Yearly Archives: 2020

Call of Duty Season 4’s New Operator May be Captain Price

Captain Price, the famously mustachioed protagonist of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series, could potentially be a new operator in season four of the game’s multiplayer if some teasers are to be believed.

First reported by Eurogamer, the teasers began with a message from the Call of Duty app, saying some sort of meeting would be taking place on May 21. That day, Activision sent out an email linking fans to a page on the Call of Duty website that included a mysterious video.

 The video shows off a few familiar Call of Duty voices (one sounds like the CIA’s Kate Laswell, who handles player character Alex), a few gruff Russians, and one very obvious picture of Captain Price, complete with his fishing hat. call of duty captain price

It’s a pretty obvious teaser that Price, who is referenced in the video as a “senior operator,” will have some role to play in the near future. With season four expected to start on June 2, that would certainly follow the trend of teasing past operators like the reworked Ghost and Alex for seasons two and three. Both of those operators were purchasable via the battle pass, with alternate skins available as high tier rewards for finishing the battle pass.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-2020-video-game-release&captions=true"]

Thanks to Modern Warfare’s success, Call of Duty has also become the fourth fastest-selling release in recorded US history, and followed only Final Fantasy 7 Remake for the highest-selling game in April 2020. Call of Duty 2020 is also reportedly still releasing this year, despite possible complications stemming from COVID-19. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/operator/muppet for IGN.

Call of Duty Season 4’s New Operator May be Captain Price

Captain Price, the famously mustachioed protagonist of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series, could potentially be a new operator in season four of the game’s multiplayer if some teasers are to be believed.

First reported by Eurogamer, the teasers began with a message from the Call of Duty app, saying some sort of meeting would be taking place on May 21. That day, Activision sent out an email linking fans to a page on the Call of Duty website that included a mysterious video.

 The video shows off a few familiar Call of Duty voices (one sounds like the CIA’s Kate Laswell, who handles player character Alex), a few gruff Russians, and one very obvious picture of Captain Price, complete with his fishing hat. call of duty captain price

It’s a pretty obvious teaser that Price, who is referenced in the video as a “senior operator,” will have some role to play in the near future. With season four expected to start on June 2, that would certainly follow the trend of teasing past operators like the reworked Ghost and Alex for seasons two and three. Both of those operators were purchasable via the battle pass, with alternate skins available as high tier rewards for finishing the battle pass.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-2020-video-game-release&captions=true"]

Thanks to Modern Warfare’s success, Call of Duty has also become the fourth fastest-selling release in recorded US history, and followed only Final Fantasy 7 Remake for the highest-selling game in April 2020. Call of Duty 2020 is also reportedly still releasing this year, despite possible complications stemming from COVID-19. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/operator/muppet for IGN.

Steve Carell Reveals Why John Malkovich Cried ‘Because of a Fart Joke’ in Space Force

Steve Carell will do his best to get America back to the moon in Netflix's quirky new sci-fi comedy Space Force, which will be released Friday, May 29. IGN can exclusively debut a behind the scenes look at the cast and crew of Space Force, featuring Carell explaining how much John Malkovich enjoys "fart jokes," as well as other hilarious antics from the cast and crew in the video below or at the top of the page: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/22/netflixs-space-force-exclusive-season-1-sneak-peek-featuring-steve-carell"] Here's how Netflix describes Season 1 of Space Force: "A decorated pilot with dreams of running the Air Force, four-star general Mark R. Naird (Steve Carell) is thrown for a loop when he finds himself tapped to lead the newly formed sixth branch of the US Armed Forces: Space Force. Skeptical but dedicated, Mark uproots his family and moves to a remote base in Colorado where he and a colorful team of scientists and 'Spacemen' are tasked by the White House with getting American boots on the moon (again) in a hurry and achieving total space dominance." For more on the streamer, here's everything coming to Netflix in June, our review of The Lovebirds, and everything we know about The Umbrella Academy's second season. Check out Space Force on Netflix on May 29. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=space-force-12-first-look-photos&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He's also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.

Steve Carell Reveals Why John Malkovich Cried ‘Because of a Fart Joke’ in Space Force

Steve Carell will do his best to get America back to the moon in Netflix's quirky new sci-fi comedy Space Force, which will be released Friday, May 29. IGN can exclusively debut a behind the scenes look at the cast and crew of Space Force, featuring Carell explaining how much John Malkovich enjoys "fart jokes," as well as other hilarious antics from the cast and crew in the video below or at the top of the page: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/22/netflixs-space-force-exclusive-season-1-sneak-peek-featuring-steve-carell"] Here's how Netflix describes Season 1 of Space Force: "A decorated pilot with dreams of running the Air Force, four-star general Mark R. Naird (Steve Carell) is thrown for a loop when he finds himself tapped to lead the newly formed sixth branch of the US Armed Forces: Space Force. Skeptical but dedicated, Mark uproots his family and moves to a remote base in Colorado where he and a colorful team of scientists and 'Spacemen' are tasked by the White House with getting American boots on the moon (again) in a hurry and achieving total space dominance." For more on the streamer, here's everything coming to Netflix in June, our review of The Lovebirds, and everything we know about The Umbrella Academy's second season. Check out Space Force on Netflix on May 29. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=space-force-12-first-look-photos&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He's also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.

Hollywood May Use “Germ-Zapping Robots” to Secure Sets From Coronavirus

Hollywood is looking at ways to protect their employees and secure their sets from the coronavirus once film and TV productions resume, with "germ-zapping robots" being one means reportedly under consideration by some studios and networks. Lab-certified disinfecting robots -- some of which are already in use at more than 500 hospitals worldwide-- would use ultraviolet light to eliminate the virus SARS-CoV-2 from sets. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-12-greatest-giant-robots-ever&captions=true"] One production that's already expressed "serious interest" in Xenex Disinfection Services' "Xenex Germ-Zapping Robot" is the CBS television series Blue Bloods. According to The Hollywood Reporter, testing results show "the robot was able to deactivate 99.99 percent of the novel coronavirus in two minutes with its LightStrike technology." The fast-working robots -- which THR says "can be rented on a per-month basis or purchased for roughly $125,000" -- are said to be able to disinfect dozens of rooms per day. (Hollywood sets are still cleaned the old-fashioned way, by people with mops and brooms.) THR breaks down how the robots would work on set like this:

"A trained individual places it in a designated area, turns it on and then exits the room for the next five minutes while the device generates bursts of high-intensity, full germicidal spectrum UVC light (more intense than sunlight.) Though a few seconds of human exposure to the light is within all of the safety thresholds ... there can be damage to the eyes after prolonged exposure, which is why it’s important to not be in the same room when the device is running."

Productions would also be expected to work with labor unions in order to have a human be in charge of the robot, even though the machines can navigate on their own. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=saddest-robot-deaths&captions=true"] For more coverage of Hollywood's response to COVID-19, check out our full list of all the movies and TV shows postponed by the pandemic, read about Bane masks selling out, and find out why AMC Theaters and Universal are at war.

Hollywood May Use “Germ-Zapping Robots” to Secure Sets From Coronavirus

Hollywood is looking at ways to protect their employees and secure their sets from the coronavirus once film and TV productions resume, with "germ-zapping robots" being one means reportedly under consideration by some studios and networks. Lab-certified disinfecting robots -- some of which are already in use at more than 500 hospitals worldwide-- would use ultraviolet light to eliminate the virus SARS-CoV-2 from sets. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-12-greatest-giant-robots-ever&captions=true"] One production that's already expressed "serious interest" in Xenex Disinfection Services' "Xenex Germ-Zapping Robot" is the CBS television series Blue Bloods. According to The Hollywood Reporter, testing results show "the robot was able to deactivate 99.99 percent of the novel coronavirus in two minutes with its LightStrike technology." The fast-working robots -- which THR says "can be rented on a per-month basis or purchased for roughly $125,000" -- are said to be able to disinfect dozens of rooms per day. (Hollywood sets are still cleaned the old-fashioned way, by people with mops and brooms.) THR breaks down how the robots would work on set like this:

"A trained individual places it in a designated area, turns it on and then exits the room for the next five minutes while the device generates bursts of high-intensity, full germicidal spectrum UVC light (more intense than sunlight.) Though a few seconds of human exposure to the light is within all of the safety thresholds ... there can be damage to the eyes after prolonged exposure, which is why it’s important to not be in the same room when the device is running."

Productions would also be expected to work with labor unions in order to have a human be in charge of the robot, even though the machines can navigate on their own. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=saddest-robot-deaths&captions=true"] For more coverage of Hollywood's response to COVID-19, check out our full list of all the movies and TV shows postponed by the pandemic, read about Bane masks selling out, and find out why AMC Theaters and Universal are at war.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Is April 2020’s Best-Selling Game

Final Fantasy VII Remake was April 2020's best-selling game and it also set a new launch month Final Fantasy franchise sales record in both unit and dollar sales, surpassing 2016's Final Fantasy XV. As revealed by Mat Piscatella of The NPD Group, Final Fantasy VII Remake lead April 2020 sales, followed by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. April 2020 tracked spending across video game hardware, software, accessories, and game cards reached $1.5 billion, a 73% increase when compared to April 2019. This is also a new record for an April month, a milestone that was previously set by April 2008's $1.2 billion. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/13/one-month-later-did-the-final-fantasy-7-remake-deliver"] Dollar sales for tracked video game software also set a new record for an April month at $662 million, a 55% increase year-over-year and the highest since April 2008's $642 million. Nintendo Switch remained the best-selling hardware platform of the month, and dollar sales of PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch increased more than 160% when compared to April 2020. Switch also has the highest year-to-date dollar sales of any hardware platform in US history, a record that was previously held by Nintendo Wii in the same year-to-date period in April 2009. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-2020-video-game-release&captions=true"] While Final Fantasy VII Remake led the month, other titles also reached impressive milestones. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare became the 4th fastest selling release in US tracked history, while Just Dance 2020 finished at #11, up from #17 in March 2020. Just Dance 2020 is the fastest selling game in the franchise since Just Dance 2014. The full list of best-selling games for April 2020 is as follows:

April 2020's Best-Selling Games

  1. Final Fantasy VII Remake
  2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
  3. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
  4. NBA 2K20
  5. Grand Theft Auto V
  6. Resident Evil 3
  7. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: Remastered
  8. MLB: The Show 20
  9. Madden NFL 20
  10. Red Dead Redemption II
  11. Just Dance 2020
  12. FIFA 20
  13. Mortal Kombat 11
  14. Borderlands 3
  15. Predator: Hunting Grounds
  16. Mario Kart 8: Deluxe
  17. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
  18. Persona 5: Royal
  19. Need for Speed: Heat
  20. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/20/the-biggest-games-coming-in-2020"] Final Fantasy VII Remake entered the NPD charts as the 3rd best-selling game of 2020 year-to-date, with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Animal Crossing: New Horizons holding down the 1st and 2nd spot, respectively. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Is April 2020’s Best-Selling Game

Final Fantasy VII Remake was April 2020's best-selling game and it also set a new launch month Final Fantasy franchise sales record in both unit and dollar sales, surpassing 2016's Final Fantasy XV. As revealed by Mat Piscatella of The NPD Group, Final Fantasy VII Remake lead April 2020 sales, followed by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. April 2020 tracked spending across video game hardware, software, accessories, and game cards reached $1.5 billion, a 73% increase when compared to April 2019. This is also a new record for an April month, a milestone that was previously set by April 2008's $1.2 billion. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/13/one-month-later-did-the-final-fantasy-7-remake-deliver"] Dollar sales for tracked video game software also set a new record for an April month at $662 million, a 55% increase year-over-year and the highest since April 2008's $642 million. Nintendo Switch remained the best-selling hardware platform of the month, and dollar sales of PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch increased more than 160% when compared to April 2020. Switch also has the highest year-to-date dollar sales of any hardware platform in US history, a record that was previously held by Nintendo Wii in the same year-to-date period in April 2009. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-2020-video-game-release&captions=true"] While Final Fantasy VII Remake led the month, other titles also reached impressive milestones. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare became the 4th fastest selling release in US tracked history, while Just Dance 2020 finished at #11, up from #17 in March 2020. Just Dance 2020 is the fastest selling game in the franchise since Just Dance 2014. The full list of best-selling games for April 2020 is as follows:

April 2020's Best-Selling Games

  1. Final Fantasy VII Remake
  2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
  3. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
  4. NBA 2K20
  5. Grand Theft Auto V
  6. Resident Evil 3
  7. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: Remastered
  8. MLB: The Show 20
  9. Madden NFL 20
  10. Red Dead Redemption II
  11. Just Dance 2020
  12. FIFA 20
  13. Mortal Kombat 11
  14. Borderlands 3
  15. Predator: Hunting Grounds
  16. Mario Kart 8: Deluxe
  17. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
  18. Persona 5: Royal
  19. Need for Speed: Heat
  20. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/20/the-biggest-games-coming-in-2020"] Final Fantasy VII Remake entered the NPD charts as the 3rd best-selling game of 2020 year-to-date, with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Animal Crossing: New Horizons holding down the 1st and 2nd spot, respectively. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Maneater Review – See Food And Eat It

Toward the middle of my time with Maneater, my shark, now the size of a sedan and sporting glowing blue fins and whiskers to help it channel bioelectricity into the water around it, leaped out of a canal and onto the cobblestone dais filled with drunken revelers. As the folks enjoying the shoreline of Port Clovis screamed, my shark flopped after them, deterred by neither lack of limbs nor lack of oxygen as it chased down and chomped partier after partier unfortunate enough to think they could enjoy a gathering this close to Dead Horse Lake.

As I gained bloody vengeance against the residents of Port Clovis for their abuse of the marine ecosystem, actor Chris Parnell's voice-over narration filled in some interesting details about the horse monument my prehistoric killing machine was defiling. One year, he explained, a Port Clovis-born horse placed 20th at the Kentucky Derby, creating a new holiday since the local population, known for public drunkenness and petty crime sprees, was eager to celebrate.

Maneater provides a lot of these kinds of moments, mixing ridiculous ichthyological carnage and reality-show absurdity to create something hilarious. It's an uneven experience, due largely to technical glitches, frustrating marine predator combat, and repetitive missions. But the longer it goes on, the more fun Maneater becomes, and its presentation keeps it from getting stale.

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