SAG-AFTRA has authorized its chief negotiator to potentially call for an immediate strike because of a controversy surrounding the use and treatment of AI voices in video games. Union leadership has made it clear in recent statements that they regard AI as a significant issue in the voice-acting space, and that a strike is potentially in the cards.Per a press release, the large union is currently in the process of renegotiating the Interactive Media Agreement, the contract that many major companies in the gaming industry abide by when making big-budget games. The hypothetical revised version of the agreement would include stronger AI protections, safety precautions for on-set performances, and higher wages.The union said that some employers have pushed back on some of the AI provisions in the new draft. In response, SAG-AFTRA authorized its national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland to call an immediate strike if they don't reach an agreement soon. "If called, the strike shall be over all covered services under the Interactive Media Agreement and all SAG-AFTRA members will cease rendering all services and performing all work covered by the IMA," the press release reads in part.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Despite only running for two seasons on Disney, Gravity Falls earned a dedicated fanbase thanks to its whimsical characters, quirky animation style, and off-beat storylines. The kids' show wrapped up its run back in 2016, but it lived on in the form of books--with various editions recounting the adventures of Dipper Pines and Mabel. Fast-forward to today, and we're getting the first-ever Gravity Falls book written for mature audiences. The Book of Bill is now available for purchase, and a launch-day discount is letting you pick up the 208-page volume for just $18 (down from $27). The Book of Bill (Hardcover) $18 (was $27) The Book of Bill "travels to dimensions meant for older readers." It's written from the perspective of Bill Cipher (the main antagonist of the series), which sees him diving into his origin story, how he's impacted humanity over the years, and giving advice on how to take over the world. Written by Alex Hirsch, creator of Gravity Falls, it offers a shocking new perspective on the iconic character from the original Disney show. See at Amazon Toss in a creepy hardcover design, plenty of exclusive illustrations, and new stories designed for a more-mature audience, and The Book of Bill offers tons of value for fans of the original series that stopped airing almost a decade ago. That's especially true at its slashed price of just $18. It's unclear how long the launch-day deal will stick around, so be sure to cash in while you can.While this is the newest Gravity Falls book (and the only one intended for mature audiences), it's far from the only Gravity Falls book available in 2024. So if you're looking to round out your collection with a few more books, here are a handful to consider:Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Fortnite Chapter 5, Season 3 still has plenty of content left to give despite the season's end date slowly approaching. In anticipation of Marvel's latest film, Deadpool And Wolverine, Epic has revealed new skins for the titular characters.The new Deadpool and Wolverine variants will be joining the island soon. According to Hypex, a well-known Fortnite content creator, both skins will come with individual items and be cell-shaded, much like the Daredevil skin. Although it's unclear how these cosmetic items will be sold, it appears the Deadpool items will feature him with an arrow through his head, his dual blade katanas, a Zombie Deadpool head, a skin wrap, and an emote.Better Look at Deadpool & Wolverine Fortnite Skins 🔥 pic.twitter.com/jLgpy1anfV — HYPEX (@HYPEX) July 23, 2024 The Wolverine items will include his latest movie suit, adamantium claws, a Deadpool drawing, a skin wrap, and an emote. Interestingly enough, we also have a good look at what each of their respective gliders will look like. Both are essentially cartoon hot air balloons with their faces on them.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Ahead of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 debuting next month, Amazon is rolling out a brand-new user interface for Prime Video today. The new look will come to everyone in the world over the coming weeks as well.The refreshed interface is all about "clarity and simplicity," according to Amazon. One major goal of this update is making it easier to tell what movies and TV shows are actually included as part of a Prime membership. For instance, the navigation bar at the top of the screen has a Prime tab, along with Max, Crunchroll, and others.A glimpse at what the new Prime Video user interface looks look for Fallout. The refreshed design is rolling out today. Additionally, the Prime logo will appear more prominently on cards for Prime Video content. If a film or show is from a different service (where the person isn't subscribed), Amazon says this will be highlighted with a "yellow shopping bag."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The original Twister hit theaters in 1996, earning legions of fans for its pulse-pounding look at Tornado Alley. Now, nearly three decades later, the film has received a standalone sequel, Twisters, that revives the old formula for a new audience of viewers. It just hit theaters on July 19, and now the Twisters Blu-ray is available for preorder at Walmart and Amazon. Preorder Twisters 4K Blu-ray $35 Preordering at Walmart is the most enticing option right now, as it comes with an exclusive steelbook that's bound to be popular. Consider reserving a copy now before they sell out. If they do go out of stock, the 4K UHD version is listed at Amazon--though it lacks the cool steelbook. You'll also find the standard Blu-ray version at Amazon for just $33 (down from $40). Preorder at Walmart (4K Steelbook) Preorder at Amazon (4K UHD) Preorder at Amazon (Blu-ray) Snagging the 4K version is arguably the best option, as it also gets you a Blu-ray version of the film and a digital copy. Purchase the standard Blu-ray version and you'll also get a digital copy.Note that the Amazon version is currently more expensive than the Walmart version, though this will likely change in the coming weeks. If you preorder ahead of the price drop, Amazon's prepurchase guarantee ensures you'll only pay the lowest price ahead of its release date. That means if you preorder today, you won't have to worry about missing out on a price drop tomorrow.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

World of Warcraft's next expansion, The War Within, is right around the corner, and it's looking to build on the success of Blizzard's back-to-basics approach for 2022's Dragonflight. That means a focus on evergreen features that will persist for years to come in The War Within, the first chapter in a three-expansion trilogy Blizzard has dubbed The Worldsoul Saga.Two of The War Within's biggest additions, Warbands and Hero Talents, are great examples of Blizzard's current approach. Rather than entirely new features, each system is instead building on what came before. Warbands is the full realization of all the alt-character-friendly changes and account-wide unlocks that have slowly made their way into the game over the past few years and that became even more of a focus in Dragonflight. Hero Talents, meanwhile, are an expansion of the well-received class Talent tree revamp introduced in Dragonflight, which itself was a throwback to the Talent trees from the game's earliest days.On paper, iterations on existing WoW features don't quite sound like game-changing, back-of-the-box additions that sell expansions, much less the expansion that will kick off a storyline that is intended to serve as the culmination of WoW's first two decades. But any WoW player with multiple characters will tell you how exciting, and transformative, a feature like Warbands will be to the long-running MMORPG. That enthusiasm applies to Hero Talents as well, as the feature will finally allow players to live out class fantasies like becoming a Dark Ranger as a Hunter or engaging in mounted combat as a Rider of the Apocalypse Death Knight.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 7 was delayed recently due to a serious bug that caused passive dice rolls to stop functioning entirely, which is certainly less than ideal. Developer Larian did share some highlights for the upcoming update, and it includes something that fans have been asking for for a while: an option to play Honor Mode without the…well, honor.The Patch 7 Closed Beta has been delayed.Why? While fixing bugs, passive dice rolls literally stopped working.We’re trying to figure out how we got here, so while we do that, we’ll be pushing the planned Closed Beta back to later this week.In the meantime, here’s a look at… pic.twitter.com/hr4FQPMIiu — Baldur's Gate 3 (@baldursgate3) July 22, 2024 If you aren't familiar, Baldur's Gate 3's Honor Mode is the game's equivalent of "iron man mode." It makes the boss fights significantly harder with new abilities and "legendary actions" (which D&D players will know well), and it makes some of the rules a bit stricter, especially around action economy. And, of course, it restricts you to a single life and prevents you from reloading your old saves--if you die once, you have to start all the way over.For those of you who want the extra difficulty without the brutal permadeath requirement, Patch 7 will allow you to turn on the optional Honor Mode mechanics in a Custom Mode playthrough. It's a nice addition for those of us who enjoy a challenge, but don't have the time or inclination for that full commitment. Patch 7 will also add the much-anticipated "evil endings" to the game, as well as a mod manager, revamped split-screen gameplay, and a variety of small changes. The patch doesn't have a firm release date yet, but its closed beta will launch later in July.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Apple is rumored to be working on a foldable iPhone, with reports suggesting that it could hit the market as early as 2026. According to The Information and Digitimes, the iPhone will fold horizontally--a design that would be similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip or the Motorola RAZR--and is said to be "in development with suppliers" as it has "moved beyond" the conceptual stage.Like other smartphone manufacturers in this category, Apple is reportedly working out how to minimize the crease that appears when the phone is unfolded while also keeping it thin. Creases are a common issue in modern foldable phones, but the benefit here is that users get either a more compact device to use every day or more screen real estate to work since the smartphone can fold back up into a pocket-friendly size.The current line of Apple smartphones and iPad Pro tablets have placed more of a focus on power, thanks to the company's new M4 chip. According to Apple, the M4 chip can deliver the same performance as the M2 chip while using just half the power, and it has been focusing on giving its users more AAA games to play. Resident Evil Village, Assassin's Creed Mirage, and Death Stranding: Director's Cut work surprisingly well on the 2024 iPad Pro, and Apple plans to double down on its gaming ambitions.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

As fans prepare themselves for Deadpool and Wolverine being released this weekend, giving Marvel Studios its first R-rated feature, it's still unclear how Deadpool and his ancillary characters will fold into the MCU proper. One thing that is abundantly clear, is despite the jokes about cocaine use, Deadpool/Wade Wilson probably won't be partaking in his beloved drug of choice anytime soon.Shawn Levy and Kevin Feige spoke to GameSpot during the film's press junket, giving insight into their thoughts on the state of the MCU, but also how Feige was serious about no more cocaine use. However, the film could keep the series' trademark level of violence and intense language."We're not kidding around. There was only one ground rule ever requested," said director Levy, who has become a constant collaborator with Ryan Reynolds. "And it was early on. And it was, honestly, Kevin was like, 'Guys, it's all on the table as long as it's funny, but maybe we don't have Wade and Blind Al doing cocaine.'"Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The Penguin, the upcoming TV show spin-off set in the universe of The Batman, might not be the last time we see the Robert Pattinson project sees a spin-off. Producer Dylan Clark told Entertainment Weekly that he is considering "another television exploration" of the Batman universe."We're looking at this entire world as it relates to who Batman is--the antagonists around them, all the crime that has to be navigated in the city--and trying to figure out where are the areas that are best to explore," Clark said. That's all he had to say on the matter, but the Batman universe is a rich tapestry that the key creatives could draw from for potential storytelling. Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The indie game publisher Humble Games has reportedly laid off its entire staff, which consists of 36 people. However, the company says it is not shutting down but is instead "restructurin[ing] our operations."According to a now-former Humble Games senior quality assurance analyst, their entire team was let go. Another employee, who was a producer, also confirmed he was being made laid off. The publisher previously underwent two rounds of layoffs, first in April 2022 and then in November 2023.In a statement shared with GameSpot, Humble Games confirmed that Humble Bundle will have "no impact on its operations. Additionally, ongoing and upcoming games from Humble Games will still move ahead and be published by the company. Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

What has become the best gun for ripping through the hearts of bosses in Destiny 2 has, at last, received a significant nerf, knocking down its enormous damage numbers and possibly clearing the way for some new builds for dealing with some of the game's toughest adversaries, like The Witness. Bungie has cut the damage of Still Hunt, the sniper rifle that can become a Golden Gun--at least when utilized by Hunters running the Exotic helmet Celestial Nighthawk.Bungie noted the change in its patch notes for Update 8.0.0.8, released today. While the rest of the notes pertain to minor issue fixes, there's one line that will have a significant impact on anyone running high-level content, including raids and dungeons:"Reduced Still Hunt's Golden Gun damage while using Celestial Nighthawk by 33%."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The latest chapter in Netflix's popular Castlevania anime is coming to Blu-ray this fall. Castlevania: Nocturne Season One is up for preorder at multiple retailers, and you can already save nearly 20% on your preorder at Amazon. Fans can complete their Castlevania anime Blu-ray collection when Nocturne releases October 8.Nocturne will share its release date with Arcane Season One, Netflix's League of Legends animated series, which is getting multiple different physical editions, including a limited 4K Blu-ray with a steelbook case. Unlike Arcane, Nocturne will only be available on standard 1080p Blu-ray, just like all four seasons in Netflix's first Castlevania arc. Preorder Castlevania: Nocturne Season One on Blu-ray $32.49 (was $40) The Blu-ray release of Castlevania: Nocturne includes all eight episodes presented with English and Spanish vocal track options, plus English and Spanish subtitles options. There's also a small selection of special features like production animatics, storyboards, and art galleries.You can preorder Castlevania: Nocturne: The Complete First Season for $32.49 (was $40) at Amazon and Target. Both retailers offer preorder price guarantees, so if the price drops even lower, you'll get Castlevania: Nocturne for the best price available from the time you order and release. Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Target Castlevania: Nocturne is the sequel series to Netflix's Castlevania anime, which ran for four seasons. Like the original series, Nocturne loosely follows the storyline established by the Castlevania series, with season one retelling the events of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, which takes place hundreds of years later during the French Revolution of 1792. Netflix has already confirmed Nocturne's second season is in development, which will adapt the story of Rondo of Blood's sequel--and one of the most beloved games in the series--Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

This month, Peacock hiked up the rates for its upper tiers ahead of this week's Olympic games in Paris. Apparently, half a million Peacock subscribers didn't wait around for those price increases to go into effect. According to the Comcast's shareholder report for its second quarter of 2024, Peacock shed 500,000 paying subscribers between April and June.Via Variety, Comcast admitted that it slightly fudged the numbers of its 2024 first quarter results that claimed Peacock had 34 million subscribers. The real number was 33.5 million subscribers, because Comcast rounded up from there. Now, following the latest losses, Peacock has approximately 33 million paid subscribers.Comcast has yet to make a profit from Peacock, and the report notes that the streamer lost $348 million during the second quarter. That's less cash than Peacock has bled in the past, but it's still pretty far from profitability. Comcast paid $7.65 billion to secure the media rights for the Olympics through 2032, but it also streams an extraordinarily large lineup of sporting events that couldn't have been cheap.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The Halo TV show's second season launched on 4K Blu-ray today (July 23). While fans can now add the physical edition to their shelves, the release comes just days after Paramount+ canceled the Halo TV series, despite Season 2 receiving stronger reviews from critics and fans. The production team says it will try to find a new home for the show, but it's possible that we may never see the live-action Master Chief finish the fight.The cancellation also means Blu-ray editions of both seasons may not be printed for much longer, and there could be increased interest in the 4K steelbook editions, in particular. Amazon has Season 2's 4K limited edition for $50 (was $59), and you can pair the new release with Season 1's 4K steelbook edition for $39 (was $60). Halo: Season Two (4K UHD Steelbook) $50 (was $59) Halo: Season Two comes with all eight episodes of Season 2 in 4K format along with HDR--so it should look great on all screens. You'll also get a slick steelbook featuring Master Chief on the battlefield. If you don't need the 4K resolution or steelbook, you'll find the Halo: Season 2 standard edition Blu-ray for $35. See at Amazon (Season 2) See at Amazon (Season 1) Halo: Season Two Special FeaturesWhether you opt for the 4K or Blu-ray edition, you'll gain access to over two hours of bonus features. This includes:Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com