Long, Average Games Have Value, Too
Here’s a hypothetical question for you. Which is better: an excellent 10-hour game or a decent 50-hour one? One that grips you consistently for a short time, or one that captures your imagination only occasionally across a long time? Of course, there are a whole lot of unknown factors here like genre or price, and obviously the ideal situation would be a big game that’s also varied and engaging. But not every game can be The Witcher 3 or Red Dead Redemption 2, so in a very general sense, which do you personally prefer?
Chances are you know what you’d pick pretty quickly, and it’s also a given that your answer will be the opposite of someone else’s. The debate of ‘quality vs. quantity’ in games doesn’t really have a “right” answer, and I’m not here to try and solve it. But while I think we can all agree on the blanket statement that “games should be good instead of bad,” there’s a case to be made for the value of a game that isn’t really anything special, but is consistently entertaining and will last you a very long time.
Water Bottles, Coffee Cups and Other Crazy Pop Culture Gaffes
Full spoilers for Game of Thrones' series finale follow below.
For even more on Game of Thrones, be sure to check out the finale's biggest WTF questions, why Drogon did what he did in the end, or our side-by-side comparison of the characters from their first and last appearances. Or peruse every IGN Game of Thrones episode review ever, why Westeros' new leader could be a terrifying choice, and why Drogon did what he did in the finale.
Game of Thrones Finale Ratings Hit Record All-Time High
Game of Thrones' series finale, "The Iron Throne," was watched by a new all-time HBO record 19.3 million viewers across all of its platforms (linear, HBO GO, and HBO NOW) last night.
The finale's ratings beat out last week's Game of Thrones episode, "The Bells," which previously held the record, for only a week, at 18.4 million viewers.
"The Iron Throne" also now holds the title of the most-watched single telecast on HBO ever, with 13.6 million viewers tuning in for the 9pm airing. The previous record was held for almost 20 years by The Sopranos season 4 premiere on September 15, 2002, which saw 13.4 million people watching that episode at the same time.
Bran Actor Said, ‘Oh S**t’ When He Found Out the Ending
Warning! FULL SPOILERS for the Series Finale of Game of Thrones below.
Last night's Game of Thrones series finale had a few surprising twists and turns - Jon's decision to kill Dany, Arya's westward sea voyage, Drogon melting down the Iron Throne and flying away, etc. But none of those events were more surprising than Tyrion's plea for Bran the Broken to be named King of the Six Kingdoms. It turns out that actor Isaac Hempstead Wright was just as shocked as we were to learn about his character's fate.
Game of Thrones’ Last 35 Minutes Should Have Been a Full Season
Full spoilers for Game of Thrones' series finale continue below.
For even more on Game of Thrones, be sure to check out the finale's biggest WTF questions, or peruse every IGN Game of Thrones episode review ever. You can also learn why Westeros' new leader could be a terrifying choice, and why Drogon did what he did in the finale.
PlayStation Staff Reportedly Didn’t Know About Sony’s Microsoft Deal
Reports indicate PlayStation employees were unaware of Sony and Microsoft partnering to improve their cloud gaming services, and were caught off guard by the announcement.
Reported by Bloomberg, according to sources familiar with the matter, negotiations between Sony and Microsoft began last year and were led by Sony’s senior management in Tokyo - mostly without the involvement of Sony’s PlayStation branch. Managers reportedly had to calm PlayStation employees and “assure them that plans for the company’s next-generation console weren’t affected."
Game of Thrones: Bran’s Actor Had a Perfectly Simple Tweet for His Ending
SPOILERS AHEAD for Game of Thrones, Season 8, Episode 6, "The Iron Throne."
Isaac Hempstead-Wright, the actor who has played Bran Stark since the first episode of Game of Thrones, had a perfectly simple response to the way his character's story ended on last night's series finale.
On Twitter, with just two emojis, Hempstead-Wright jokingly summed up Bran's indifference he so perfected when he became the Three-Eyed Raven.
Additionally, he also signified himself essentially winning the Game of Thrones by becoming Bran the Broken, First of His Name, King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Six Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm.
Borderlands 3 Preorders Halted During Epic Games Store Mega Sale
Following the launch of the Epic Games Store Mega Sale where two games pulled out of the sale last week –Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 and Oxygen Not Included – a third game has now pulled out of the store for the time being.
Borderlands 3 is no longer available to preorder on the Epic Games Store, but still appears on the storefront itself, as reported by GamesIndustry.biz.
Emilia Clarke Reacts to Petition with Changes She Wants in Season 8
Spoiler warning: spoilers for the final season of Game of Thrones ahead.
Daenerys Targaryn actress Emilia Clarke has reacted to the infamous fan petition to remake Game of Thrones Season 8, giving her own thoughts on what she’d like to theoretically have changed and added.
In an interview with The New Yorker, Clarke indicated she was previously unaware of the petition, but was asked what she’d want to happen if Season 8 were redone, and responded "I can only speak to my own character, and the people that I interact with on the show. But I would’ve loved some more scenes with me and Missandei. I would’ve loved some more scenes with me and Cersei."
Ex-PlayStation Boss Says Sony Will Face Big Competition Next-Gen
Jack Tretton, the ex-president and CEO of PlayStation Entertainment America, has said that he believes Sony to be in a “good position” for the next console generation, although he believes the company will face “exponentially” more competition than during the PS4’s lifespan.
Talking to GamesBeat, Tretton said “I think they’re very well-positioned. The leader of the prior generation is always in a good position going into the new generation.”
He went on to discuss the hardware of the Playstation 5, which was revealed a few weeks ago. “From what I’ve read about the specs of PlayStation 5, it sounds impressive,” he said. “Their business model obviously worked well for them the last time around, and it doesn’t look like they’re going to deviate from that. They’ll be well-positioned. But I do think they’ll face exponentially more competition than they did the last time around.”