Comparatively few people follow the Crown channel or participate in its chats -- suggesting they aren't engaging with the programming. From a report: When Amazon launched the Crown Channel on its livestreaming platform Twitch in 2019, the e-commerce giant was looking to flex its entertainment chops in the buzzy world of video games -- an arena the company had been trying to break into for years. Resembling a traditional television network, Crown offers a range of ad-supported original programming, including "Screen Invaders!," a show about mobile gaming. Amazon says Crown is among Twitch's top 10 entertainment channels, luring tens of thousands of viewers -- a feat typically equaled only by Twitch's top personalities -- and is attracting such big-name advertisers as chipmaker Intel and insurer Progressive. But a Bloomberg analysis of Crown audience metrics shows the channel isn't as popular as Amazon says it is. That has potential implications for brands, which according to internal documents, may have paid anywhere from $150,000 to $500,000-plus to promote themselves on the channel.
A pitch deck for advertisers from January 2022 said the Crown channel then reached 43 million viewers and had a "highly engaged audience." But most of the viewers Crown cites are what the advertising industry calls "junk views," people who aren't actively watching the programming. Although Crown appears to draw in thousands of viewers each livestream, comparatively few people follow the channel or participate in its chats -- suggesting they aren't engaging with the content. Amazon sometimes pays Twitch tens of thousands of dollars to promote Crown programs on the site's home page, where they end up in a digital carousel that viewers scroll through, typically zipping past shows until they find something they want to watch. Audience inflation has been a long-standing issue for video and social-media sites.
Perhaps one of the more suitable ways to wrap up Valentine's Day is a brand-new look at Todd Phillips' highly anticipated sequel to 2019's "Joker." There's been a lot of intrigue surrounding the project, primarily because of the big-name star added to the film: Lady Gaga. The actress is playing who we can only assume to be Harley Quinn, a character created for "Batman: The Animated Series" as a psychiatrist who eventually falls in love with the Joker and becomes his partner-in-crime. Margot Robbie previously portrayed the character in the greater DC Extended Universe, and now the time has come for another iteration of the character in Phillips' gritty and decrepit depiction of Gotham City.
Even the film's subtitle, "Folie à Deux," refers to a medical term for a delusion or mental illness shared by two people, solidifying the idea that Gaga will be playing the massively popular Batman character. Now, thanks to this new image, we have a better idea of how the relationship between the two characters will play out, especially given the impeccable timing of Phillip's release of this first-look image of the duo. While things may not have worked out with Zazie Beetz's character from the first film, there may yet be love in the air.
Happy Valentines Day
Director Todd Phillips shared the above photo on Instagram with the simple caption, "Happy Valentines Day." In it, we can see Joaquin Phoenix's Arthur Fleck and Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn sharing what is undoubtedly a twisted romantic moment in the film. Fleck's Joker makeup is faded, but some of it has clearly rubbed off on the face of Gaga's character, and I'll go ahead and let the readers figure out how it got there. The first "Joker" film ended on a catastrophic note, showing the influence of Arthur's actions as the Joker, inspiring a clown movement that led to fiery riots in Gotham City.
Exploring how deep Arthur's influence as the Joker runs with new characters is a natural thing to explore in the upcoming sequel and will likely be done through Gaga's character. Add to that the film is supposed to be a musical, and you have an exciting concept that differentiates itself from the original movie, which will more than likely use similar detached-from-reality moments that the first film used, only this time for musical numbers. Phillips' caption also confirms what many were already thinking, in that Phoenix and Gaga's characters will be romantically entangled thanks to their shared delusions. The official DC brand account even commented, "...love is in the air...?"
All that's left to see is if this warped relationship is meant to last when the film hits theaters on October 4, 2024.
Bruce66423 shares a report from Nature: The World Health Organization (WHO) has quietly shelved the second phase of its much-anticipated scientific investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, citing ongoing challenges over attempts to conduct crucial studies in China, Nature has learned. Researchers say they are disappointed that the investigation isn't going ahead, because understanding how the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 first infected people is important for preventing future outbreaks. But without access to China, there is little that the WHO can do to advance the studies, says Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada. "Their hands are really tied." [...]
"There is no phase two," Maria Van Kerkhove, an epidemiologist at the WHO in Geneva, Switzerland, told Nature. The WHO planned for work to be done in phases, she said, but "that plan has changed." "The politics across the world of this really hampered progress on understanding the origins," she said. Researchers are undertaking some work to pin down a timeline of the virus's initial spread. This includes efforts to trap bats in regions bordering China in search of viruses closely related to SARS-CoV-2; experimental studies to help narrow down which animals are susceptible to the virus and could be hosts; and testing of archived wastewater and blood samples collected around the world in late 2019 and early 2020. But researchers say that too much time has passed to gather some of the data needed to pinpoint where the virus originated. "The ending of the investigation is not a surprise," adds Bruce66423. "But why 'quietly'?"
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge: Hyundai and Kia are offering free software updates for millions of their cars in response to a rash of car thefts inspired by a viral social media challenge on TikTok. The so-called "Kia Challenge" on the social media platform has led to hundreds of car thefts nationwide, including at least 14 reported crashes and eight fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Thieves known as "the Kia Boyz" would post instructional videos about how to bypass the vehicles' security system using tools as simple as a USB cable.
The thefts are reportedly easy to pull off because many 2015-2019 Hyundai and Kia vehicles lack electronic immobilizers that prevent thieves from simply breaking in and bypassing the ignition. The feature is standard equipment on nearly all vehicles from the same period made by other manufacturers. Hyundai and its subsidiary Kia are offering to update the "theft alarm software logic" to extend the length of the alarm sound from 30 seconds to one minute. The vehicles will also be updated to require a key in the ignition switch to turn the vehicle on. The software upgrade modifies certain vehicle control modules on Hyundai vehicles equipped with standard "turn-key-to-start" ignition systems. As a result, locking the doors with the key fob will set the factory alarm and activate an "ignition kill" feature so the vehicles cannot be started when subjected to the popularized theft mode. Customers must use the key fob to unlock their vehicles to deactivate the "ignition kill" feature.
There hasn't been a nationwide accounting of how many Hyundai and Kia vehicles have been stolen, but stats from individual cities provide some sense of how viral the trend has become. In Milwaukee, for example, police report that 469 Kias and 426 Hyundais were stolen in 2020. Those numbers spiked the following year to 3,557 Kias and 3,406 Hyundais, according to NPR. Approximately 3.8 million Hyundais and 4.5 million Kias are eligible for the software update free of charge, for a total of 8.3 million cars. Vehicle owners are instructed to take their cars to a local dealership, where technicians will install the upgrades in less than an hour. The upgraded vehicles will also get a window decal indicating they've been equipped with anti-theft technology.
A "super bolide" exploded over Russia in 2013, injuring 1,500 people and damaging hundreds of buildings. It may not be a once-in-a-century event as previously thought.
Last year AMD issued an advisory around "intermittent system stutter" when engaging the Firmware Trusted Platform Module "fTPM" with newer Ryzen systems running Windows 10 and Windows 11. While at first this only manifested on Windows, with Linux 6.1+ enabling the AMD fTPM RNG by default when present, this system stuttering issue has begun affecting Linux users too...
Patch Tuesday brought AMD disclosing a Ryzen Master security issue on Windows and the Cross-Thread Return Address Predictions bug requiring new handling by Linux's KVM. Over on the Intel side they have disclosed nearly three dozen new issues and as a result also published new Linux CPU microcode files for their recent processors to address the disclosures...
Welcome back! It’s time for a new episode of the Spot Dodge Podcast exclusively on Destructoid. Topics: Tonight we’ll be talking all about the magnificent and recently stealth-released Metroid Prime Remastered. Along with that, the team discusses the difference between a remaster and a remake -- And how even game devs are split on the meaning.
I know what you're thinking, the difference between a remaster and a remake is clear. A game like Wind Waker HD is a remaster and Resident Evil 2 (2019) is a remake. Wind Waker retained the same skeleton as the original but overhauled the graphics. Essentially being 90% the same game. Whereas Resident Evil 2 was a full reimagining of the original game. With new gameplay, dialogue, characters, sound, and more.
Boom. It's that simple. Or is it? Because PlayStation is dead set on The Last of Us Part I being a from-the-ground-up "remake". Not a remaster. Despite retaining the same skeleton as the original and featuring the exact combat, sound, voice acting, and gameplay mechanics. With subtle tweaks to the enemy AI and additional accessibility options. Should this not be categorized as a remaster? Being that the only substantial upgrade was the visuals?
Compare that to a game like the newly-released Metroid Prime Remastered. This "remaster" not only overhauled the visuals but even added modernized controls and enhanced sound. But Nintendo is clearly going with "remastered" verbiage for the game and its title.
Finally, there's a game like Final Fantasy VII Remake which is not really a remake at all, but more of a reimaging of the first 3 hours of FFVII, and even somewhat of a sequel to the original. And that game literally has "remake" in the title! It's such a messy topic I can't wait to discuss.
Our lovely cast from around the web: Brett Medlock (me) and Mary Stowe from Destructoid, John Friscia from The Escapist, Greg Bargas from PC Invasion, and Brett Larsen, our extra special guest. Behind the scenes, Gamurs’ Eric Weichhart is live-editing this week’s show.
Spot Dodge is a weekly Nintendo-focused Podcast here at Destructoid where we dedicate an hour or two to go over the latest Nintendo news and discuss the games we’re playing. If you’re a fan of Nintendo Switch, RPGs, or having a good time, Spot Dodge will be a great addition to your podcast rotation. So be sure to subscribe!
Spot Dodge is streaming live every Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. PT / 7:00 p.m. ET on Twitch channel. ICYMI: We now have a dedicated Spot Dodge YouTube channel for our archived streams! All future episodes will be uploaded there.
Afterward, the show will be available on-demand for audio listeners via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more. The live video version will remain on both YouTube and Twitch (don’t forget to follow and subscribe). So many options!
When "Yellowjackets" debuted on Showtime at the end of 2021, it didn't take long for the world to get addictively stung by the multi-timeline cannibal thriller. The series tells the story of the 1996 state champion women's soccer team from Wiskayok High School after their plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness on the way to their national tournament, stranding the teens to fend for themselves for 19 months. The show simultaneously explores the lives of some of the survivors of the crash 25 years later, as they struggle to adjust to a normal existence after the world assumes they had resorted to cannibalism for survival all those years before. Oh, and there's that whole "Lottie Matthews started a cult" thing.
At the end of season 1, the only survivors we knew about were Shauna Sadecki (Melanie Lynskey), Misty Quigley (Christina Ricci), Taissa Turner (Tawny Cypress), Nat Scatorccio (Juliette Lewis), and an unseen Lottie Matthews. Multiple members of Team Yellowjackets have sadly already left this mortal coil, but who lives and who dies in the world of "Yellowjackets" is still unfolding. In the 1996 timeline, the "Yellowjackets" Hive fandom has grown immensely attached to goalkeeper Van Palmer, played perfectly by Liv Hewson.
Fans have been fearful that Van doesn't make it out of the wilderness alive, especially considering she's already had half of her face mauled by a wolf. However, ahead of the promised shocking season 2 premiere, it was announced that Lauren Ambrose ("Servant," "Can't Hardly Wait") would be joining the stacked cast of beloved '90s teen stars all-grown-up as Adult Van. Lucky, lucky us!
Van Lives!
During an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Lauren Ambrose was asked as to whether or knew she was aware that she'd been the leading choice in communal fancasts, long before it was announced whether or not the Van character would even make it out of the woods to see adulthood. "No, didn't know that, but I definitely had the experience of watching the show and being like, 'Well gee, can I be in that?'" she said. "And then they asked me to, so that was a different experience, right? I've never watched something and loved it and then go on it. So that's been cool."
Van Palmer is one of the most cherished characters in the series, but even in a show centered around mysteries, the majority of fans were thrilled to learn Ambrose had been cast, as it confirmed Van's survival into adulthood. "Liv [Hewson] created a beautiful character that wasn't even necessarily meant to stick around, and because of Liv's very cool, beautiful performance, I get to be part of it now too," Ambrose said. While show creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson have never outright said that Van was supposed to die in the wilderness, fans have theorized since season 1 ended (mostly on the r/Yellowjackets subreddit which I wholly admit to stalking) that Van's survival is a result of the fandom's obsession with her character. Regardless, Van Palmer lives, and the show is better for it.
Season 2 of "Yellowjackets" will buzz onto Showtime beginning March 26, 2023.
If you've been using Twitter's "For You" instead of the chronological "Following" tab, you may have noticed a problem. A number of users have remarked that the algorithmic feed has been showing a lot of Elon Musk's tweets and replies, whether they follow him or not. Twitter's CEO effectively confirmed the matter, tweeting "please stay tuned while we make adjustments to the uh... 'algorithm.'"
I'd assume that by putting "algorithm" in quotes, Musk is joking that a person, possibly himself, may actually be responsible for the change. That's not too far-fetched, considering that the Elon-forward feed arrived shortly after Musk complained about a drop in his own engagement and even reportedly fired an engineer over the issue.
Please stay tuned while we make adjustments to the uh .… “algorithm”
Following that episode, Musk tweeted that a fix was coming after a "long day at Twitter HQ with eng team." He said that 95 percent of his tweets weren't getting delivered to the Following feed due to an issue with something called "Fanout," so that's now been shunted to another service. He also noted that the Recommendation algorithm wasn't working correctly, "causing accounts with many followers to be dumped."
There's no word yet on why Twitter went from "Musk lite" to "all Elon all the time," but it appears that issue is being addressed. In the meantime, you could either mute Musk (at least temporarily) or simply use the Following feed to see only the tweets you want to see, precisely when they happen.
Malicious actors have published more than 451 unique Python packages on the official Python Package Index (PyPI) repository in an attempt to infect developer systems with clipper malware.
Software supply chain security company Phylum, which spotted the libraries, said the ongoing activity is a follow-up to a campaign that was initially disclosed in November 2022.
The initial vector entails using
Fans of the cult classic, Twister, from 1996 will be thrilled to indulge in this modern-day storm-chasing adventure and we confirm the Supercell movie release date, reveal where to watch the movie and list where it’s streaming, and discuss what will be Anne Heche’s last movie.
Supercell was filmed during the summer of 2021 with principal photography beginning in Moultrie, Georgia, and ending in the state of Montana around Lavina and Hardin.
Directed by Herbert James Winterstern and based on a screenplay written with Anna Elizabeth James, Supercell follows a teenager who joins a high-octane storm-chasing team in order to honor his father’s legacy.
Supercell is scheduled to release in theaters on March 17, 2023.
Joining Anne Heche in the cast is 30 Rock star, Alec Baldwin, and Scream actor Skeet Ulrich.
Young actor, Daniel Diemer, from The Man in the High Castle fame, will also be portraying the teen storm chaser, William Brody.
Below, we have included Supercell’s full cast list:
Alec Baldwin – Zane Rogers
Anne Heche – Quinn Brody
Skeet Ulrich – Roy Cameron
Daniel Diemer – William Brody
Praya Lundberg – Amy
Johnny Wactor – Martin
Jordan Kristine Seamón – Harper Hunter
Anjul Nigam – Ramesh
Richard Gunn – Bill Brody
Chozy Aiyub – Mr. Khan
Mattie Ward – Surveyor
Gabriel Clark – Val
Jane Lind – May
"Supercell" movie releasing March 17. I played a small part in the film as a gas station cashier where the main characters stop before the location is struck by a tornado! Super fun to be involved. Official trailer: https://t.co/9lXqEGQIh1pic.twitter.com/3mEVyO9IPd
It was previously confirmed that the Supercell movie’s streaming date, on digital and on-demand, would be the same as its aforementioned theater release.
Following past releases under Saban Films, such as Paradise City, Supercell is expected to be available to stream on Now TV in the UK and available to purchase on Apple TV.
Saban Films previously had a deal with Roku back in 2021 for the platform to showcase a number of its projects, however, it is currently unknown if Roku continues to host Saban’s projects – but it’s worth keeping in mind.
On August 5, 2022, actor Anne Heche was involved in a three-vehicle collision in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Mar Vista.
Heche entered into a coma on August 11 whilst being treated and it was reported that she was not expected to survive an anoxic brain injury while being kept on life support.
On August 14, it was reported that Heche had been taken off life support.
Supercell will be Anne Heche’s last movie to release to the public, however, the final project that she completed before her death was What Remains.
With the release of "Deadpool 3" over a year away, fans only know a few things for sure: the movie marks the first franchise entry as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ryan Reynolds will return as the titular regenerating degenerate and Hugh Jackman will reprise his role as Deadpool's biggest hater, Wolverine. Plot details are being kept tightly under wraps, but with production fast approaching, casting news can only be hidden for so long. The latest announcement comes straight from Reynolds himself, who took to Twitter to report that (fictional) royalty has joined the cast of "Deadpool 3."
"New addition to the family!" Reynolds tweeted to the masses. "The Deadpool family, for clarity. Which is just like a real family except with less swearing... Welcome, Emma Corrin!"
New addition to the family! The Deadpool family, for clarity. Which is just like a real family except with less swearing... Welcome, Emma Corrin! ⚔️❤️⚔️ pic.twitter.com/LSobi4AqO9
Specific character details have not been revealed beyond the fact that Corrin will play a villain. According to Deadline, Marvel has been interested in making this move for a while now, but Corrin is very much in demand, meaning the scheduling details had to be nailed down before they could commit.
Deadpool Welcomes Royalty
Emma Corrin (who uses they/them pronouns) gave a sensational performance as Princess Diana in "The Crown," basically making the show their own for much of the fourth season. The role scored them a much-deserved Emmy nomination. More recently, Corrin starred opposite Harry Styles in the romantic drama "My Policeman" and Jack O'Connell in the passionate adaptation of "Lady Chatterley's Lover." Up next, Corrin will star as amateur detective Darby Hart, in the FX limited series "Retreat." Then their deep dive into the world of darkness will officially begin a la Robert Eggers' long-awaited gothic horror film "Nosferatu," which also stars Lily Rose-Depp, Nicholas Hoult, and Bill Skarsgard.
Looking at both Corrin's resume and upcoming projects, it's not hard to see why Marvel was so insistent on getting the Emmy-nominee aboard Deadpool's new adventure. And here's an added bonus — Corrin is no stranger to the world of superheroes. In the first season of "Pennyworth: The Origins of Batman's Butler," Corrin had a recurring role as Esme Winkus.
When it comes to Corrin's character in "Deadpool 3," making guesses is basically impossible. The prior "Deadpool" films always had interesting characters to pull from the deep well of comic book lore, but now that the series has officially been inducted into the MCU, the possibilities are endless. Once you add the multiverse into the mix, anything is possible.
"Deadpool 3" will mark the first R-rated movie under the (thus far) squeaky-clean MCU umbrella. Screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who worked on both "Deadpool" and its 2018 sequel, are returning to pen the third film, which is being helmed by Shawn Levy. A frequent collaborator with Reynolds, Levy directed the actor in "Free Guy" and "The Adam Project."
"Deadpool 3" is currently slated for release on November 8, 2024.
Valentine’s Day is here, and romance is in the air – and in your Xbox. Gaming romances might not be the first thing you think about when you consider booting up your console, but Xbox has been home to some very romantic stories over the years, from young love, to multi-game relationships, to bittersweet tragedies.
With that in mind, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite romantic moments in gaming from across the years, to help you get into the Valentine’s spirit. Warning! This article contains small spoilers for some of the games involved:
Sea of Thieves – Wild Rose Tall Tale
Sea of Thieves has become a more romantic place than you might expect for a pirate adventure sandbox – it’s been home to real-life meet-cutes and marriages, and even the game’s quests themselves have been known to err towards the romantic, too. That’s never clearer than in Wild Rose, a Tall Tale that leads players on the path of lost lovers George and Rose.
Having gone missing just before their wedding day, you and your crew use scattered diaries to learn how Geroge and Rose fell in love, got engaged, buried their treasured memories (they’re still pirates after all), had their first argument, danced their first dance, and, heartwrenchingly, met a tragic end. Thankfully, your adventure brings them back together in the afterlife, to dance together for eternity. It’s a bittersweet, but ultimately lovely reunion.
Rare has even uploaded the Tale’s soundtrack to Spotify if you want to relive the romance – why not use it as a soundtrack for the rest of this article? – Joe Skrebels, Xbox Wire Editor-in-Chief
The Outer Worlds – Parvati and Junlei
Each of the six NPC companions in The Outer Worlds will at some point ask you to help out with their personal escapades, but Parvati’s is simply delightful. On your travels, Parvati will meet engineer Junlei in a bid to learn more about how to repair your ship. Sparks fly, and Parvati will enlist your help in a series of romantic sidequests to woo Junlei, which include traversing the entire galaxy to find nice food and a dashing outfit.
One more delicate, unique element of Parvati’s fondness for Junlei is that she confesses to be asexual, and expresses that the more physically intimate parts of romance don’t interest her. Parvati is worried about how this may affect their relationship but, in the end, the feelings blossom and Parvati’s sexuality is not the hindrance she presumed it may be. A strong portrayal of love and affection from an asexual character is extremely rare in games, and this is perhaps one of the loveliest representations there is. – Danielle Partis, Xbox Wire Editor
Dragon Age: Inquisition – Romancing Dorian
Gaming romances are undeniably lovely, but very few feel as important a tale as that of Dorian Pavus. The Tevinter mage is fantastic RPG companion – a mixture of wit, increasingly lovable arrogance, and deeply powerful magic – but taking on his personal sidequests reveal a character far more nuanced than that first impression
Dorian’s homeland, and his family, are subject to a repressive regime that shunned him, in part for his sexuality. BioWare’s writing of an openly gay character remains a benchmark for gaming as a whole – a character for whom sexual identity isn’t an incidental detail, but key to his story. Falling in love allows Dorian to embrace a part of himself that he never expected to be able to, and in doing so becomes a standout moment for LGBTQ representation in gaming as a whole. – Joe Skrebels, Xbox Wire Editor-in-Chief
Persona 5 Royal – Going Dating
Love is messy, unpredictable, and oftentimes anything but straightforward. I think that’s the appeal of love: Persona Style. Through a series of 10 or so conversations, your character incrementally grows closer to certain characters. They’ll even call you first! Sure you may have to jump into the Metaverse to solve all their problems on a quick side mission, but after that, it’s up to you if you want to keep things in the friend zone or take it to the next level. No rejection, no hard feelings, just a series of cute dates at the aquarium or Tokyo Skytree, and – for that very special someone – a thoughtful gift from the Shibuya Underground Mall. Even the dateless don’t spend Valentine’s Day alone; curry and coffee with your bros? It could most certainly be worse. – Jeff Rubenstein, Xbox Podcast
It Takes Two – May and Cody’s Reconnection
Cooperation sits at the heart of It Takes Two — and it’s the perfect game to play with a loved one. Protagonists May and Cody are two parents planning to get divorced, before they’re unceremoniously transformed into small toys and forced to work together to get back into their original bodies.
One particularly wild scene in the game follows Cody and May destroying a stuffed elephant belonging to their daughter to make her cry. It makes sense in the context of the story, but it’s a tearful moment that sees our bickering couple driven to the very edge of what they will do for their family.
In the end, May and Cody’s relationship is rekindled, and the stuffed elephant that they mutilated in their madness is also stitched back up, almost as effortlessly as their marriage. It truly is a tale of romantic resilience between two soulmates, but not without a tinge of chaos, which all the best relationships should have. – Danielle Partis, Xbox Wire Editor
Stardew Valley – Married Life
You might think Stardew Valley is about building and tending to the perfect farm, but what it’s actually about is finding love. The game has a selection of eligible candidates, and you must slowly build up a relationship by tending to their individual wants over time.
Much like real life, the bachelors and bachelorettes of Stardew Valley will make you work for their affection, demanding gifts that accrue friendship hearts until you present them with flowers. From there, you can put in more work until they eventually agree to marry you, and move into your farm.
That’s it, you’ve won right? Absolutely not. You must continue to work every single day to keep your spouse happy, and in return they might make meals or help out with tasks around the farm. They’ll also bring a unique space with them, which may entail horrible wallpaper or ugly clutter that you just have to deal with.
But that’s what love is about. It’s ultimately not about grand performances or fairy tale romances. It’s about the little things, the daily graft, and an ongoing exchange of small gestures that say “I love you,” no matter how much mud you traipse through the house (looking at you, Shane.) – Danielle Partis, Xbox Wire Editor
Psychonauts 2 – The Meeting of Minds
Lili and Raz are gaming’s embodiment of young love, kids who know they feel something for one another but haven’t yet learned quite how to express it just yet. Their puppy love is deeply cute, and never more so than in this early moment from Psychonauts 2.
Lili manages to open a locked hatch with her mind, and Raz asks her for the solution. She gently puts her forehead to his, explains how this psychic key works, and Raz smiles at getting to be close to her – then she punches him in the arm, tells him he’s dead if he tells anyone else how to do it, and runs off. The grin left on Raz’s face says everything – it’s a wonderful evocation of the first flush of romance. – Joe Skrebels, Xbox Wire Editor-in-Chief
Return to Monkey Island – Bumping Into Elaine
Unlike many of the entries on this list, the story of Guybrush and Elaine isn’t about falling in love, it’s about being in love. The couple’s unconditional support of one another – Guybrush of Elaine’s charitable work, and Elaine of Guybrush’s bonkers quest to find a secret treasure that may or may not exist – leads them to spend a lot of time apart, but their love never dims.
Throughout the game, Guybrush will bump into Elaine, and every time will see them absolutely delighted to see one another again. My favorite example remains the very first: “I was hoping you’d turn up in this story,” says Guybrush. “I was hoping you’d turn up in mine,” replies Elaine. It’s understated, it’s appropriately meta, and it serves as a wonderful continuation of this series-long romance. – Joe Skrebels, Xbox Wire Editor-in-Chief
Grim Fandango Remastered – Meeting Meche
There’s no Grim Fandango without Mercedes “Meche” Colomar. She is the driving force behind everything Manny Calavera will do throughout his four-year journey in this masterful, classic adventure game from Tim Schafer.
A love story at its heart, Grim Fandango is also a tale full of adventure, intrigue, double-crosses, and friendship. A tale that begins as a selfish endeavour for Manny to atone for his personal sins soon evolves into a story about righting a wrong, to that of desire, and ultimately love.
But it’s that first encounter in Manny’s office, shortly after he “steals” Meche from his co-worker at the Department of Death, that we feel there might be something in the air between these two. It’s in that true film noir setup, the classic “And then – she walked in…” moment, giving us instant mystery to her and the larger world that Grim Fandango exists in. She has suddenly given purpose to Manny, something he has been searching for before we first meet him.
And then… she’s gone.
But all is not lost. Meche’s arrival is what sets the wheels in motion for Manny to learn that there may be some hope left for him after all — maybe even love — here in the Land of the Dead. – Mike Nelson, Xbox Wire Editor
The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine – Yennefer Moves In
The Blood and Wine expansion is a multi-hour farewell to the Continent’s favorite monster slayer, wrapping up three full games of the saga of Geralt of Rivia. It’s appropriately fairy tale-themed and, if you’ve chosen to stay true to his first true love, it’s also a fairy tale ending for long-time sorceress and love interest Yennefer.
As you approach the end of the expansion, Yennefer will unexpectedly move into Geralt’s new vineyard home of Corvo Bianco, and the two lovers begin to finally settle into a true life together, uninterrupted by unexpected sidequests, dangerous contracts, or world-threatening incursions. They sit on a bench together, discuss the weather, ponder their future, and reminisce on their past. It’s just… peaceful, and it ends perfectly:
“Talk again later?”, says Geralt. “Of course, I’m not going anywhere,” Yennefer replies with a smile. – Joe Skrebels, Xbox Wire Editor-in-Chief
Astronomers at the European Space Agency (ESA) used the James Webb Space Telescope to capture an image of a spiral galaxy that resembles our home, the Milky Way. The star system, LEDA 2046648, sits a billion light-years away from ours in the constellation Hercules; it contains thousands of galaxies, trillions of stars and countless planets.
The ESA released the picture on January 31 (highlighted this week by The NY Times). The space agency described it as a mere calibration image to “verify the telescope’s capabilities as it was prepared for science operations.” ESA astronomers snapped it on May 22, 2022, with the Webb telescope’s Near InfraRed Camera (NIRCam).
That ultra-powerful camera can detect longer infrared wavelengths produced by light from this far away. Redshifting describes the stretching of light’s wavelength as it moves away from us, increasing until it appears redder than expected. It occurs because of the universe’s expansion: Distant systems like LEDA 2046648 keep moving farther from Earth.
Most of the visible blobs surrounding LEDA 2046648 are also galaxies, although several stars can be discerned by their diffraction spike patterns. Some objects in the image could be as old as 300 million years after the Big Bang. Of course, an image of anything one billion light-years away means we’re viewing the galaxy’s light from a billion years ago. So astronomers are eager to study early galaxies like this one (and even older ones) to help clarify the types of stars that condensed out of the Big Bang — and how supermassive black holes ended up in most galaxies’ centers.
Since the launch of Xbox Game Pass, a persistent question has remained – does it help or hurt games sales? Early on in the subscription service’s life, Xbox boss Phil Spencer went so far as to say Game Pass actually helped traditional sales by increasing a game’s profile, a claim that was met with a healthy amount of skepticism. That simply isn’t how it works with any other type of media – you put a movie or music album on a streaming service and fewer (often a lot fewer) people pay to watch or listen, so why would Game Pass be any different? While some games, typically smaller indies, have seen an increase in sales from joining the service, it's perhaps telling that Spencer stopped making broad claims about Game Pass' sales boosting abilities a while ago.
"Microsoft also submitted that its internal analysis shows a [redacted] percent decline in base game sales twelve months following their addition on Game Pass."
There’s perhaps some room for interpretation in that line, but Microsoft has since sent issued a response to Eurogamer and other outlets that seemingly confirms it means what it seems to mean. Microsoft doesn’t deny that Game Pass cannibalizes traditional game sales, instead choosing to highlight the fact that they work with publishers to offer financial compensation and other incentives to make putting games on Game Pass worthwhile.
"Xbox Game Pass offers gamers and game creators more choice and opportunity in how they discover, experience, and deliver games," an Xbox spokesperson told Eurogamer in response today. "For gamers, that means providing another option for them to discover games and play with friends at a great value. For developers, that means creating another option for how they monetise their games.
We're focused on helping game creators of all sizes maximise the total financial value they receive through Game Pass. Each game is unique, so we work closely with creators to build a custom program to reflect what they need, ensure they are compensated financially for their participation in the service, and allow room for creativity and innovation. As a result, the number of developers interested in working with Game Pass continues to grow."
What are your thoughts on the future of Xbox Game Pass? Is it the future of gaming it seemed to be a couple of years ago or are the benefits it brings not worth the costs?
A well-known piece of trivia among Trekkies is that "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry once rejected a note from the studio to include a Christian chaplain as a character on board the USS Enterprise.
In David Alexander's 1995 book "Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry," the ur-Trekkie himself, raised Southern Baptist, described himself as a Humanist who would eventually consider religion "to be more spice than nourishment." He described himself as a "total pagan," although he seemingly wouldn't go so far as to describe himself as an atheist. In Yvonne Fern's 1994 book "Gene Roddenberry: The Last Conversation," he more or less declared himself a deist, saying, "It's not true that I don't believe in God. I believe in a kind of God. It's just not other people's God. I reject religion. I accept the notion of God."
Looking at "Star Trek," one has a great deal of trouble locating any recognizable Earth religion. While multiple alien species still abide by varying religious practices — the Bajorans on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" leap immediately to mind — none of the franchise's human characters ever make reference to their Christianity, their Hinduism, their Judaism, their Buddhism, or their being a Muslim. Indeed, any reference to Earth religions is scant at best. In an episode of "Star Trek: Enterprise," for instance, Dr. Phlox (John Billingsley), an alien keenly interested in the sociological practices of humans, makes a passing reference to having spent time with Tibetan monks and attending mass at St. Peter's Basilica. It seems religion still exists in the future, but not in any kind of active capacity.
Indeed, part of Roddenberry's utopia seems to be that religion as we know it has passed from human history.
The Post-Religious World
Thanks to the Prime Directive, "Star Trek" may be seen as an anti-colonialist show. The Prime Directive dictates that no Starfleet vessel is allowed to interfere in the natural evolution of any alien world. This not only prevents obvious societal shake-ups, like giving phasers to cavemen, but also assures that the Federation is expressly not imposing its will on anyone. The Prime Directive becomes morally tricky, of course, when the USS Enterprise encounters a world that is actively involved in slavery. While the Enterprise could use its superior technology to free the slaves and improve the quality of life for the planet, it would not be permitted. That planet has to, essentially, figure out its own crap first.
But the Prime Directive, by design, is (intellectually, anyway) preventing the culturally devastating actions committed by so many missionaries throughout Earth's history. For centuries, religious pilgrims have traveled far from their homes with the express goal of spreading the Gospels and converting people. This Christo-centric thinking is directly linked to the historical persecution of non-converts, as well as to slavery and the seizing of lands. "Pagans" — a word originally meant to describe any non-converts during the Roman conversion to Christianity — wouldn't be allowed to keep their property, and non-Pagans would be justified in plundering villages if they had the temerity to not be part of the "correct" church.
"Star Trek" aimed to undo that dark part of human history by eliminating colonialism as a matter of course, and — importantly — jettisoning religion as a motivating factor for galactic exploration. The Enterprise did not seek to conquer or to influence, but to learn. In the world of "Star Trek," its citizens aimed to better themselves through scientific knowledge and exposure to other cultures.
They Are But Children
When religion did appear in the original "Star Trek," it was typically seen as something childish and naïve, something that easily hoodwinked innocents are duped into doing. In "The Apple" (October 13, 1967), the Enterprise encounters a Paradise-like garden populated by crimson-skinned, hut-swelling aliens who have no notion of sexuality and who worship a giant stone snakehead named Vaal. The aliens are, of course, an Adam and Eve metaphor, and their growth will come when the Enterprise literally kills God.
In "Bread and Circuses" (March 15, 1968), the Enterprise encounters a species that looks like 20th-century Earth, but that still lives by an ancient Roman code of ethics, including (now-televised) blood sports and slavery. At the end of that episode, Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) translates some local scriptures and finds that a Christ-like figure is coming to shake up the Romans' hold on things, just like on Earth thousands of years before. It is implied that the rise of a Christ is but a mere phase in societal evolution, and the Roman planet is about to change. No one says that it's necessarily for the better. Just that it's inevitable.
Notably, whenever the Enterprise encountered an actual deity — Apollo in "Who Mourns for Adonais?" (September 22, 1967), Kukulkan in "How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth" (October 5, 1974) — they were wounded, abandoned aliens who left Earth long ago and who resented being rejected. In both cases, Capt. Kirk (William Shatner) explained to the pouty gods that humans outgrew them a long time ago, and have now found a lifestyle that eschews worship. In Kukulkan's case, he accepts his fate as a forgotten deity, happy that his human "children" are now on their own.
In "Star Trek," religion is for kids, meant to be outgrown.
Preventing Religion
In a notable episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" called "Who Watches the Watchers?" (October 16, 1989), a disguised Federation study outpost is accidentally exposed to the local aliens, then only in an agrarian state of their development. It is explained that these aliens have already abandoned gods, have embraced logic and observation as preferable, and will likely develop quickly as a result. When one of them is injured by Federation technology, they are sedated and taken on board the Enterprise where they see Capt. Picard (Patrick Stewart) in an anesthetized haze. This causes him to start believing that Picard is a god, and it takes the utmost diplomacy for Picard to approach the tribe and explain that he is a mortal like them. He's willing to take an arrow to the chest and die to prove his point. Picard's life is less important than ensuring this species does not begin the bad habit of worship.
This is, of course, not to say that religion is completely absent from "Star Trek." In "Deep Space Nine," the Bajoran people have a complex polytheistic religion centered on the Prophets, deities whose descriptions just so happen to fall in line with a species of non-corporeal aliens that live in a stable wormhole above their planet. On that show, people are often driven by visions and Capt. Sisko (Avery Brooks) reluctantly becomes the Bajoran Emissary, a fate he will eventually embrace. Gods are essentially real on "Deep Space Nine."
However, while the Bajoran are religious people, much of their church is depicted as corrupt and hungry for power, eager to set up a theocracy during a period of planetary reconstruction. Faith is important, "Deep Space Nine" says, but churches, it seems, aren't.
Mortal Coil
When it came to spiritual matters, however, "Star Trek" left worshipping in the hands of aliens. Klingons spoke of their afterlife frequently, looking forward to being honored by dead ancestors. Vulcans, while logical, seemed to understand that worshiping is a part of their consciousness and engage in religious-like rituals of meditation. Ferengi, their society devoted to wealth, speak of buying their way into Heaven.
Although "Star Trek: Voyager" will often deliberately face toward atheism. In the episode "Mortal Coil" (December 17, 1997), the otherwise jolly Neelix (Ethan Phillips) is killed in an accident and remains dead for the better part of a day before Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) uses Borg technology to repair his body and bring him back to life. Having been dead, Neelix was upset to have encountered oblivion and not the expected Talaxian afterlife he believed in. He realizes that there is no afterlife after all and is thrown into an existential crisis. By the end, he comes to realize he has meaning to those still living, and his value is not measured by where he will go when he dies. It's difficult for Neelix, but he loses his faith and is all the better for it.
And, finally, who could forget "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" where Capt. Kirk had the planet-sized cojones to ask God what he might need with a starship? In that film's climax, the zealot character literally fights himself to the death, and Spock (Leonard Nimoy), a being of logic, literally kills God. Overall, "Star Trek" vaunts science over superstition and study over worship. Roddenberry may have been a deist, but Trek has no baseline philosophies connected to a god. It is a Humanist show.
I'm starting to feel old. I remember a time before Steam for Linux, back in the dark days even before the first set of Humble Indie Bundles, it's truly crazy how far Linux has come overall as a platform for gaming.
A report from South Korean outlet, BusinessKorea, reveals that DRAM manufacturers such as SK Hynix and Samsung have raised the prices of their memory solutions including HBM. It is said that NVIDIA has been asking SK Hynix to increase its HBM3 production capacity. But other vendors such as Intel are also looking to integrate HBM3 within their own next-gen products which means that Sk Hynix may not be able to keep up with demand. As such, the prices of HBM memory, especially the latest HBM3 solution, have shot up to 5x.
The advent of ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, is providing opportunities for Korean memory semiconductor makers to create a new business. ChatGTP learns a lot of data through super-large artificial intelligence (AI) and answers questions naturally. DRAM data processing speed has become important for better and faster ChatGTP services. Korean companies are producing all of high-performance DRAMs essential for this.
Nvidia, the world's largest GPU company, has been asking SK Hynix to supply the latest product, HBM3 chips. Intel, the world's No. 1 server CPU company, is also working hard to sell products equipped with SK Hynix's HBM3. An industry insider said, “The price of HBM3 increased up to five times compared to the highest performance DRAM."
But it's not just HBM3 that has gone up, older HBM standards such as HBM2 and HBM2e are also featured on NVIDIA's last-gen GPUs such as Ampere and Volta which also offer leadership Artificial Intelligence capabilities. These chips are also high in demand within the AI industry and useful for tools such as ChatGPT. SK Hynix alone controls the majority of the HBM market with a share of 60-70%.
Recently, analysts and industry insiders have stated that the success of ChatGPT can benefit NVIDIA a lot. OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT, are already using around 25,000 NVIDIA GPUs to power its current server needs and with the demand increasing and more competing solutions coming up, it looks like NVIDIA's GPUs which are known to offer the best AI capabilities, can definitely become a popular choice which is also why the industry predicts that NVIDIA can see the demand to outstrip the overall supply in the next coming quarters.
2022 should be remembered in the annals of history as the year of Ke Huy Quan. While the actor got his start in Steven Spielberg's "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and the Spielberg produced "The Goonies" directed by Richard Donner, Quan was never given the opportunity to transition from the world of child acting to a successful career in his adulthood. He had appearances in films like "Encino Man" with Brendan Fraser and on the show "Head of the Class," but just as quickly as he appeared, Quan disappeared from the public spotlight.
It's important to acknowledge that Quan's leave of absence from the cinematic system was not his choice, because, despite his incredibly impressive resume as a child, the Vietnamese-born Chinese-American actor was not offered opportunities where he could thrive. An incredibly talented performer was pushed out of the industry due to racism, and the fact that he's now finally having a career resurgence in his 50s should be a call for reexamining the way actors of color are treated by Hollywood.
Fortunately, Ke Huy Quan's return has been welcomed with open arms, and his performance in "Everything Everywhere All At Once" has seemingly earned him enough Best Supporting Performance awards to fill an entire multiverse. Ke Huy Quan is so in-demand, even Kevin Feige came calling to invite him to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Quan has been cast to appear in the second season of "Loki," and few were more excited about the casting decision than the titular star, Tom Hiddleston.
'Did Anybody Get That On Tape?!'
During a recent appearance on "Happy, Sad, Confused with Josh Horowitz," Ke Huy Quan discussed his excitement about shooting "Loki" season 2. Quan's character has yet to be revealed, but after watching him play countless versions of himself in "Everything Everywhere All At Once," it's safe to assume he'll absolutely crush it. Tom Hiddleston is a well-documented movie lover, so Horowitz correctly assumed that the "Loki" star would have absolutely flipped out about getting the chance to work alongside the man who brought Short Round and Data to life.
"There was one particular day of shooting, and [Tom] found something on set," said Quan. "He saw it and he said, 'Oh my gosh, I cannot believe I am working with Short Round from 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.'" Quan goes on to say that Hiddleston was "so cute and kind," and admitted that he was so excited about Hiddleston's excitement that he blurted out, "Oh my god, did anybody get that on tape! Please tell me somebody got that on tape!"
One of the additional perks of the Quanaissance is getting to see Ke Huy Quan express his excitement about meeting so many Hollywood stars, who are equally as excited to meet him. Quan ended the story with Horowitz by saying Hiddleston was incredible. "We laughed so hard, and I didn't want that shoot to end."
"Loki" season 2 is due out sometime in the summer of 2023.
Endings in franchise films might not be definitive, especially in a climate of inevitable reboots/sequels, but they surely cement the tone of the narrative weaved thus far. Sometimes, a director's idea of how a film should end clashes with studio expectations, prompting the release of a theatrical cut that heavily diverges from what was originally intended. This is exactly what happened in the case of Sam Raimi's "Army of Darkness," whose original ending was scrapped by Universal after it was deemed too pessimistic by test-screening audiences. In the event of the film's 30th anniversary this week, I want to talk about the sheer brilliance of this original alternate ending, and why its tongue-in-cheek pessimism works infinitely better for "Army of Darkness" as a whole.
"Evil Dead" was an instant classic when it was released in 1981, and a part of its oddball appeal resided in the way Raimi decided to end the tale on a note of unexpected terror. Right at the brink of freedom, Ash (Bruce Campbell) is attacked by an unseen force, which paves the path for "Evil Dead II," a gorier, campier installment that solidified Raimi's talent as a horror filmmaker. When Raimi decided to go full splatstick in "Army of Darkness," reactions to this tonal swerve were mixed — however, 30 years later, the final film in Raimi's trilogy still slaps, its cheesy S-mart ending notwithstanding. What would be an even better capper for this hilariously bonkers experience is Raimi's original intended ending, in which Ash overshoots his estimate of traveling back in time and ends up in post-apocalyptic London.
Not only is this ending more in sync with who Ash is as a person, but it also perfectly sets up the stage for future franchise installments. Let's dive deeper into the caverns of this downer ending.
A Depressing, Yet Fitting Resolution
Ash has always walked the line of unconventionality, both as a survivor and a heroic figure. When Ash faces the Deadites in "The Evil Dead," he exercises empathy as opposed to self-preservation, which heightens the tragedy of personal loss. While it's one thing to witness the deaths of loved ones, Ash undergoes literal hell when he watches them mutate into undead a-holes who toy with his grief. This trauma triggers a shift in him, especially after he is forced to lop off his arm and attach a chainsaw to it in "Evil Dead II." After Ash is hurled through the time portal in "Army of Darkness," he cannot give less of a f*** about conniving Deadites. Treating them as irritants, Ash assumes the mantle of the unwilling hero while being a cocky wisecrack who aims his boomstick straight at King Arthur.
In Raimi's original ending, Ash is given a potion by one of Arthur's wise men, who advises him to ingest no more than six drops. After sealing himself inside a cave with his Oldsmobile Delta 88, Ash counts up to five but is distracted by the sound of debris, leading him to ingest one extra drop on accident. This obviously messes with his time travel, landing him in a world on the brink of extinction. Shocked beyond belief, Ash sinks to his knees dramatically and yells "No! I slept too long!" and the credits roll. This resolution is obviously a depressing one, given how hard Ash fought alongside Arthur's men to defeat the skeleton army just to be able to go home. This ending ensures that Ash is never granted happiness — although cruel, the film's splatstick humor and heightened gags discourage us from taking this as a final nail in the coffin for Ash.
Ash Williams Is A Hot Mess
The reason why the downer ending works better is that it reinforces Ash's tendencies to mess up simple tasks of great importance, established much earlier in the film during the graveyard sequence. Despite being warned that the wrong incantation could spell catastrophe, Ash ends up forgetting part of the phrase, which he hopes to work around by coughing incoherently. This leads to the delightfully animated skeleton army to rise, who poke, drag, and punch Ash before marching towards Arthur's castle with the intention of stealing the Necronomicon-Ex Mortis. The potion mishap in the original ending is more believable than the events of the theatrical cut, where Ash returns to his timeline without any snags, saves the day again (by willingly taking the onus), and smooches a co-worker. Now, this ending surely has its merits: it's cheesy, too good to be true, and portrays Ash as a suave hero who doesn't flinch in the face of danger. Moreover, we also get the inimitable "Hail to the king, baby!," which immediately balances out the film's many flaws (at least in my book).
However, this ending is unfaithful to Ash Williams, the dude who raced his horse away from the Deadites instead of charging headfirst, screaming like a maniac while twisting his face in comical agony. Not only does he fall headfirst into muddy water right after, but he also runs for his life towards the windmill, where he is infamously harassed by tiny versions of himself. Although Ash can absolutely kick ass, he does so only when thrust into tight corners. Our reluctant anti-hero is busier delivering empty monologues, which is promptly called out by Arthur himself. Throughout the trilogy, Ash's cockiness always backfires, which is a thematic thread that is unceremoniously usurped by the theatrical ending.
Why The Downer Ending Is Better
In terms of what both endings evoke in audiences, the theatrical version is a cathartic, safer resolution to Ash's arc that adds a saccharine element to the film's worldbuilding. In contrast, the director's cut continues the tradition of unexpected endings that encapsulate the essence of the "Evil Dead" franchise, where not even the final survivor is safe, as danger lurks in every corner. This is exemplified in the first installment where the burning of the Necronomicon does not ensure safety for Ash, who is jump-scared at the last minute, and in "Evil Dead Rise," where the time portal opens and he's stranded in the Middle Ages.
Raimi's ending honors this established tradition, upping the ante of the dire circumstances that Ash finds himself in, while a post-apocalyptic world could have potentially served as the perfect setting for a fourth installment in the film series. Although the franchise keeps growing — with the acclaimed 2013 reboot and the upcoming installment helmed by Lee Cronin — fans were treated to the return of Ash in "Ash vs. Evil Dead," which appropriately ends with a homage to the downer ending, where he wakes up in a post-apocalyptic future. The way in which the series brings everything full circle is immensely satisfying and poetic, especially in terms of who Ash becomes as a person.
Downer ending or not, "Army of Darkness" is a blast from start to finish. Whether you're content with Ash getting the happy ending he deserves in the S-Mart version or his frustration-fueled breakdown in the midst of the world crumbling, the crux of the matter remains: Ash Williams is the ultimate hero of the "Evil Dead" franchise. And one must undoubtedly hail to the king, whose grooviness knows no bounds.
It's M3GAN's world and we're all just living in it. The A.I. plaything — aka Model 3 Generative Android — with a penchant for ripping kids' ears off, dropping sick dance moves (while the bodies hit the floor, natch), and serenading children with David Guetta and Sia's "Titanium" has taken the world by storm, topping the box office charts and endearing critics to her philosophy: If polite conversation fails, choose homicide. The masses have got a fever, and the only prescription is more "M3GAN!"
Never one to hesitate striking while the iron is hot, Blumhouse has already announced a sequel, aptly titled "M3GAN 2.0," is in the works for a 2025 release date. Allison Williams and Violet McGraw will reprise their respective roles as M3GAN's creator Gemma and her niece Cady, having survived the rhythmic murder bot's initial reign of terror with a little help from their (robotic) friend, Bruce. Akela Cooper is also coming back to pen the script, with James Wan once again producing and Gerard Johnstone expected to return as director.
Wan, of course, was involved creatively with "M3GAN" from the ground up and took home a "story by" credit for his efforts (which he shared with Cooper). "James Wan is one of the most creative, inventive people I know," Blumhouse head Jason Blum told Empire Magazine. He confirmed that Wan is already off to the races when it comes to the follow up, too:
"He's an idea machine, and as we were winding up the movie he had about seven different ideas of what the sequel could be."
Age Of M3GAN
The final shot in "M3GAN" basically revealed M3GAN had uploaded her consciousness to Gemma's smart house prior to the demise of her robot body. Will "M3GAN 2.0" put a sci-fi twist on the haunted house sub-genre by weaponizing Gemma and Cady's own home against them? What about that open-ended subplot involving Kurt (RIP), the assistant to Gemma's boss David (also RIP), leaking company secrets? Could one of Funki's competitors try to manufacture their own line of M3GANs, only for the O.G. M3GAN to seize control of them through the internet — thus supplying her with a pre-made army of clones? (Thinks "Avengers: Age of Ultron," but with M3GAN instead of James Spader.)
Whatever ideas James Wan and company are actually considering for the sequel (I'm just saying, James, if you want to steal one of mine, I won't complain), Jason Blum assured Empire they've no intention of rushing the script:
"We've got to write a script. I mean, you've gotta give us a little bit of time. (Laughs) The creative process suffers when you [rush]. You pretend you're not making compromises, but you always do. So I wanted to give us enough time to make the movie great, and we have that now. And we have the whole team coming back, we're not having to hire a writer or director — all those people are in place."
Beneath its campy horror exterior, "M3GAN" has a genuinely thoughtful message about the dangers of people using technology to skip over the long, messy process of grieving and healing from traumatic events. As such, it's comforting to know the team behind the next chapter is really taking their time to produce a creatively satisfying sequel. We shall see what they've come up with when "M3GAN 2.0" goes online January 17, 2025.
Although we've seen Charles Xavier die in "X-Men: The Last Stand," "X-Men: Days of Future Past," "Logan," and most recently in "Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness," that never seems to stop Patrick Stewart from returning to the character. Thanks to time travel, time jumps, and the introduction of the multiverse, it wouldn't be the craziest thing in the world for him to pop up in all sorts of future Marvel Cinematic Universe films. If Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) can come back after "Logan" seemingly killed him off for good, so can Professor X.
The most obvious film to include him in would be the upcoming "Deadpool 3," although there's no official word yet confirming whether Stewart will make an appearance. But when Stewart was asked in a recent interview with ComicBook.com, the answer seemed cautiously encouraging. "I've been told to stand by," he said. "That's all. And I know nothing more than that, I promise you."
This may not sound like much, but if the build-up to "Spider-Man: No Way Home" has taught us anything, it's that nothing but a clear-cut denial from an actor — and sometimes not even that — is proof that they won't be in it. Spider-Man fans spent months listening to Andrew Garfield insist that he was not in "No Way Home," and we all know how that turned out. Nothing's certain, of course, but given the "Deadpool" films' inherently meta nature and Marvel's love of cameos, a Professor X appearance seems more likely than not.
How Would A Professor X Appearance Work?
If you're worried about Xavier's reappearance undermining his death in "Logan," have no fear: this movie takes place significantly before the events of that film, which is part of why Hugh Jackman agreed to the project in the first place. If any part of "Deadpool 3" undid the events of James Mangold's masterpiece "Logan," neither Jackman nor Stewart would likely be interested. "I did tell him it takes place before our movie," Jackman said, explaining how he'd gotten Mangold's blessing ahead of time, "so I wasn't going to screw it up with my claws coming out of the grave. He was relieved by that."
There's also no need to think this will undermine Xavier's appearance in "Multiverse of Madness," as that was a version of him from a different universe than the X-Men films we've known and loved. It also wouldn't undermine the character's deaths in "The Last Stand" or "Days of Future Past," because both of those deaths have already been undone by the movies themselves.
While we hope "Deadpool 3" is a satisfying movie that stands on its own, it may also serve as our first clear indicator of how the MCU will integrate mutants into its universe. (Well, technically "Multiverse of Madness" was the first indicator, but if anything that film just made things more confusing.) Will the MCU start completely fresh or will they try to bring back legacy X-Men characters for the long-term? Hopefully the upcoming Deadpool/Wolverine buddy-comedy film will let us know.
Even in the age of streaming, the movie poster is an essential component of prerelease marketing campaigns, aimed either at getting you to the theater or — these days — getting you to click play. As we approach the 30th anniversary of Sam Raimi's sword-and-sorcery comedy "Army of Darkness," we look back on its iconic poster art, one that star Bruce Campbell reckons he's signed a hundred million times.
The third of Raimi's blood-soaked "Evil Dead" series, "Army of Darkness" flopped at the box office in early '93, simultaneously too weird to seduce new fans and too confusing for those who were expecting more cabin-in-the-woods mayhem. Since then, it has exploded in popularity on home video and gained a cult following, gathering its foothold in the pop culture consciousness by its endless supply of quotes, spectacular production design and practical effects, and a classic movie poster immortalizing its hero in the bedrooms of film fans everywhere.
The subway two-sheet featured artist Michael Hussar's artwork, influenced by the fantasy art of maestros like "Fire and Ice" artist Frank Frazetta, depicting the belly-of-the-beast part of the Hero's Journey with Campbell's Ash sporting a smug grin, reflective of his progression from the thoughtful, romantic Ash of the earlier "Evil Dead" movies to the oafish, less-likable lead of "Darkness." He's surrounded by said army, with threats coming from the film's Harryhausen-influenced skeletons and tiny, armed, Lilliputian doppelgängers of the hero himself (both of which are presented at various lengths in the movie, depending on the cut you've seen). Clinging to his leg is Embeth Davidtz, who lent her stage bona fides to the production as damsel Sheila. Here, she echoes the likes of Princess Leia in the famous poster for "Star Wars: A New Hope," and the maidens of the sci-fi serials of decades past. Groovy.
Gimme Some Headshots, Baby
By the time artist Michael Hussar was brought aboard to handle the poster, Universal's ad campaign was picking up the pace. The movie sat on ice for half a year as producer Dino De Laurentiis and Universal went to battle over, of all things, Hannibal Lecter. Ahead of its ultimate release in January of 1993, the studio brought Bruce Campbell in to take reference headshots for the artwork. In Bill Warren's "Evil Dead Companion" book, Campbell recalls:
"I had no idea what they were doing. I went into a studio, and they said, 'We need a kind of sly look on your face.' So I gave a whole series of stupid shots. Next thing you know, they show me a rough of this Frank Frazetta-like painting. 'We've got to approve it in a day,' they said, 'and if you don't approve it, we don't have an ad campaign.' So what were they telling me? Why did they submit it to me at all? It was frustrating because the lines of communication were not clearly drawn, and things got lost in the shuffle like crazy."
"Once you get into the studios," Campbell further observes, 'they adopt the attitude of, 'Thanks, kid. You did a nice movie. We'll take it from here.'" He credits the producer for his steadfast involvement in the production; among other treasures, it led to a jacked-up Campbell sporting his trusty boomstick and muscles upon muscles in the "Conan the Barbarian"-inspired overseas poster.
The boomstick returns to fight the undead in the latest franchise installment; though Sam Raimi and Campbell's involvement is relegated to executive producing credits under Raimi's Ghost House Pictures label, Lee Cronin's "Evil Dead Rise" promises to bring its own darkness (and buckets of blood) in April of 2023.
Russia's space agency will hold off returning three astronauts from the International Space Station as it works with NASA to investigate a coolant leak issue that impacted an uncrewed freighter spacecraft last weekend. The Register reports: The Progress MS-21 -- also known as the Progress 82 spacecraft -- arrived at the floating space lab in October 2022 carrying water and other supplies. After months of being docked to the station's Poisk module, the vehicle suddenly began spewing liquid coolant. On February 11, engineers at the Russian Mission Control Center detected a drop in pressure inside its coolant loop, but the station and the crew onboard are safe.
The Progress 82 spacecraft is currently being filled with trash and is scheduled to undock on February 17 and be disposed of over the Pacific Ocean. It began leaking coolant just as the Russian uncrewed Progress 83 cargo spacecraft successfully docked with the station's Zvezda service module. NASA and Roscosmos are now investigating the coolant glitch on Progress 82 as it's the second Soyuz incident of late after the Soyuz MS-22 began leaking in December. It's not clear what might have caused that malfunction, although one possibility that has been floated is that a micrometeoroid pierced an exterior radiator.
Yury Borisov, Roscosmos's director general, said cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin, as well as NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, will have to remain onboard until March at the earliest while officials examine the coolant loop's depressurization, according to Reuters. Their space ferry had been due to launch on February 20 but that has been pushed back to March 10 at the earliest. "Officials are monitoring all International Space Station systems and are not tracking any other issues," NASA concluded.
Do you think throwing a wet electronic device into a bag of rice restores it to a working state? Unfortunately, that technique won't do anything for it.
Yesterday, Warhorse Studios and publisher Prime Matter released a new Kingdom Come: Deliverance to celebrate the game's fifth anniversary. Additionally, PC players also received a patch with new voiceovers for the Czech and Japanese languages.
The former was the result of a fan and community initiative and highlights the love and passion of an ever-growing fanbase all around the world. Players can go for full immersion as they play as Henry Jindrich in feudal Bohemia with native Czech language.
The Japanese voice-overs were commissioned due to local demand and will expand the appeal of the franchise across Japan as players take Henry on his adventures.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance has now sold over five and a half million units, up half a million from last June's five million milestone. The game is obviously a success, but Warhorse Studios has kept its cards close to the chest so far and didn't reveal what they're working on next.
If you still haven't played it, it is a first-person open world roleplaying game set in medieval Bohemia. It prides itself on focusing on realism compared to other open world RPGs. Originally funded via Kickstarter, Kingdom Come: Deliverance is now available on PC, PlayStation and Xbox consoles (including the new ones through backward compatibility), Nintendo Switch, and Amazon Luna. There's a Collection edition that includes all of the released DLCs.
You're Henry, the son of a blacksmith. Thrust into a raging civil war, you watch helplessly as invaders storm your village and slaughter your friends and family. Narrowly escaping the brutal attack, you grab your sword to fight back. Avenge the death of your parents and help repel the invading forces!
Massive realistic open world: Majestic castles, vast fields, all rendered in stunning high-end graphics.
Non-linear story: Solve quests in multiple ways, then face the consequences of your decisions.
Challenging combat: Distance, stealth, or melee. Choose your weapons and execute dozens of unique combos in battles that are as thrilling as they are merciless.
Character development: Improve your skills, earn new perks, and forge and upgrade your equipment.
Dynamic world: Your actions in Kingdom Come: Deliverance influence the reactions of the people around you. Fight, steal, seduce, threaten, persuade, or bribe. It’s all up to you.
Historical accuracy: Meet real historical characters and experience the genuine look and feel of medieval Bohemia.
The military has a couple of adages...one, "you fight like you train", and another being, "the more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war." The idea behind these adages is that progressive, realistic training prepares you for the job at hand, which is often one performed under "other than optimal" conditions. You start by learning in the classroom, then in the field, and then under austere conditions, so that when you do have to perform the function(s) or task(s) under similar conditions, you're prepared and it's not a surprise. This is also true of law enforcement, as well as other roles and functions. Given the pervasiveness of this style of training and familiarization, I would think that it's suffice to say that it's a highly successful approach.
The way DFIR CTFs, while fun, are being constructed and presented, they are doing those in the field a disservice, as they do not encourage analysts to train the way they should be fighting. In fact, they tend to cement and even encourage bad habits.
Let me say right now that I understand the drive behind CTF challenges, particularly those in the DFIR field. I understand the desire to make something available for others to use to practice, and perhaps rate themselves against, and I do appreciate the work that goes into such things. Honestly, I do, because I know that it isn't easy.
Let me also say that I understand why CTFs are provided in this manner; it's because this is how many analysts are "taught", and it's because this is how other CTFs are presented. I also understand that presenting challenges in this manner provides for an objective measure against which to score individual participants; the time it takes to complete the challenge, the time between answering subsequent questions, and the number of correct responses are all objective measures that can be handled by a computer program, and really provide little wiggle room. So, we have analysts who "come up" in the industry, taking courses and participating in CTFs that are all structured in a similar manner, and they go on to create their own CTFs, based on that same structure.
However, the issue remains...the way DFIR CTFs are presented, they encourage something much less than what we should be doing, IRL. We continue to teach analysts that reviewing individual artifacts in isolation is "sufficient", and there's no direction or emphasis on concepts such as validation, toolmarks, or artifact constellations. In addition, there's no development of incident intelligence to be shared with others, both in the DFIR field, and adjacent to it (SOC, detection engineering, CTI, etc.).
Hassan recently posted regarding CTFs and "deliberate practice"; while I agree with his thoughts in principle, these tend to fall short. Yes, CTFs are great, because they offer the opportunity to practice, but they fall short in a couple of areas. One in particular is that they really aren't necessarily "deliberate practice"; perhaps a different way of saying that is that it's "deliberate practice" in the wrong areas, because we're telling those who participate in these challenges that answering obscure questions, in a manner that isolates that information from other other information needed to "solve" the case, is the standard to strive for, and this should not ever be the case.
Another way that these DFIR CTFs fall short is that they tend to perpetuate the belief that examiners should look at artifacts one a time, in isolation from other artifacts (particularly others in the constellation). Given that Windows is an operating system, with a lot going on, our old way of viewing artifacts...the way we've always done it...no longer serves us well. It's like trying watch a rock concert in a stadium by looking through a key hole. We can no longer open one Windows Event Log file in a GUI viewer, search for somethings we think might be relevant, close that log file, open another one, and repeat. Regardless of how comfortable we are with this approach, it is terribly insufficient and leaves a great many gaps and unanswered questions in even what appears to be the most rudimentary case.
Let's take a look at an example; this CyberDefenders challenge, as Hassan mentioned CyberDefenders in a comment. The first thing we see is that we have to sign up, and then sign in to work the challenge, and that none of the analyst case notes from how they solved the CTF are available. The same has been true of other CTFs, including (but not limited to) those such as the 2018 DefCon DFIR CTF. Keeping case notes is something that analysts should be deliberately practicing, as well as sharing them.
Second, we see that there are 32 questions to be answered in the CTF, the first of which is, "what is the OS product name?" We already know from one of the tags for the CTF that the image is Windows, so how important is the "OS product name"? This information does not appear to be significant to any of the follow-on questions, and seems to be solely for the purpose of establishing some sort of objective measure. Further, in over 2 decades of DFIR work, addressing wide range of response scenarios (malware, ransomware, PCI, APT, etc.), I don't think I've ever had a customer ask more than 4 or 5 questions...max. In the early days, there was most often just one question customers were interested in:
Is there malware on this system?
As time progressed, many customers wanted to know:
How'd they get in?
Who are they?
Are they still in my network?
What did they take?
Most often, whether engaging in PCI forensic exams, or in "APT" or targeted threat response, those four questions, or some variation thereof, were in the forefront of customer's minds. In over two decades of DFIR work, ranging from individual systems up to the enterprise, I never had a case where a customer asked 32 questions (I've seen CTFs with 51 questions), and I've never had a customer (or a co-worker/teammate) ask me for the the LogFile sequence number of an Excel spreadsheet. In fact, I can't remember a single case (none stands out in my mind) where the LogFile sequence number of any file was a component or building block of an overall investigation.
Now, I'm not saying this isn't true for others...honestly, I don't know, as so few in our field actually share what they do. But from my experience, in working my own cases, and working cases with others, none of the questions asked in the CTF were pivotal to the case.
So, What's The Answer?
The answer is that forensic challenges need to be adapted, worked, and "graded" differently. CTFs should be more "deliberate practice", aligned to how would DFIR work should be done, and perpetuating and reinforcing good habits. Analysts need to keep and share case notes, being transparent about their analytic goals and thought processes, because this is now we learn overall. And I don't just mean that this is how that analyst, the one who shares these things, learns; no, I mean that this is how we all learn. In his book, Call Sign Chaos, retired Marine General Jim Mattis said that our own "personal experiences alone are not broad enough to sustain us"; while this thought applies to a warfighter reading, this portion of the quote applies much more broadly to mean that if we're stuck in our own little bubble, not sharing what we've done and what we know with others, then we're not improving, adapting and growing in our profession.
If we're looking to provide others with "deliberate practice", then we need to change the way we're providing that opportunity.
