Watch a Pre-Fame Quentin Tarantino Play an Elvis Impersonator… on The Golden Girls

Here at IGN we occasionally like to showcase something from geekdom's rich history -- a pop-culture Time Capsule, if you will, that gives us a peek in to the past, perhaps providing a new appreciation for previous projects. If you'd like, please check out the past few Time Capsules: [poilib element="accentDivider"] If you threw a party. Invited everyone you knew. You would see, the biggest gift would be from me. And the card attached would say..."Bad Motherf***er." Every famous face in Hollywood got their start somewhere. George Clooney was handsome. Brad Pitt was good looking. Rihanna was a hitman. Somehow though, they all broke through and made it to the big time. Famously, writer/director Quentin Tarantino worked at a video store. It's where he honed his skills of explaining '70s cinema to people who just wanted to quickly rent Last Boy Scout and leave. A lesser-known Tarantino fact, however, is that he also tried his hand at acting. And one of the few paid gigs he landed during this time was as an extra on an episode of hit sitcom -- and original Inglourious Basterds -- The Golden Girls. Unsurprisingly, given Clarence's Quentin's unabashed love for The King, his Golden role was playing a pompadoured goof amidst a gaggle of Elvis impersonators. Even more unsurprisingly, he's in the back just doing his own damn thing, grooving to a song in his own head. Here's the Oscar-winner explaining his Elvis gig to Jimmy Fallon, and why the success of this one particular wedding episode helped him survive on instant ramen long enough to make Reservoir Dogs. And yes, there is a clip of him as Elvis included (skip directly to 2:48 for that)... So you see, without the mailbox money this job provided him over several years, Tarantino might not have been able to make his first breakthrough film. Or even any other film after that. Yes, without Betty White there's no Jackie Brown. Without this pop faction there's no Pulp Fiction. Without these golden four there's no Hateful Eight. Without Rue McClanahan there's no...um...t-RUE Roma - never mind, I ran out of puns. The long and the short of it is, Tarantino owes St. Olaf a new revival movie house. His attempt at acting (which still continues to this day, one might say) gave him enough bells to stave off Tom Nook's goons, allowing him to focus on Reservoir Dogs. And, no doubt, the opening of that movie was based on the gals' late-night gab sessions over cheesecake. Just with the added problematic "Like a Virgin" explainer and a bonus Steve Buscemi not tipping. For even more context on this unforgettable GG moment, head here. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=quentin-tarantinos-most-notable-abandoned-or-delayed-projects&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Sebastian Stan On Why Sam Was the Better Choice for Cap’s Shield

While doing press for his new film Endings, Beginnings, star Sebastian Stan discussed the very "Winter Soldier" tone of Marvel's The Falcon and The Winter Soldier while also digging into the ending of Avengers: Endgame a bit more. In particular, Stan spoke about Steve Rogers' choice to pass the Captain America mantle onto Sam Wilson and the farewell between Steve and Bucky that felt slight in the wake of all they'd been through in Winter Soldier and Civil War. Tonally, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier -- which had its production shut down amidst the COVID-19 crisis, just a few weeks out from wrapping -- lines up with Stan's favorite MCU film. "It was very much in the same world that Captain America: The Winter Soldier was, which was one of my favorite experiences that I’ve ever had, period," Stan told THR. "So, in a sense, it was grounded and very much in the world as we know it. But, it’s also really jam-packed with a lot of massive, massive action scenes mixed with deep focus on character. These characters are getting so much more mileage for all of us to explore them. We can put them in situations that we’ve never been able to put them in before because you now have six hours as opposed to two.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] The Falcon and The Winter Solider follows Bucky and Sam in the wake of Endgame, in a world with no Avengers, as Sam attempts to deal with the figurative weight of carrying Cap's shield (while facing the return of Civil War's Helmut Zemo). "Sam, to me, was always the clear man to take on that mantle for numerous reasons, which also comes with so much more baggage that’s going to be explored in the show," Stan explained. "At the end of Endgame, for either Steve or Bucky, it’s really not about the shield.” Stan stated that Steve would have wanted Bucky to start over, to try to have the life he'd missed out on. "Steve is saying to Bucky, ‘You’re going to go and do that, too. I’m not going to put this thing on you. We’re both going to live our lives — the lives that were taken from us back in the ‘40s when we enlisted.'" One thing MCU fans noticed, however, was that Steve and Bucky's final farewell felt a too brief when you consider that two movies had been about their "ride or die" friendship. "I sort of became aware that people really felt like we needed to have more between the two of them or something," Stan noted. "But, it hadn’t occurred to me because at the same time, that scene was saying so much with subtext." "That being said, how do you put it all together in a three-hour movie? To merge all those different stories together, you could’ve had another movie of everybody saying goodbye to each other. So, I love how much people care about those two characters and that they wanted more from them, but I just took it as 'This is as much screen time as we’ve got left before the movie ends.'" "Look, I love a good scene with dialogue," Stan added, "but sometimes, I find it really interesting when there’s not a lot said. And funnily enough, it’s sort of been the trademark of Bucky. Then, you’re watching behavior, you’re watching the eyes and you’re wondering what they’re thinking. You’re more involved and tuned in. So, it’s always fun for me to try to do as much as I can without dialogue." The MCU's Phase 4 has had to reshuffle their movie release dates once again, moving Thor: Love and Thunder and Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. Likewise, Sony has set new premiere dates for the Spider-Man sequels. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-avenger-ever&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Sebastian Stan On Why Sam Was the Better Choice for Cap’s Shield

While doing press for his new film Endings, Beginnings, star Sebastian Stan discussed the very "Winter Soldier" tone of Marvel's The Falcon and The Winter Soldier while also digging into the ending of Avengers: Endgame a bit more. In particular, Stan spoke about Steve Rogers' choice to pass the Captain America mantle onto Sam Wilson and the farewell between Steve and Bucky that felt slight in the wake of all they'd been through in Winter Soldier and Civil War. Tonally, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier -- which had its production shut down amidst the COVID-19 crisis, just a few weeks out from wrapping -- lines up with Stan's favorite MCU film. "It was very much in the same world that Captain America: The Winter Soldier was, which was one of my favorite experiences that I’ve ever had, period," Stan told THR. "So, in a sense, it was grounded and very much in the world as we know it. But, it’s also really jam-packed with a lot of massive, massive action scenes mixed with deep focus on character. These characters are getting so much more mileage for all of us to explore them. We can put them in situations that we’ve never been able to put them in before because you now have six hours as opposed to two.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] The Falcon and The Winter Solider follows Bucky and Sam in the wake of Endgame, in a world with no Avengers, as Sam attempts to deal with the figurative weight of carrying Cap's shield (while facing the return of Civil War's Helmut Zemo). "Sam, to me, was always the clear man to take on that mantle for numerous reasons, which also comes with so much more baggage that’s going to be explored in the show," Stan explained. "At the end of Endgame, for either Steve or Bucky, it’s really not about the shield.” Stan stated that Steve would have wanted Bucky to start over, to try to have the life he'd missed out on. "Steve is saying to Bucky, ‘You’re going to go and do that, too. I’m not going to put this thing on you. We’re both going to live our lives — the lives that were taken from us back in the ‘40s when we enlisted.'" One thing MCU fans noticed, however, was that Steve and Bucky's final farewell felt a too brief when you consider that two movies had been about their "ride or die" friendship. "I sort of became aware that people really felt like we needed to have more between the two of them or something," Stan noted. "But, it hadn’t occurred to me because at the same time, that scene was saying so much with subtext." "That being said, how do you put it all together in a three-hour movie? To merge all those different stories together, you could’ve had another movie of everybody saying goodbye to each other. So, I love how much people care about those two characters and that they wanted more from them, but I just took it as 'This is as much screen time as we’ve got left before the movie ends.'" "Look, I love a good scene with dialogue," Stan added, "but sometimes, I find it really interesting when there’s not a lot said. And funnily enough, it’s sort of been the trademark of Bucky. Then, you’re watching behavior, you’re watching the eyes and you’re wondering what they’re thinking. You’re more involved and tuned in. So, it’s always fun for me to try to do as much as I can without dialogue." The MCU's Phase 4 has had to reshuffle their movie release dates once again, moving Thor: Love and Thunder and Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. Likewise, Sony has set new premiere dates for the Spider-Man sequels. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-avenger-ever&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

XCOM: Chimera Squad Review – Hybrid Theory

Combat rarely lasts longer than a handful of rounds in the newest XCOM. In each encounter, XCOM: Chimera Squad kicks in the door, dives headfirst into an intense firefight, then walks out through a pile of bodies a minute or two later, dusting themselves down, a little scarred perhaps but eager to do it all again in the very next mission. XCOM’s turn-based tactical combat now comes in condensed form, relieved of extraneous matter, and for the most part all the better for it.

Assuming the human resistance triumphed in XCOM 2, the eponymous Chimera Squad is a special task force composed of human and alien soldiers that also serves as a symbol of a newfound cooperation between species. Dissidents remain, however, and so when the mayor of City 31 is killed in a terrorist attack, it's up to the Squad to track down those responsible. The stakes feel a lot lower than the global emergencies gripping previous XCOMs, yet the smaller scale of the situation dovetails perfectly with the tight-knit group of characters under your control and intimacy of the tactical maps on which they’re deployed. There’s a focus and clarity of purpose here that stands in sharp relief to the sprawling saga of a typical XCOM campaign.

Indeed, Chimera Squad feels like it spins the Geoscape and puts just one city under the microscope. Nine districts comprise the strategic map, each day highlighting a few of them with new missions to undertake--some advancing the story, others providing valuable resources and gear. Ignoring one mission in favour of another will raise the level of unrest in the neglected district and contribute to a citywide measure of anarchy that spells game over if it tops out. Despite the lower stakes, there’s still an urgency to your mission, especially as the doomsday clock of city anarchy ticks closer to midnight. And the strategic layer does a decent job of forcing decisions over which missions and districts you need to prioritise, even if it’s mostly a dry game of resource allocation that fails to evoke any kind of emotional response to the lives sacrificed along the way.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

XCOM: Chimera Squad Review – Hybrid Theory

Combat rarely lasts longer than a handful of rounds in the newest XCOM. In each encounter, XCOM: Chimera Squad kicks in the door, dives headfirst into an intense firefight, then walks out through a pile of bodies a minute or two later, dusting themselves down, a little scarred perhaps but eager to do it all again in the very next mission. XCOM’s turn-based tactical combat now comes in condensed form, relieved of extraneous matter, and for the most part all the better for it.

Assuming the human resistance triumphed in XCOM 2, the eponymous Chimera Squad is a special task force composed of human and alien soldiers that also serves as a symbol of a newfound cooperation between species. Dissidents remain, however, and so when the mayor of City 31 is killed in a terrorist attack, it's up to the Squad to track down those responsible. The stakes feel a lot lower than the global emergencies gripping previous XCOMs, yet the smaller scale of the situation dovetails perfectly with the tight-knit group of characters under your control and intimacy of the tactical maps on which they’re deployed. There’s a focus and clarity of purpose here that stands in sharp relief to the sprawling saga of a typical XCOM campaign.

Indeed, Chimera Squad feels like it spins the Geoscape and puts just one city under the microscope. Nine districts comprise the strategic map, each day highlighting a few of them with new missions to undertake--some advancing the story, others providing valuable resources and gear. Ignoring one mission in favour of another will raise the level of unrest in the neglected district and contribute to a citywide measure of anarchy that spells game over if it tops out. Despite the lower stakes, there’s still an urgency to your mission, especially as the doomsday clock of city anarchy ticks closer to midnight. And the strategic layer does a decent job of forcing decisions over which missions and districts you need to prioritise, even if it’s mostly a dry game of resource allocation that fails to evoke any kind of emotional response to the lives sacrificed along the way.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Valorant Competitive Mode Explained: How to Climb the Ranked Mode

Riot has revealed how Valorant’s competitive Ranked mode will work, at least during the closed beta. Similar to other competitive modes the upcoming Ranked modes will let players progress a rank ladder based on how well they play. First of all, the Ranked Mode will be introduced with the upcoming 0.49 update. There’s no release date yet for the update, though Valorant game director Joe Ziegler says Riot is targeting sometime next week. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=gameplay-screenshots-of-valorant-closed-beta&captions=true"] Once live, players won’t be able to just queue up for Ranked mode. They’ll need to complete 20 Unrated matches to unlock Competitive mode. Once unlocked, there will be 8 ranks with 3 tiers each except for the final rank, Valorant. Like other ranked modes, players will progress up the ladder based on their win-loss ratio. Win a match and you’ll gain experience to move up the ranks. Lose a match and you’ll potentially drop down the ladder. While game wins are the most important factor in ranking up, Riot says personal performance will also be taken into account. So even if your team loses, if you perform well you may not suffer as much. [caption id="attachment_2342791" align="alignnone" width="1920"]The 8 Ranks in Valorant. The 8 Ranks in Valorant.[/caption] “Your personal performance will have a greater impact on the early evaluation of your skill, but will decrease in importance when compared to wins, as we hone in on your skill over time,” writes Valorant senior producer Ian “Brighteyz” Fielding in a new blog post. Another factor taken into account is how “decisively” you win or lose. Meaning you’ll be given more experience if you win by 10 points instead of 3 points. Same with how decisively your team loses. Players will also have the option to join a ranked game with a full party of 5. Matchmaking will take into account this setup and try to only match you with another full party. Furthermore, party members can only join if they are within 2 ranks (6 tiers) of you. This is to make sure there’s not a huge skill gap between party members. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/03/6-minutes-of-valorant-gameplay"] Riot says that since this is a closed beta, Competitive Mode could be taken offline to make changes based on player feedback. Once Valorant goes live, your rank will not carry over to the official launch version of the game. For more on Riot’s new shooter, check out IGN’s Valorant review in progress. Also, check out our Valorant wiki for tips and strategies. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Valorant Competitive Mode Explained: How to Climb the Ranked Mode

Riot has revealed how Valorant’s competitive Ranked mode will work, at least during the closed beta. Similar to other competitive modes the upcoming Ranked modes will let players progress a rank ladder based on how well they play. First of all, the Ranked Mode will be introduced with the upcoming 0.49 update. There’s no release date yet for the update, though Valorant game director Joe Ziegler says Riot is targeting sometime next week. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=gameplay-screenshots-of-valorant-closed-beta&captions=true"] Once live, players won’t be able to just queue up for Ranked mode. They’ll need to complete 20 Unrated matches to unlock Competitive mode. Once unlocked, there will be 8 ranks with 3 tiers each except for the final rank, Valorant. Like other ranked modes, players will progress up the ladder based on their win-loss ratio. Win a match and you’ll gain experience to move up the ranks. Lose a match and you’ll potentially drop down the ladder. While game wins are the most important factor in ranking up, Riot says personal performance will also be taken into account. So even if your team loses, if you perform well you may not suffer as much. [caption id="attachment_2342791" align="alignnone" width="1920"]The 8 Ranks in Valorant. The 8 Ranks in Valorant.[/caption] “Your personal performance will have a greater impact on the early evaluation of your skill, but will decrease in importance when compared to wins, as we hone in on your skill over time,” writes Valorant senior producer Ian “Brighteyz” Fielding in a new blog post. Another factor taken into account is how “decisively” you win or lose. Meaning you’ll be given more experience if you win by 10 points instead of 3 points. Same with how decisively your team loses. Players will also have the option to join a ranked game with a full party of 5. Matchmaking will take into account this setup and try to only match you with another full party. Furthermore, party members can only join if they are within 2 ranks (6 tiers) of you. This is to make sure there’s not a huge skill gap between party members. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/03/6-minutes-of-valorant-gameplay"] Riot says that since this is a closed beta, Competitive Mode could be taken offline to make changes based on player feedback. Once Valorant goes live, your rank will not carry over to the official launch version of the game. For more on Riot’s new shooter, check out IGN’s Valorant review in progress. Also, check out our Valorant wiki for tips and strategies. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Fortnite’s Newest Event Is Genuinely Incredible

Fortnite’s Travis Scott Astronomical event saw 12.3 million players tuning in when it debuted April 23rd, setting a new all-time concurrent player record. That eclipsed the last in-game concert, which Marshmello headlined and brought in10.7 million concurrent players in February 2019, as well as “The End” event, arguably Fortnite’s biggest gameplay-related event. “The End,” which saw Fortnite servers shut down while a black whole reset the world for Fortnite: Chapter 2, only pulled in six million players. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/24/full-fortnite-x-travis-scott-astronomical-concert"] If you missed the first part of this event, don’t worry, you’ll still be able to participate in the next coming dates and times from April 24 and 25:
  • THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2020 AT 4:00:00 PM PDT
  • FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2020 AT 7:00:00 AM PDT
  • FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2020 AT 9:00:00 PM PDT
  • SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2020 AT 8:00:00 AM PDT
  • SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2020 AT 3:00:00 PM PDT
  Fortnite developers called this Astronomical event a “one of a kind musical journey,” featuring Travis Scott and the world premiere of a brand new track “The Scotts.” The event started with Travis arriving in-game in his personalized meteor and exploding onto the stage area at Sweaty Sands (to the beat of his hit song “Sicko Mode” of course) as a giant-sized version of himself where he rapped and danced to the rest of the song’s chorus while traversing around the map. The sky exploded into a vibrant shade of red while fireballs began to rain down on players as Travis rapped the second part of his song “Stargazing” while becoming part-cyborg. His cyborg form stuck around while he sang “Goosebumps,” during which flowing colorful neon lights you’d find in a glow-in-the-dark psychedelic party began to appear in the darkened sky. After finishing his performance of “Goosebumps,” Travis fell back onto the map and splashed into the ocean, teleporting players to the depths of the water where he started to perform “Highest in the Room” in his scuba diving Fortnite skin. The event then threw players were out of the ocean and into an area with a laser show while Travis rapped “Like A Light” before flying players through the skies with the much anticipated debut of his new song featuring Kid Cudi, “The Scotts.” The event culminated by shooting players through a butterfly rift in the sky and teleporting them back into the normal world of Fortnite. Travis Scott dropped the full track at midnight on April 23rd after the event launched. After the event’s debut, Travis tweeted: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=games-that-came-back-from-the-brink-of-disaster&captions=true"] Not only did this in-game performance break records, it also brought to light a new way for people to experience music. One of the many ways the COVID-19 pandemic has affected life around the world is the mass cancellation of major concerts and music events, including any tours artists or bands may have had in mind for 2020. Fortnite’s collaboration with Travis Scott brought a unique musical experience for not just gamers but for anyone for free. The concert required no ticket or travel, just the ability to download Fortnite (a free game), and hop online. The event channeled the trappings of a live concert — a major artist, impressive staging — and married it with the virtual, malleable world of Fortnite. The show could take players beyond whatever real-world theater they might have seen it in, and offered an experience built with obvious care and thought to what putting it into a game would mean. Wherever Travis went, the players were right there with him, going through his musical journey together. Astronomical brought together people who weren’t necessarily dedicated fans of Fortnite to this showcase. It’s an innovative, intimate way to experience concerts virtually. When Marshmello put on his in-game concert, it was like a stage show you’d go to for a music festival. Astronomical put participants at the heart of the event and attempted to channel the music into the game’s world, rather than just playing it through Fortnite. Whether we see more events like this in Fortnite or other games, the Astronomical event has set an exciting precedent for making a virtual concert both accessible and thoughtfully crafted in a way we’ve rarely seen in gaming before. Concert performers and creative producers didn’t have to worry about how to get people to see Travis Scott’s performance, whether due to location, physical limitations of a venue and its accessibility options, or other reasons. Instead, anyone with access to a free game could experience the same unique performance together.. This could be a step in paving the way toward providing safe, individualized, yet still immersive musical experiences, while also bringing entirely new or lapsed audiences into the world of games.. Did you get to check out Astronomical yet? If you missed it, you can check out our entire recording of the event at IGN.com and our YouTube account. Let us know how you felt about this event in the comments below. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Fortnite’s Newest Event Is Genuinely Incredible

Fortnite’s Travis Scott Astronomical event saw 12.3 million players tuning in when it debuted April 23rd, setting a new all-time concurrent player record. That eclipsed the last in-game concert, which Marshmello headlined and brought in10.7 million concurrent players in February 2019, as well as “The End” event, arguably Fortnite’s biggest gameplay-related event. “The End,” which saw Fortnite servers shut down while a black whole reset the world for Fortnite: Chapter 2, only pulled in six million players. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/24/full-fortnite-x-travis-scott-astronomical-concert"] If you missed the first part of this event, don’t worry, you’ll still be able to participate in the next coming dates and times from April 24 and 25:
  • THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2020 AT 4:00:00 PM PDT
  • FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2020 AT 7:00:00 AM PDT
  • FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2020 AT 9:00:00 PM PDT
  • SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2020 AT 8:00:00 AM PDT
  • SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2020 AT 3:00:00 PM PDT
  Fortnite developers called this Astronomical event a “one of a kind musical journey,” featuring Travis Scott and the world premiere of a brand new track “The Scotts.” The event started with Travis arriving in-game in his personalized meteor and exploding onto the stage area at Sweaty Sands (to the beat of his hit song “Sicko Mode” of course) as a giant-sized version of himself where he rapped and danced to the rest of the song’s chorus while traversing around the map. The sky exploded into a vibrant shade of red while fireballs began to rain down on players as Travis rapped the second part of his song “Stargazing” while becoming part-cyborg. His cyborg form stuck around while he sang “Goosebumps,” during which flowing colorful neon lights you’d find in a glow-in-the-dark psychedelic party began to appear in the darkened sky. After finishing his performance of “Goosebumps,” Travis fell back onto the map and splashed into the ocean, teleporting players to the depths of the water where he started to perform “Highest in the Room” in his scuba diving Fortnite skin. The event then threw players were out of the ocean and into an area with a laser show while Travis rapped “Like A Light” before flying players through the skies with the much anticipated debut of his new song featuring Kid Cudi, “The Scotts.” The event culminated by shooting players through a butterfly rift in the sky and teleporting them back into the normal world of Fortnite. Travis Scott dropped the full track at midnight on April 23rd after the event launched. After the event’s debut, Travis tweeted: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=games-that-came-back-from-the-brink-of-disaster&captions=true"] Not only did this in-game performance break records, it also brought to light a new way for people to experience music. One of the many ways the COVID-19 pandemic has affected life around the world is the mass cancellation of major concerts and music events, including any tours artists or bands may have had in mind for 2020. Fortnite’s collaboration with Travis Scott brought a unique musical experience for not just gamers but for anyone for free. The concert required no ticket or travel, just the ability to download Fortnite (a free game), and hop online. The event channeled the trappings of a live concert — a major artist, impressive staging — and married it with the virtual, malleable world of Fortnite. The show could take players beyond whatever real-world theater they might have seen it in, and offered an experience built with obvious care and thought to what putting it into a game would mean. Wherever Travis went, the players were right there with him, going through his musical journey together. Astronomical brought together people who weren’t necessarily dedicated fans of Fortnite to this showcase. It’s an innovative, intimate way to experience concerts virtually. When Marshmello put on his in-game concert, it was like a stage show you’d go to for a music festival. Astronomical put participants at the heart of the event and attempted to channel the music into the game’s world, rather than just playing it through Fortnite. Whether we see more events like this in Fortnite or other games, the Astronomical event has set an exciting precedent for making a virtual concert both accessible and thoughtfully crafted in a way we’ve rarely seen in gaming before. Concert performers and creative producers didn’t have to worry about how to get people to see Travis Scott’s performance, whether due to location, physical limitations of a venue and its accessibility options, or other reasons. Instead, anyone with access to a free game could experience the same unique performance together.. This could be a step in paving the way toward providing safe, individualized, yet still immersive musical experiences, while also bringing entirely new or lapsed audiences into the world of games.. Did you get to check out Astronomical yet? If you missed it, you can check out our entire recording of the event at IGN.com and our YouTube account. Let us know how you felt about this event in the comments below. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Spider-Man, Spider-Verse Sequels Announced for 2021, 2022

Sony Pictures officially announced new release dates on Friday for their forthcoming sequels to Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Columbia Pictures will release the still-untitled Far From Home sequel on November 5, 2021, postponed from July 16, 2021. Meanwhile, Sony Pictures Animation's Spider-Verse sequel has been pushed from April 8, 2022 to October 7, 2022. Tom Holland will first shoot Uncharted before segueing to the next Sony/MCU Spidey film. Sony just announced that Uncharted will now open July 16, 2021, which you'll notice was the Far From Home sequel's original berth. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-spider-man-movie-spin-off-in-development&captions=true"] Of course, no film is moving forward as the coronavirus pandemic continues to keep productions on hiatus, but studios such as Sony are nevertheless rescheduling their planned releases in light of these delays. Sony's announcement of the new Spidey release dates came just as Disney also set new dates for Thor: Love and Thunder and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/12/spider-man-3-tom-holland-reveals-mcu-sequel-to-begin-filming-in-july-zendaya-returning"] Jon Watts will return to direct the Spider-Man: Far From Home sequel, which will see Peter Parker dealing with the life-altering events of that post-Endgame film. As for Into the Spider-Verse 2, expect the sequel to feature the wacky 1970s Japanese Spider-Man.