The #DisneyMustPay viral campaign to get Alan Dean Foster paid faces murky legal waters

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Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War entered its first season of new content with an update adding more maps, modes, and weapons.

The Season One update added several new maps across its multiplayer modes. The 6v6 modes will receive 1980’s New Jersey mall The Pines, Raid from Black Ops II, and a holiday variant of Nuketown ’84.

The 2v2 Gunfight mode from Modern Warfare returns to Black Ops Cold War with four new maps: Game Show, ICBM, U-Bahn, and ­KGB. The hide-and-seek Prop Hunt game mode also returns, and both modes and maps are included in featured playlists.

The Zombies mode received a new holiday mode called “Jingle Hells,” which features “holiday-themed enemies, wintery decorations, snowballs that freeze zombies, stocking power-ups, presents that can be harvested from frozen enemies, and special surprises waiting inside the snowmen.”

Black Ops Cold War players can also earn two new weapons, the Mac-10 SMG and Groza assault rifle, by reaching tier 15 and tier 31 in the free track of the Season One battle pass.

Check out all the new changes to weapons and modes from the update in the official patch notes. Call of Duty: Warzone also received a Season One update with a new battle royale map and 29 Black Ops Cold War weapons.

Season One of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War begins today, Dec. 16 for PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One.

Where the Heart Leads (formerly known as Where the Heart Is) is a choice-driven narrative adventure that debuted as part of PlayStation’s Indie Initiative over the summer. The surreal premise centers on a man gaining the power to relive and change his past life choices. The game is the brainchild of Armature Studio (the co-developer of ReCore), which unveiled a new trailer showcasing the many consequences your decisions can have.

Players control Whit Anderson, an artist who falls into a sinkhole while trying to save the family dog. Inside he discovers a strange power that allows him to revisit and alter key moments of his life, from childhood to parenthood to old age. Should Whit have helped his father rebuild the family farm or left him to deal with it on his own? What if Whit told his friend to focus on school instead of chasing his artistic passions? Most importantly, why are there so many scattered phone booths in this snow-covered forest? Check out the trailer below for a taste of the game’s mystique and the various ways your decisions can play out.

Fall Guys burst onto the scene earlier this year in all of its terrifying jelly bean glory and Mario Galaxy-esque fun. The aesthetic of the game poised the triumphant return of Among Us, an indie title first released back in 2018 that didn't get recognition until this year. A big part of why the latter was able to get the streamer attention it deserves is because of, well, that jelly bean aesthetic. The Fall Guys wave was high, paving the way for Among Us to have its shot to shine, and now the two are going toe-to-toe thanks to this Star Wars Battlefront II mod. 

Simply called Fall Guys vs. Among Us, this Star Wars Battlefront II mod is straight to the point. It replaces all of the original trilogy-era infantry characters with Fall Guys jelly beans with Among Us astronauts (again, also jelly beans. Very important) replacing all dark side heroes. 

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[It's the last night to enter, so get on it, chuckleheads!]

In today's contest you can win a copy of Cyberpunk 2077 and this neat Johnny Silverhand statue from fun.com!

I saw something the other day that it's been over 3,000 days since Cyberpunk 2077 was announced. The wait is finally over! Fans of the cybernetic dystopian genre are finally getting their hands on the series, and now you can, too!

We're giving away a copy of the game (your choice for platform) and this awesome Johnny Silverhand statue, courtesy of our friends at fun.com!

Earlier today, the developers of the horror game Devotion announced it would return to sale via GOG on Friday. It’s been unavailable for purchase since early 2019 due to an in-game joke at the expense of Chinese president Xi Jinping. Hours later, GOG have released their own peculiar statement reversing their decision to release it.

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Warning! We will be diving into heavy spoilers for Attack on Titan. These spoilers include up to and through the current season. 

If you haven’t seen up to Attack on Titan Season 4 Episode 2 and want to avoid spoilers, come back when you catch up. If you have, or you simply don’t mind spoilers, then keep on reading. 

It has been two weeks since the debut of the final season of Attack on Titan, and the protagonists have yet to see any screentime. Instead of characters like Eren and Levi, the action so far is devoted to their enemy: the Marleyans and the Eldian Warriors and Warrior candidates they control.

On the surface, this may seem like a bad idea. Not only have we been trained to hate the “bad guys” of the series as a whole, but fleshing out an entirely new area and multiple new POV characters in the last season could make things feel rushed. 

When it comes down to it, though, the progression feels right. Ever since Marley was revealed near season 3’s climax, fans have been dying to know more about the world outside of Paradis Island. 

Everything has been building to the mysteries outside the walls, so developing Marely and its Eldians makes sense. It also makes the coming conflict that much more tragic. 

Instead of merely enemies that we want the “good guys” to destroy, we can see that the antagonists simply live their lives according to their society and its structure. It shows that there aren’t any clear-cut good or bad guys in this war, just varying perspectives. 

Italian add-on developer Tailstrike Designs just released a package portraying the scenic airport of Reggio Calabria for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The Tito Minniti Airport (LICR) is located right at the tip of Italy’s boot, and this add-on will certainly come as a welcome release for those who enjoy flying over the mediterranean.

It can be purchased on Aerosoft’s store for €18.40 and below you can catch a few screenshots.

Here’s how the developer describes the add-on.

“Fly to the tip of Italy’s distinctive boot shape – with Reggio Calabria. This highly detailed scenery brings you to Reggio Calabria, named after Italian Royal Air Force war-hero Tito Minniti, who was born in Reggio Calabria.

Airport Reggio Calabria for the Microsoft Flight Simulator comes with custom Sat image surrounding the airport as well as custom Terrain. Immerse yourself in this beautiful South Italian region: all major buildings around the airport have been reproduced in 3D.”

Features:

Have 10,000円 to spare? You could buy a Guilty Gear Baiken, Dizzy, Elphelt, or Jam 3D avatar at Virtual Market 5 this year.

The post Guilty Gear Baiken and Dizzy Avatars Will Be at Virtual Market 5 appeared first on Siliconera.

The independent Super Smash Bros. Code of Conduct Panel is formally disbanding after a summer that saw the competitive Smash community explode with allegations of sexual misconduct.

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Free-to-play battle royale Call of Duty: Warzone received an update today that offers a new map, suite of weapons, and more with Season One in conjunction with Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.

The new map is called Rebirth Island, and is much smaller than Verdansk with up to 40 players allowed on the battlefield. It will be featured in a new seasonal event that offers 16 challenges rewarding cosmetic items and a special “Noxious” LMG Blueprint.

Both Rebirth Island and Verdansk received a new Gulag with the prison showers replaced with the original Nuketown map. It will retain the same layout as the Black Ops map, but with the homes and backyards barricaded off.

Warzone also added 29 weapons from Black Ops Cold War, and players can receive another five from the Season One battle pass. All progression and attachments earned on these weapons will carry over between Warzone and Black Ops Cold War.

Check out the official patch notes for the full list of changes and additions, including a new helicopter with two player-controlled mini-guns on each side. Season One of Call of Duty: Warzone begins today, Dec. 16 for PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One.

The post Call of Duty: Warzone Season One Begins With New Map and Weapons appeared first on Twinfinite.

We've been learning a lot about the upcoming Resident Evil movie reboot recently, including a cast reveal and some behind-the-scenes set images. Despite a few COVID-19-related hiccups, the latest iteration on the big screen for the Capcom franchise now has a release date (pending no further delays), at least according to a recent leak. 

New information from the German studio Constantin Film website went public that listed the Resident Evil movie reboot for a September 9, 2021 release date. 

Constantin Film via MovieWeb

Constantin Film is heading the Resident Evil movie efforts, adapting the Capcom franchise in impressive true-to-source material form (if these screenshots are anything to go by). 

Today’s issue of Weekly Famitsu included an interview with Tales of Arise producer Yusuke Tomizawa, who offered more color on the game following the news from yesterday.

Tomizawa-san mentioned that the team is preparing to deliver more news in the near future and development is finally coming close to the final stage after recovering from the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Quality is being improved at a steady pace and the aim is to have a game that can be appreciated worldwide. Yet, that doesn’t mean that Japanese fans will be neglected. As JRPG developers, Bandai Namco continues to develop games that they can be proud of both in Japan and worldwide.

He also mentioned that a lot is being organized to celebrate the series’ 25th anniversary, even if he can’t reveal more for now. Yet, the second half of the anniversary year will be very exciting for the fans. He intends to continue pushing to grow the brand and start looking ahead to the next five years toward the 30th anniversary.

Tales of Arise was originally slated for 2020 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, but it was delayed due to the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Meet the new Warframe, an elementalist named Lavos

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The makers of joyful adventure games like Chuchel last night announced Happy Game, and it most certainly is not so. They’re going grim ‘n’ gory with this “psychedelic horror adventure” next year, bursting with blood, bone, guts, grinders, guillotines, and even a skellington. But it still looks like an Amanita adventure game, even if you maybe shouldn’t share it with the kids. See for yourself in the trailer below.

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Tales of fans in Japan recently participated in a big 25th-anniversary survey, and the results are in.

The post Tales of Fans Ranked the Most-played Games, Theme Songs, and Best Battle Systems appeared first on Siliconera.

Ubisoft caught a lot of flak for a time-saving microtransaction in Assassin's Creed Odyssey that permanently increased your XP rate by 50 percent. The problem is that a lot of people felt as though Odyssey's grind was specifically tailored to encourage the purchase of the XP-booster. When Assassin's Creed Valhalla launched, it did so without that same $10 microtransaction. It seemed as though Ubisoft was quick to avoid catching that heat all over again.

For 36 days. That's how long Ubisoft could resist. With yesterday's 1.1.0 patch, Valhalla got those same time-saving microtransactions that Odyssey launched with. As Game Informer reports, Ubisoft says "As more and more post-launch content becomes available, we want to give the option to players to advance their progression. Utilities allow players who lack the time to fully explore the world of Assassin's Creed Valhalla to be able to acquire the game's best gear, as well as other items, by accelerating their progress. For instance, these players can purchase maps that uncover some interesting locations in the world, but would still have to visit and play them to get their rewards."

Here's the thing: This is especially unnecessary in Valhalla. The game doles out skill points with regular frequency, and none of the skills are particularly effective. They all just kinda add up until eventually you're more powerful because the number next to your name is bigger. I genuinely can't imagine buying this XP boost would help you beat Valhalla faster.

Cavan Scott offers a sneak peek of the newest Star Wars comic

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Disney Plus, Netflix, and Apple lead a list of big players

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Google Stadia is a streaming service that gets a lot of heat for some of its consumer-facing practices like ownership restrictions and its limited library. That being said, the service itself runs incredibly smooth for those that have the bandwidth for it, making it a go-to workaround for those excited for demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077. For those that have been interested in checking this out on more mobile platforms but have been limited by the Android-only rule, that's about to change because Stadia is coming to iPhone with the latest iOS beta. 

The iPhone/iPad beta was first announced last month and now, it's officially live. This option is available for those that have both the Pro Stadia membership and the free version as well, giving players a way to access those game libraries on Apple devices. 

For those that may be on the fence, the free tier for Google Stadia doesn't have the restrictions that some of its competitors have, allowing players to opt into the streaming experience through the Stadia website or through the app. There are also a couple of free games to enjoy with this as well, including Super Bomberman R and Destiny 2 (which is the big one with Beyond Light being met with such a positive reception). 

During a Nintendo Indie World livestreamed presentation yesterday, there were several exciting announcements unveiled, but the final “one more thing” reveal definitely stole the show. Indie developer InnerSloth announced that its multiplayer social deduction title, Among Us, would be launching on the Nintendo Switch eShop, marking the first time that the game has come to a console.

And fans of the game didn’t even have to wait to play it, as Among Us launched shortly after the Indie World showcase, available for everyone to purchase for $5, the same price as its PC version on Steam.

It’s been about 24 hours since the game released digitally on Nintendo’s storefront and it has already hit the number one spot in the Best Sellers section, which is no surprise considering just how massively popular Among Us is right now.

Just this past September, the game managed to reach over 85 million downloads, and that was only for the mobile version of the game on iOS and Android devices, which is free of charge by the way.

Currently, at the time of writing, Among Us has over 80,000 viewers on Twitch, following Twitch juggernauts such as League of Legends and Dota 2.

Due to the Switch port supporting cross-play with PC and mobile players, there’s no doubt that Among Us will continue to grow and become an even more popular indie game.

Paper Mario: The Origami King | $50 | Best Buy

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Treyarch even brought back the Prop Hunt game mode

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Today’s issue of Weekly Famitsu revealed The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki, the new game of the Trails series by Nihon Falcom.

The game will be released in 2021 and the platforms have not been announced just yet.

We know that Calvard will be the setting and that many beloved characters will appear.

Interestingly, we get to see a mysterious (or not?) blonde girl and an artifact that appears to be a key to the story.

The visuals also seem to be much improved compared to previous games, especially in the lighting during battles.

You can check out the screenshots below.

Heaven's Vault - the sublime sci-fi-tinged archaeological adventure from 80 Days, Sorcery, and Pendragon developer Inkle - will be making its way to Nintendo Switch on 28th January.

Released on PC and PlayStation 4 to much acclaim last year, Heaven's Vault tells the story of Aliya Elasra and her robot companion Six, as they explore the mysterious Nebula in search of a missing person and an ancient civilisation.

As with Inkle's previous story-heavy offerings, the real star of the show is the wonderful prose, subtly reshaping based on choices made throughout the adventure. Here though, there's the added draw of archaeological discovery as players explore the strikingly designed world, with Heaven's Vault placing a fascinating focus on learning a long-forgotten language - one character at a time - to make sense of the places and relics Aliya encounters on her travels.

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Multiplayer imposter-hunting game Among Us now has a Nintendo Switch version, I say on this here PC gaming website. What’s that matter to you lot? Well, it’s got cross-platform multiplayer so you PC-owning folks can play with your Switch-having pals. It’s a nice pre-holiday surprise for those of us wondering what we can pick up to share with our friends while we stay separated through the winter.

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Ringtoys is producing a 1/6 action figure of Nioh's Ginchiyo Tachibana, which will even wield her Raikiri sword.

The post Nioh Ginchiyo Tachibana Action Figure Will Appear in Japan and China appeared first on Siliconera.

Ummmm, yeahhhhhhh...

If you haven't sworn off using GOG, there's some shekels to be saved in its winter sale. Something tells me CD Projekt will see lower conversion and revenue than usual with this sales event.

I have a feeling that listing what's discounted is probably just a waste of my time in this particular instance. If you're actually interested, GOG's front page has all the deals. Also, Prison Architect is free for three days.

I wonder if anyone at CD Projekt has smashed the "Break in Case of Emergency" glass yet.

In February of last year Devotion, a Taiwanese horror game, was pulled from Steam after a controversy regarding a hidden Easter egg. Today GOG, the online PC gaming store run by CD Projekt, announced it would be selling Devotion. Then, hours later, declared it would not.

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I was in an NPC’s car as she drove us across Night City when a thought occurred to me. We were driving at night to perform a risky stealth mission, which required me to break into a compound filled with military security so we could, to put it briefly, hack the planet. On the drive, two cars spawned out of thin air in front of us, blocking the road, but my driver didn’t react. We plowed into one of the cars as if it wasn’t there, sending it twirling into the air like it was stuffed with helium. Our own car wasn’t even slowed down.

As part of the Tales series' 25th anniversary celebration, Kotobukiya will sell Tales of the Abyss Luke and Asch figures. The two will be sold as a pair.

The post Tales of the Abyss Luke and Asch Figures Will Appear Next Year appeared first on Siliconera.

And just like that, double-dipping with Hades on Nintendo Switch is a matter of when, not if. In an update released this afternoon, Supergiant Games added cross-save support for PC and Switch players.

Here's the overview for the Nintendo Switch version, as outlined by the developer:

• Click 'Cross-Saves' in the main menu, then connect your Steam or Epic Games Account.
• Pause and quit to upload save data.
• More specifics about the cross-save process are in the Help & Info section.

Supergiant also offered a quick word of warning before anyone rushes in haphazardly: "Please be sure that your progress is in different save slots between PC and Switch! Instructions on how to move your PC saves to a different slot are in the Help & Info section on Switch (you just rename the save file)."

Also important to note for completionists: "if you transfer progress from the Switch to PC, you'll get any relevant achievements once you start the game! For example, if you reached the true ending already on Switch, you'll get the achievement for having done that."

Game Awards Aftermath & Cyberpunk Impressions | Final Checkpoint Podcast Ep. 67 Read More »

The Xbox Series S is back in stock at John Lewis in the UK - and this time the console seems to be available for more than two minutes.

Usually, I'd keep these stock updates to the Jelly Deals Twitter, but the Series S has (surprisingly) been available to buy for most of the afternoon. If you've been trying to get one for the last few months, here's your best chance before Christmas.

Since launch, we've seen that the Series S has been much easier to get hold of compared to the Series X. According to Microsoft, the release of both consoles has been the biggest Xbox launch ever, so it's not as if people don't want it. Perhaps, as the least expensive of the next-gen machines, it makes sense for Microsoft to prioritise getting it out there for the Christmas sales period.

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Not long after a tease on Twitter, the Japanese eShop product page for Death end re;Quest appeared. It'll be available this month.

The post Death end re;Quest Switch Port Will Be Home for Christmas appeared first on Siliconera.

Find every collectible in Suthsexe

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Sephiran, Bernadetta, Hilda, Altina, and Felix will show their holiday spirit this week.

The post Fire Emblem Heroes Christmas 2020 Characters Include Bernadetta, Altina, and Felix appeared first on Siliconera.