking doors, who needs keys when you can break through windows like Richard Ramirez?
Can Miss Evers get a night off from blood cleaning duty? Even the walls are bleeding around here! At least this can help distract her from her kidnapped son, Albert.
Some kids enjoy apple or orange juice; Holden is not one of them. He prefers blood– more specifically dog blood from Jasper. John Lowe tries to clear his mind with gin but his problems will take more than alcohol to solve.
“We have started by launching investigations into the allegations with the support of specialized external consultants,” the studio said. “Based on the outcomes, we are fully committed to taking any and all appropriate disciplinary action. As these investigations are ongoing, we can’t comment further. We are also auditing our existing policies, processes, and systems to understand where these have broken down, and to ensure we can better prevent, detect, and punish inappropriate behavior.”
Though the studio didn’t go into further detail, Ubisoft said it will be sharing “additional measures” that will be put in place company-wide in the coming days.
Recently, Ismail was outed on social media for allegedly cheating on his wife with multiple women. Whether as a result of the allegations or of his own accord, Ismail stepped down as creative director on Valhalla.
“I am stepping down from my beloved project to properly deal with the personal issues in my life,” Ismail wrote on his Twitter account, which has seemingly since been deleted. “The lives of my family and my own are shattered. I am deeply sorry to everyone hurt in this.”
Ismail wasn’t the only Ubisoft employee to have allegations levied against him. The studio’s product and brand marketing manager, Andrien Gbinigie, has also been accused of sexual assault. Gbinigie denied the claims in a now-removed Medium post.
“Concerning recent allegations raised against certain Ubisoft team members: We want to start by apologizing to everyone affected by this–we are truly sorry,” Ubisoft said. “We are dedicated to creating an inclusive and safe environment for our teams, players, and communities. It is clear we have fallen short of this in the past. We must do better.
“Our goal is to foster an environment that our employees, partners, and communities can be proud of–one that reflects our values and that is safe for everyone.”
GameSpot has officially kicked off Play For All–a celebration of all things gaming. Join us as we bring you the summer’s hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts and Black Lives Matter with the help of our friends from around the gaming world. Check out the Play For All schedule for more.
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Fallout 76‘s first season, The Legendary Run, starts on June 30, alongside Update 20, Bethesda announced. Seasons in Fallout 76 had been previously announced as a free battle pass type system where players can earn cosmetics and premium currency through completing challenges.
Season 1 features 100 ranks for players to progress through, with each rank offering a new reward to earn. Players rank up by completing challenges, public events, and gaining XP, all of which increase their S.C.O.R.E. The Legendary Run features a board game theme and will run for 10 weeks, ending in mid-September.
Season 1 is free for all players and Fallout 76 initially encourages you to rank up by playing the game. However, starting on July 14, season ranks can be purchased for 150 Atoms a piece, about $1.50 USD. Seasons will offer Atoms as one of the rewards for ranking up, replacing the option to earn the in-game currency by completing daily and weekly challenges. According to Bethesda, this change will lower the amount of Atoms that you can earn without paying real-world money.
The Legendary Run does not offer any exclusive rewards for Fallout 1st members, Fallout 76’s paid subscription, but Bethesda said it’s looking into it for future seasons. The developer recently announced that not everything currently on the Fallout 76 PTS servers would be included in the upcoming Update 20.
GameSpot has officially kicked off Play For All–a celebration of all things gaming. Join us as we bring you the summer’s hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts and Black Lives Matter with the help of our friends from around the gaming world. Check out the Play For All schedule for more.
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HBO is making a Last of Us TV show, but so far, there is no word on casting for the lead roles of Joel and Ellie. Actor Troy Baker, who plays Joel in the video games, has now weighed in with his thoughts on who might be a good choice to step into Joel’s shoes.
Speaking to Collider, Baker said veteran actor Josh Brolin is a “knockout choice” for the role–but he’s not sure if Brolin would necessarily be the right person for the part.
“I think on its face, literally, Josh Brolin would be a knockout choice, but I don’t know if I would walk away learning something different about Joel,” Baker said.
Baker went on to say that he had a drunken evening with Brolin some time ago where he mentioned to Brolin that he would be “honored” if Brolin would consider playing Joel. “I was like, ‘If you ever get the call for a character named Joel, I would be honored and I think you would be enriched to play that character,'” Baker recalled.
No matter who ends up being cast as Joel in the HBO show, Baker said he comes out a winner.
“Either A) Somebody steps into that role. And [I’ll be] like, ‘Damn, dude, I never thought about that, wow, what an interesting choice.’ Or B) They suck, and people go, ‘Only Troy can play Joel,'” Baker said. “So either way I win.”
The Last of Us TV show at HBO is coming from writer-director of the games, Neil Druckmann, and Chernobyl’s Craig Mazin.
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Christopher Nolan’s Tenet has been delayed once more from July 31 to August 12 due to a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases.
As reported by THR, Warner Bros. announced the shift and that it will be releasing the film on a Wednesday to “allow audiences to discover the film in their own time.”
“Warner Bros. is committed to bringing Tenet to audiences in theaters, on the big screen, when exhibitors are ready and public health officials say it’s time. In this moment what we need to be is flexible, and we are not treating this as a traditional movie release,” a Warner Bros. spokesperson said. “We are choosing to open the movie mid-week to allow audiences to discover the film in their own time, and we plan to play longer, over an extended play period far beyond the norm, to develop a very different yet successful release strategy.”
THR also reports that Disney is expected to move Mulan’s July 24 release date. Disney has already postponed Disneyland’s planned reopening of July 17 as the state of California will not offer guidelines for reopening themeparks until July 4.
Sources have said that WB and Nolan are “taking their cues from the exhibition community in pushing the film to Aug. 12, a Wednesday.”
WB has also confirmed that the 10th Anniversary re-release of Inception has been moved from July 17 to July 31, so fans of Nolan will be able to see one of his films if that date holds.
Jurassic World: Dominion is seemingly bringing back the character Lewis Dodgson from the original Jurassic Park. Collider reports that Dodgson is coming back, and he’ll be played by character actor Campbell Scott.
Cameron Thor played Dodgson in the original movie. Dodgson is being recast following Thor’s conviction of a sex crime.
Dodgson–who is an executive at InGen rival BioSyn–appeared in just one scene in the original Jurassic Park, where he met up with Wayne Knight’s Dennis Nedry to give him a Barbasol can with a fake bottom where Nedry could hide the dinosaur embryos he stole. Nedry successfully steals the embryos but is killed by a dinosaur when he’s attempting to deliver them, leaving the Barbasol can in the mud.
With Dodgson coming back in Dominion, it seems possible that we may learn what happened to those embryos. Dodgson is not the only character from Jurassic Park coming back for Dominion, as Alan Grant (Sam Neill), Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), and Iam Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) will be in the movie, too.
The Dodgson character was important in Michael Crichton’s The Lost World, but he did not show up in the movie version. According to Collider, the story of Dominion will reveal Dodgson to be the CEO of BioSyn, but it’s too early to say if he will be the main villain of the movie.
Jurassic World: Dominion brings back Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. Colin Trevorrow, who directed 2015’s Jurassic World, is coming back to direct Dominion. J.A. Bayona directed Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and now he’s directing the Lord of the Rings TV show.
