Halo Infinite Won’t Sell Loot Boxes for Cash
Despite recent indications to the contrary, 343 Industries and Microsoft will not sell Halo Infinite loot boxes for real-world money.
Posting on Twitter yesterday, a Halo YouTuber wrote that he had "a lot of faith" in 343's ability to deliver a quality experience with Halo Infinite but was "extremely disappointed" to hear Infinite would have microtransactions. Studio Head Chris Lee responded, telling him not to worry.
"Keep the faith, it's appreciated!" tweeted Lee. "We’re still working through final plans and will share more when we are ready, but I can definitely say that Halo Infinite will not include real-money loot boxes."
15 Games We Want on the PlayStation Classic
Distilling the entire library of the original PlayStation is no easy task, but someone has to do it. And while we wait to find out what the official full lineup for Sony's recently announced PlayStation Classic mini console is, IGN has a few suggestions for what should be included.
Sony has already revealed five of the 20 total games expected to launch with the PlayStation Classic — Final Fantasy VII, Tekken 3, Wild Arms, Jumping Flash, and Ridge Racer Type 4. That leaves 15 available slots for classic PlayStation experiences.
Below you'll find IGN's picks for what those 15 games should be, based on the nostalgic memories of various IGN staff members. First, some caveats:
Stargirl Has Been Cast for New DC Universe Series
The Stargirl DC Universe series has found its titular star in Brec Bassinger, who has previously starred in the Hulu series All Night, The Goldbergs, and several Nickelodeon shows.
Stargirl was created by Geoff Johns in 1999, and was inspired by his late sister Courtney who died in a plane explosion three years prior. Johns now serves as executive producer and writer for the upcoming Stargirl show.
Brec Bassinger. Courtesy: DC Entertainment.
“There is no other character in comic books more special to me than Stargirl, and after searching far and wide I can say there is no other actor on the planet that embodies her more than Brec Bassinger,” said Johns. "Brec’s warmth, strength, humor and positive energy are core to who Courtney Whitmore is. I’m so grateful she’s signed on for the role.”
Fortnite Had Biggest Month Ever in August With 78.3 Million Players
Fortnite’s popularity just keeps growing, as it had its biggest month ever in August with 78.3 million players, according to Epic Games.
Announced through the official Epic Games website, while giving some new Fall Skirmish details, Epic said it has hardened and scaled Fortnite’s systems and infrastructure to account for rising player numbers that occurred during the Summer Skirmish.
Epic said, "August was Fortnite’s biggest month yet, with 78.3 million of you showing up to play. This exposed weak points and allowed us to make targeted improvements to critical systems, such as stats and servers. The Summer Skirmish also, as you all probably noticed, highlighted problems with performance and spectating, which we’ve been working on ever since."
Amazon’s New Microwave Automatically Orders Popcorn When You’re Getting Low
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Amazon's Alexa-enabled microwave oven is a real thing, putting us even closer to realizing the promise of a voice-controlled future.
The AmazonBasics Microwave includes "includes dozens of quick-cook voice presets." That means you can cook food with the power of your voice, just like they do on Star Trek. Kind of.
"Customers only use a fraction of the features" of a microwave, Amazon said. It hopes voice commands and Ask Alexa integration will change that. The microwave also has integrated Dash Button functionality, so it can "automatically reorder popcorn."
Star Trek: ‘Short Treks’ Coming to CBS All Access
CBS All Access announced Thursday that Star Trek: Short Treks will officially begin their launch on Oct. 4 on the streaming platform.
Although some details were revealed at San Deigo Comic-Con earlier this year, the plot details and premiere dates have now been released.
Each short will have a runtime of approximately 10-15 minutes and is being released in anticipation for the upcoming return of Star Trek: Discovery in early 2019. The shorts are meant for fans to discover deeper themes and characters that will be a part of Star Trek: Discovery and the Star Trek universe overall.
Inside Ralph Breaks the Internet’s Most Talked About Scene
The upcoming Wreck-It Ralph sequel is called Ralph Breaks the Internet, and that’s practically what it did, at least amongst Disney fans, when the trailer first premiered.
That’s where we got our first glimpse of a scene where Vanellope von Schweetz, the princess (and president) of the video game Sugar Crush, came face-to-face with all the other Disney Princesses in the green room of OhMyDisney.com.
It’s a confrontation that goes in unexpected directions, from the classic princesses’ inability to understand why Vanellope has never been kidnapped and why she doesn’t have “daddy issues,” but at least they can bond with their shared frustration when the male characters get all the credit for saving the day, and their mutual love of comfortable clothes.
We’ve Seen New Footage from Ralph Breaks the Internet
The following preview describes footage that was screened for the press by Disney, but some of it may - for some readers - qualify as SPOILERS.
The sequel to Wreck-It Ralph is on its way, and this time everyone’s favorite video game bad guy - who isn’t really a “bad” guy - wrecks the internet. Or rather, Ralph Breaks the Internet. (Marketing can be weird.)
Disney Animation held a preview for Ralph Breaks the Internet at their historic studio in Burbank, CA, where co-directors Rich Moore and Phil Johnston showed off new footage from the movie, and answered questions about what it all means.
At the end of Wreck-It Ralph, Ralph (voiced by John C. Reilly) has earned the respect of his peers and solved his own insecurities, but Ralph Breaks the Internet actually began by exposing how unsatisfying the original journey was.
Kristen Bell Confirms New Veronica Mars Series Coming to Hulu
The Veronica Mars revival is official. Hulu has ordered eight new episodes of the hour-long drama for 2019, with Kristen Bell reprising her role as the titular character.
"BREAKING NEWS out of Mars Investigations!" Bell wrote on Twitter, alongside a 20-second video of the announcement. "Thank you to all the marshmallows for staying excited and to Hulu for giving Veronica a chance to wear her big girl pants."
Here's Hulu's official logline for the new series:
Spring breakers are getting murdered in Neptune, thereby decimating the seaside town’s lifeblood tourist industry. After Mars Investigations is hired by the parents of one of the victims to find their son’s killer, Veronica is drawn into an epic eight-episode mystery that pits the enclave’s wealthy elites, who would rather put an end to the month-long bacchanalia, against a working class that relies on the cash influx that comes with being the West Coast’s answer to Daytona Beach.
Rocket League Surpasses 50 Million Players
More than three years after its initial release, Rocket League continues to pick up steam. Developer Psyonix revealed yesterday that Rocket League has now surpassed 50 million total players.
"Rocket League now has more than 50 MILLION players worldwide!" tweeted Psyonix. "Thank you to our ever-growing global community for helping us reach this incredible milestone."
The top fan reply to the tweet is a request for cross-platform party functionality. It's a feature Psyonix originally promised would be available this month, but last week delayed indefinitely to ensure it operates "flawlessly on all platforms before its release."