GameStop kicks off a new week's worth of deals each Wednesday. This week's sale is now live, with discounts on games and hardware for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. We've scrolled through this week's ad and hand-picked some of the best deals available, so let's take a look and start saving money.Between now and November 3, you'll save $100 on an Xbox One X or S if you buy Red Dead Redemption 2--and that includes the Robot White special edition Xbox One X that comes with a copy of Fallout 76. During the same time period, you if you buy a three-month subscription to Xbox Live Gold, you'll get an extra three months for free. Select Xbox One controllers are also $10 off this week.Pre-ordering Spyro Reignited Trilogy gets you a keychain featuring the fire-breathing protagonist. If you have any of these games to trade in, you'll get $20 off any new game or pre-order. Select Pokemon figures and plushes are 25% off. In an ongoing deal, you can get a four-for-$20 deal on pre-owned games under $10. And although there's no specific date for when it will be, GameStop says another Pro Day sales event is coming soon. These are one-day sales that are limited to those with a Pro membership.As for the game deals, there are some great discounts available this week. God of War is down to $35--the lowest price we've seen yet. Or you can grab the Collector's Edition, which comes with a Kratos and Atreus statue, among other things, for $60 (normally $100). Switch owners may want to pick up Nintendo Labo Robot Kit for $60 or Axiom Verge: Multiverse Edition for $24.You'll find more deals below, or check out GameStop's weekly ad for the full rundown.Axiom Verge: Multiverse Edition -- $24Devil May Cry HD Collection -- $19FIFA 18 -- $24For Honor Deluxe Edition -- $30God of War -- $35God of War Collector's Edition -- $60Has-Been Heroes -- $10Monster Hunter World -- $30Nintendo Labo Robot Kit -- $60Resident Evil Revelations Collection -- $30Street Figther 30th Anniversary Collection -- $30Vampyr -- $40Info from Gamespot.com

Just when you thought you were getting tired of '80s nostalgia featuring kids on bikes, neon lights, and synth-pop, along come films filled with grunge music, skating, and Nintendo games. The '90s don't feel like they were that long ago, but the wave of '90s nostalgia in movies and TV may have just arrived with Jonah Hill's Mid90s. Hill’s directorial debut, Mid90s is the story of a 13-year-old kid who finally finds friends and a sense of belonging in the rough world of skateboarding in Los Angeles in the 1990s. We had a chat with the first-time director at Fantastic Fest after the movie's US premiere, and he said despite the subject matter, he didn't want to lean too heavily on nostalgia.The first thing you notice about the film is how true-to-life it feels. From the squared, 4:3 VHS-like look, to the '90s soundtrack, to the clothes, Mid90s doesn’t feel like a recreation, but like a lost film from that era. Despite this, it doesn’t point at its many references or shove them down your throat. “That was very intentional,” Hill said. “The rules of the film were no skate-porn and no nostalgia-porn. I didn’t want it to be that '90s movie. The idea ultimately was that if I, at the last second, decided that the film would not be set in the '90s, it would still work as a film about growing up.”Yet there are plenty of references and Easter eggs to that decade. Shortly after the main character, Sunny, starts to become part of a group of skater kids, there’s a memorable scene in which he asks his brother for his skateboard. When the brother asks what Sunny can give in return, he offers his Nintendo games as trade, and we see Sunny’s brother going through a stack of cartridges. It’s a very small and simple scene, made special because we never see any of the games, just the sides of the cartridges. They could be any games--replace them in your imagination with whatever you grew up playing.“I made sure that even if you don’t see the games, if you grew up at that time, you’d know which games they are,” Hill said. “Every one of those games are ones that I loved. I made sure they would place games that I’d play at that time. The wrong decision would be to punch in on it and focus on each game and make a big deal out of it. Instead, just hint at it so those who know, know they are the right games.”This attitude of not making a big deal out of the references is key to making Mid90s feel natural. “My favorite scene in the movie is where two characters are outside a courthouse talking to a homeless guy,” Hill recalled. “That’s Del the Funky Homosapien, one of my favorite rappers, but it’s so casual you don’t really notice him. That was the point--to not make things overt.”When it comes to the music, Mid90s has plenty of songs viewers can recognize, but you aren’t hit over the head with one hit wonders. Hill had a list of 300 songs he would write the film to, all of which made it onto the film's "soundtrack." “We got all of the songs I listed,” he said. “Which was amazing because we didn’t really have any money for the music, so I wrote letters to like Morrissey and Nirvana’s estate and everybody. And they said yes,” Hill said. Spotify currently has a 30-song soundtrack available for streaming, and it's been reported that more will arrive in additional "waves."Friendship and having a sense of belonging are big themes in Mid90s, and the film’s core cast of young actors, most of them first-timers, have great chemistry together. To achieve that, Jonah Hill did one simple thing. “I took everyone’s cell phones away,” he said. “That was actually my main reason to set the movie in the '90s--because there weren’t cell phones. That made the intimate conversations and friendships in the movie real.”“Nowadays the second you feel uncomfortable, you can just take out your phone, so you don’t get intimate with people,” Hill explained. “Growing up, you were so bored you’d get into these strangely deep conversations just waiting for the bus or hanging out at the skate spot only because you didn’t have anything better to do.”Getting the actors into the '90s vibe was obviously important to the film. Hill provided his cast with iPods with the 300 songs he wrote the music to, which he felt was important. “The most important part was getting the actors related to the feelings of the characters," he said. "The music and the clothes helped in getting them to the mindset of the '90s, but I didn’t want them to just rely on the gadgets and references. And they didn’t even need to understand them, because they are just existing as people and that’s just what’s around them. Because the film should feel like living in the '90s--we didn’t go around pointing at every single piece of contemporary pop culture, it was just part of our world. My movie should feel like that.”Mid90s is now out in theaters. Info from Gamespot.com

The Resident Evil 2 remake is right around the corner, and Capcom is playing into your survival horror nostalgia with a little treat for long-time fans. The company announced that the classic costumes for Leon and Claire will be unlockable in the game for free.That means Leon's "Classic Police Costume" and Claire's "Classic Jacket Costume" will be available for all players. As some eagle-eyed fans have noted, Claire's is slightly different than her original look, which had black sleeves and a high neck from the shirt worn under her jacket. As an homage, though, it's recognizable.This comes just after a new trailer revealed exclusive costumes that you can get by purchasing one of the game's Deluxe and Collector's Editions. Those included a Military and Elza Walker outfit for Claire, and the Arklay Sheriff costume for Leon. Both also have a Noir costume for that smoky old-school look. All of those are included in both the Deluxe and Collector's Editions, which come with a few different goodies. The Deluxe includes an exclusive pistol and additional music options, while the CE has all that plus some physical items: a 12-inch Leon statue, art book, and RPD renovation blueprints.We have a treat for you! As a thanks for your undying support, we’re providing all Resident Evil 2 players with a piece of nostalgia: Leon and Claire’s classic costumes will be unlockable in-game, for free.#RE2 pic.twitter.com/szuvgxGnl6 — Resident Evil (@RE_Games) October 31, 2018The Resident Evil 2 remake is coming on January 25, 2019 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. While the remake is striving to stay true to the mood and tone of the original, it's taking some big liberties. The controls and camera are more akin to later Resident Evil games, making for a uniquely fresh take on the classic.Info from Gamespot.com

A Fallout 76 bug caused some PC users to accidentally delete the entire game, prompting Bethesda to extend the beta as a make-good. After warning users not to click any buttons on the client, it told them to allow the beta game file to redownload. The company later took responsibility for the bug and announced the extension.Eurogamer reports that the bug only impacted PC users, but those affected had to redownload the entire 50 GB beta file. That could lead to long wait times and ISP data restrictions, so the company was compelled to issue a mea culpa. It will now run on November 2 from 11 AM to 8 PM PT. The tweet notes this extension is for everyone, so users on the PS4 and Xbox One get a little extra benefit without having been impacted by the bug.We know some users have been forced to redownload the #Fallout76 B.E.T.A. and not everyone will be able to enjoy the game tonight. To make good, we’ll be extending the B.E.T.A. for everyone on Thursday, November 1, 2pm to 11pm ET. Thanks for your patience. #ExtendtheBeta — Bethesda Game Studios (@BethesdaStudios) October 31, 2018Several test dates were already planned for next week: November 1 from 11 AM to 4 PM PT, November 3 from 2 PM to 6 PM PT, and November 4 from 11 AM to 6 PM PT. You'll be able to keep your progress from the beta into the full game, so read up on all the upcoming beta times and how you can still get in before the game launches in our beta guide.If you're already exploring the wastes and looking for some advice, check out our guide for some beginner survival tips and what you should check out first. Fallout 76 launches for PC, PS4, and Xbox One on November 14.Info from Gamespot.com

The Game of Thrones prequel has found its star. Naomi Watts has been cast as the lead character in the prequel pilot for HBO, Variety reports. This series takes place thousands of years before Game of Thrones, and Watts' character is said to be "a charismatic socialite hiding a dark secret." [Update: Following Watts, HBO has added another person to the Game of Thrones prequel cast.]The pilot was penned by Jane Goldman (Kick-Ass) and is aiming to begin filming in early 2019. It was the winning pitch out of five, though HBO hasn't ruled out using one of the other scripts for some purpose. This series "chronicles the world's descent from the Golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour."Watts' involvement adds serious star power to the pilot, though if this is the Westeros we know, she may not see the series through to its conclusion. The first season of Game of Thrones starred Sean Bean as Ned Stark, who ostensibly seemed to be the main character of the series. But in a rug-pulling that set the tone for the entire series, he was executed before the very first season was finished. We'll have to see how far Watts makes it.Watts is known for her roles in Mulholland Drive, The Ring, and King Kong. She's currently signed on to play Gretchen Carlson in a Showtime limited series about Roger Ailes, and most recently appeared in the revival of Twin Peaks.The Game of Thrones prequel is one of several spin-off series HBO has planned to help fill the gap once the series goes off the air. Its final season has already wrapped and will air next year. The new mobile game, Reigns: Game of Thrones, may even contain some Season 8 hints.Info from Gamespot.com

If you're going to survive in Red Dead Redemption 2's world, you're going to need cash. Previously we've highlighted several ways to earn money relatively quickly by working many of the game's core systems and mechanics, but there exists a secret method that can give a significant bump to your wallet without much effort.The method in question is none other than the Poisonous Trail treasure map side mission, which by its end rewards you with four gold bars that equate to about $2,000 when sold. As you explore, you'll often find treasure maps that lead you to all manner of valuable items, but none are as lucrative as the Poisonous Trail maps, which you can complete early on. Of course, if you're more into cheating the system, you can try out this newly discovered glitch that can net you 30 gold bars. But we all know that's nowhere near as fun!Below are directions leading you to all the treasure maps in the Poisonous Trail side mission. We've also included screenshots to aid you in your journey. It's worth noting that you cannot simply head to the final location to cash in on the gold. You need to find every single treasure map first before the gold appears in its associated location.If this guide was helpful to you, be sure to check out our features highlighting all the tips you should know before playing and things the game doesn't tell you. We also have guides on more specific subjects, like top horse breeds and fishing. Though, if you want to have some extra fun instead, be sure to read our feature detailing the game's cheat codes.Treasure Map 1: Cairn Lake CabinThe first map is found at Cairn Lake, which is located north of Valentine up in the mountains. It's snowy up there, so make sure to bring a thick jacket with you before heading up that direction. If you've triggered "The Noblest of Men, and a Woman" Stranger mission, you'll notice that this is the exact location of legendary gunslinger Flaco Hernandez.Once you make it to Cairn Lake, you should find a small abandoned cabin--the one that Hernandez is staying in. Approach the bed to the right and uncover the lock box underneath it, which holds the first treasure map along some extra valuables.Treasure Map 2: Face Rock and an Unassuming Tree TrunkThe first treasure map is attempting to clue you in on a location with a rock that seemingly resembles a face. If you haven't spent much time exploring, this natural formation may seem a mystery to you. Fortunately, we know exactly where it is. Simply proceed down to the Lemoyne region, which is located just South of New Hanover. You can find the rock just north of the "E" in "Scarlett" on the map; check the screenshot in the gallery above for visual clarification.You'll spot Face Rock on a hill. To find the map, go past the tree directly next to Face Rock. You'll want to run further back to the hill's rear where there's a thin tree trunk right beside a fallen tree. The map is located in this thin tree trunk.Final Treasure Map: The Mysterious Snake MoundThe second treasure map has you searching for a snake-like land formation. Yet again, an oddity that you're likely to have missed if you haven't spent significant time taking note of every curiosity out in the world. This bizarre mound is located southeast of Van Horn, a reasonable distance south of the "R" in "New Hanover" on the map.As the treasure map indicates, you're going to want to search for a pile of rocks near the snake-like mound. It's pretty easy to spot as it's literally just a clumped-up pile of rocks with a hole at the center. Search the hole to find the final treasure map. Onward to the treasure!The Treasure: Gold! Gold! Gold!The final treasure map points to a waterfall and what appears to be a pathway in a cave. You'll find this waterfall at the Elysian Pond, which is located directly northeast of the "E" in "Hanover" on the map. When you arrive, walk through the waterfall to discover the entrance of a hidden cave.It's dark in the cave, so bust out your lantern. Proceed through the cave until you find a section in the path where you can drop down. When you land, proceed through the crawl space on the right, which will lead you to the fork in the road pictured on the map. Take the right path, but before you do hug right to find a makeshift camp with a lockbox containing a Large Jewelry Bag.Continue the path forward until you reach what appears to be a pit into certain doom. Instead of falling to your death, proceed left until you reach another edge. If you look closely, your lantern will illuminate some solid ground below that you can land on. But take a few steps back; you're going to want a running start in order to make this jump. If you're acrobatics are sufficient, head down the slope to the left. You'll slip down into some water; once you gain your balance, look to your left for a rock platform to climb up. Search this area and you'll be rewarded with four bars of gold.If this is the first time you've obtained gold, know that you can sell them at Fences for direct profit. Though, if you're feeling particularly generous, it's possible to donate it directly to your camp.Info from Gamespot.com

As part of Fortnite's 6.20 update last week, developer Epic Games introduced the ability to re-deploy your glider in all game modes, just as you could in the Soaring 50s LTM. According to the studio, this wasn't intended to be a permanent addition to the game, but rather as a test, and it looks like Epic was pleased with the results.Epic has posted an update about the glider re-deploy mechanic on Fortnite's official website, confirming that the feature will remain in place for the time being. "We've finished our first week of Glider Re-deploy being available in all modes," the studio wrote. "During this time we've been collecting internal data and monitoring constructive feedback from all of you. We understand that not all players agree with this change, but we would like to continue with this functionality in the game based on the positive results we've been seeing."In the same post, Epic also revealed it plans to make some quality-of-life changes to the glider re-deploy mechanic with future updates. The first of these, slated to rollout with the recently delayed 6.21 patch, will focus on "prioritizing Glider audio over weapon audio within certain ranges." Additional improvements are also on the cards, although Epic hasn't revealed what those will be yet.The glider re-deploy mechanic was first featured in the Soaring 50s limited-time mode, which placed a much greater emphasis on being airborne than standard Battle Royale matches. It allows players to open their glider again and soar back to the ground if they're at least three stories in the air.Fortnite's 6.21 update is now scheduled to arrive on November 1. Epic originally planned to roll it out to all platforms on October 31, but it had to be postponed due to a "last minute issue." Meanwhile, the Halloween-themed Fortnitemares event is scheduled to end on Sunday, November 4, and Epic teases that some kind of "one-time event" is set to occur on that same day.Info from Gamespot.com

As part of Fortnite‘s 6.20 update, developer Epic Games rolled out a spooky new event for Halloween. Fortnitemare sees the floating cube affectionately known as Kevin turning a little malicious and spawning Cube Monsters, which are essentially zombies. There’s also a few new cosmetics to unlock and, of course, you’ll need to do challenges to get many of these. Challenges are being split over multiple parts, and you can find details on it here. Day 2 is now available, and you can read about them below. [Update: The full set of Fortnitemares challenges are available; be sure to get them done before the upcoming one-time-only event.]For Part 2 you’ll need to kill 150 Cube Fiends, do 5,000 points of damage to them using Shotguns or SMGs. On top of those, you also have to kill three enemies in Corrupted Areas and destroy a Ghost Decoration in seven different named locations. Complete those four challenges and you’ll unlock a new spray.Fortnitemare Part 2 ChallengesDestroy Cube Fiends (150) — 500 XPDeal damage with Shotguns or SMGs to Cube Monsters (5,000) — 500 XPEliminate opponents in Corrupted Areas (3) — 500 XPDestroy a Ghost Decoration in different named location (7) — 500 XPCompleting these will also get you one step closer to getting the Dark Engine Glider. You’ll need to complete all four parts of the Fortnitemare challenge set to get this. If you’re looking for a more immediate Halloween-themed unlock you can get the Deadfire skin in the in-game store now. This is a new kind of outfit that changes as you progress in a match. This, Epic says, will let players "show off [their] skills in style."The skins change depending on the damage you deal to your enemies and also how long you're able to stay alive. The skin also comes with the Shackled Stone Back Bling and the Dark Shard pickaxe is also available in the store. These are also reactive cosmetics.Epic Games has also detailed the contents of Fortnite update 6.20 which, along with giving players Fortnitemares, adds the new Six Shooter weapon to the game. It also gives players the ability to redeploy Gliders after they've landed on the Island. This feature is something Epic is testing, so it's available in all Battle Royale game modesInfo from Gamespot.com

Fortnite's Halloween-themed Fortnitemares event is scheduled to end on November 4, giving you only a few more days to complete its challenges and unlock the new Dark Engine Glider if you still haven't done so. That isn't the only incentive to play the game this Sunday, however; it appears a once-in-a-lifetime event is slated to unfold on that day.On the official Fortnite Twitter account, developer Epic Games teased that a "one-time event" will take place in the game on Sunday, November 4, at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM GMT--the same time that the Fortnitemares event is scheduled to conclude. The developer didn't provide any further clues as to what the event will entail, but if you want to witness it, you'll need to log into the game and be in a match at that time in order to see it.One-time events of this nature aren't an unusual occurrence in Fortnite; in the leadup to Season 5, for example, players got to witness a rocket launch, which would ultimately result in a giant rift forming in the sky above the island. More recently, a lightning storm struck Fortnite's desert earlier this summer, leaving the mysterious purple cube in its wake.We don't yet know what to expect from Sunday's one-time event, but it will presumably have to do with the aforementioned purple cube, which has been a recurring source of mystery since it first appeared in the game. At the start of Season 6, it lifted a chunk of land into the sky to create a floating island, and it has since been moving around the map, leaving behind strange craters.Fortnite's 6.21 update was originally scheduled to roll out on October 31, but Epic delayed it to November 1 due to a "last minute issue." In the meantime, you can find tips for completing the Fortnitemares challenges in our roundup. You can also check out our Fortnite Season 6 challenges guide for help on completing all of the new challenges Epic has released this season to date.Info from Gamespot.com

Alongside the ongoing Fortnitemares challenges, Fortnite: Battle Royale players have reached Week 5 of Season 6. As with every Thursday weekly reset, that means there's a whole new batch of weekly challenges for you to complete. Doing these is vital if you want to unlock fresh cosmetics, as completing challenges rewards you with the Battle Stars needed to level up your Battle Pass. We've got a breakdown of Week 5's challenges below--including the flaming hoops and radar signs ones--but if you want to catch up on every week so far, we've got a comprehensive Fortnite Season 6 challenge guide that'll help you do that.This week's challenges in the free section, which is available to everyone, involve recording a speed of 27 or more on five different Radar Signs. On top that, you'll need to jump through five flaming hoops while in a Shopping Kart or ATK. There's also a three-part challenge that begins with doing damage using Tactical Shotguns.The other challenges are only available to those with a paid Battle Pass. These ask players to kill two enemies from closer than 5m away, do 500 damage with SMGs, kill two enemies with a Minigun, and do 200 damage with standard pistols. Take a look at the full list of challenges below.Fortnite Season 6, Week 5 ChallengesFreeRecord a speed of 27 or more on different Radar Signs (5) -- 5 Battle StarsJump through flaming hoops with a Shopping Cart or ATK (5) -- 5 Battle StarsDeal damage with Tactical Shotguns to opponents (Part 1 of 3) (200) -- 3 Battle StarsBattle PassEliminate an opponent from closer than 5m away (2) -- 5 Battle StarsDeal damage with SMGs to opponents (500) -- 5 Battle StarMinigun eliminations (2) -- 10 Battle StarsDeal damage with standard Pistols to opponents (Part 1 of 3) (200) -- 3 Battle StarsThese aren't the only challenges available this week, however. Epic Games recently rolled out Fortnite update 6.20 and, as part of that, the Fortnitemares Halloween event. This is an ongoing world event that provides players with the opportunity to get the new Outlander skin, alongside other cosmetics. However, you'll need to complete a bunch of challenges to do this. You can find out more about the Fortnitemare event and challenges here.The Halloween happenings on Fortnite's island also include a makeover for the rocket launcher, which becomes the Pumpkin Rocket Launcher. There's also a new weapon: the Six Shooter. Take a look at the full Fortnite update 6.20 patch notes for more on what's new and changing in Fortnite.Info from Gamespot.com

EA may be planning to add two more major Clone Wars characters to Star Wars Battlefront 2. Nothing has been confirmed, but it appears as if both Ahsoka Tano and Padme Amidala will be added to the game in 2019.General Grievous, who was added to Battlefront 2 as a playable hero on October 30, mentions both Ahsoka and Padme in certain lines of dialogue, implying that DICE is planning to have the Separatist leader interact with the two heroines in the future. EA has already confirmed that DICE has more content planned for Battlefront 2 beyond the post-launch DLC roadmap--scheduled to end in December 2018. During the company's quarterly earnings call, EA CEO Andrew Wilson stated that Battlefront 2 would continue to get more content throughout the "next year."In an earlier blog post, EA revealed the process by which new Star Wars Battlefront 2 Hero characters are created. The most steadfast rule was that every "hero must counter a villain, and vice versa." This is why General Grievous and Count Dooku are being added to the game, as the two villains share a natural rivalry with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker--two other new Hero characters. So if Ahsoka and Padme are implemented into Battlefront 2, then that means two corresponding villains are being planned for the game as well.Matthew Wood, James Arnold Taylor, Corey Burton, and Matt Lanter--all Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series voice actors--have returned to voice General Grievous, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Count Dooku, and Anakin Skywalker respectfully in Battlefront 2. As both Ahsoka and Padme are major characters in the same show, it stands to reason that EA would also recruit Ashley Eckstein and Catherine Taber to voice them in-game.Star Wars Battlefront 2 is available on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.Info from Gamespot.com

Fences--merchants, not boundary markers--in Red Dead Redemption 2 are the only businesses that will buy goods you've found while looting strangers and rifling through private property, and by gum, they sure are hard to find. Considering the size of RDR2's map, and that there are only four fences in all the land, odds are you may be wondering where they're hiding. We've got a handy reference guide to help locate the black-market traders that peddle in illicit goods.Fair warning: you have to first complete Chapter 2's 'The Spines of America' mission before you can use any fence, and you won't be able to access either of the specialized fences--for horses or wagons--until you reach certain progress milestones in the game's main story.Let's start off with the first location you're likely to find: Emerald RanchFence #1: Emerald Ranch (Unlocks after Chapter 2, Pouring Fourth Oil)The first fence location you might stumble across during the natural trajectory of the story's early mission is located on the south-west edge of Emerald Ranch, on the backside of a massive barn. In additional to its usual services, this is also the only fence that will pay you for turning in stolen stagecoaches and carriages.The same time that you unlock the standard fence at Emerald Ranch, you will also unlock the ability to trade in stolen carriages; simply ride them up to the barn doors to engage the wagon fence. Fence #2: Van Horn Trading PostOn the far-east edge of New Hanover (practically due east of Emerald Ranch) lies Van Horn Trading Post. The fence at this location is tucked away within the rear of building along the docks.Fence #3: RhodesDue south of Emerald Ranch lies Rhodes, a small town with a small trailer park to the north. There you will find a bright red trailer, and on the backside you'll find a counter and a window where the local fence awaits your business.Fence #4: Saint DenisThe far-off bustling streets of Saint Denis are where you'll find the most well-hidden fence of them all. Tucked under the busy market square, it's easy to spot if you keep an eye out for the brick archways, or the green building with bright green shudders. This is also the only fence that will purchase gold bars, valued at a whopping $500 a piece.Horse Fence, North Of Rhodes (Unlocks after Chapter 3, Horse Flesh For Dinner)After completing the gruesomely titled mission mentioned above, you can speak to a pair of strangers northwest of Rhodes, along the waterside, to turn in stolen horses. Info from Gamespot.com

Electronic Arts is preparing for the future, and one that is increasingly focused on streaming and cloud technology. In a blog post, EA's Chief Technology Officer Ken Moss revealed the company's ridiculously ambitious-sounding Project Atlas, which is a technical framework that EA plans to use to underpin its efforts going forward.Moss explains in the blog post that EA and the wider industry has made significant advancements in places like AI, cloud, distributed computing, social features, and game engines, but these have largely grown and evolved separately instead of together. With Project Atlas, EA aims to unify these developments, and the results could be profound."At EA, we envision a future in which games go even further beyond the immersive experiences players enjoy today," Moss said. "I'm talking about games that offer living, breathing worlds that constantly evolve. You'll play them one day, and when you come back the next, things have changed based on inputs from other players, AI, and even the real world. These new experiences will lead to deep, meaningful social interactions. The games you play, the characters you create, and the experiences you have together will create shared ground for friendships that span the globe. I believe this is a future where games become the most compelling form of entertainment. You will be able to play games with your friends anytime, anywhere, and on any device."Project Atlas is an "engine + services" game development platform, and at its center it aims to leverage the power of cloud computing and artificial intelligence. EA truly believes in this future, as it has tasked more than 1,000 people with working on it.The engine aspect of Project Atlas will see EA further unify its engine work to focus even more on the Frostbite engine that is already used in the Battlefield, FIFA, Madden, Dragon Age, and Need for Speed franchises, as well as the upcoming Anthem. Whereas EA once used different engines for all of these franchise, they all now use one. In the future, Moss said EA is improving Frostbite further to allow for scenes to look better (the physical properties of light sources were specifically mentioned) and provide more realistic physics and animation, among other things.On the "services" front, EA has big plans to deepen the "social capabilities" of its games, and this includes advancements to how you meet up with and spend time with other players in games, as well as sharing content captured in those games to the wider world. For matchmaking specifically, Moss said EA is making changes to allow for a more personalised experience that pulls from data you share with EA. Moss stressed that EA is being mindful of respecting player privacy.Another part of Project Atlas is EA's new streaming and cloud technology, which will allow gamers to play graphics-intensive titles potentially in a browser because the content is streamed and not stored locally. EA is working on a streaming service of its own, but details about subscription pricing, titles, and more have not yet been disclosed. Microsoft also has its own streaming service, while Sony has operated PlayStation Now for years already. Google, meanwhile, is working on a streaming service that lets you play graphically demanding games like Assassin's Creed Odyssey in your Chrome browser.EA also plans to leverage AI and machine-learning to make significant advancements to the believability of the interactions in its games. NPC behaviour stands to become far more realistic and dynamic, while the commentating in sports games could also get a boost of believability."Leveraging AI and machine learning will also give game makers the ability to craft in-game interactions with non-playable characters or NPCs in a way that is virtually indecipherable from a human interaction," Moss said. "So, instead of a pre-scripted, pattern-based logic for NPC behavior, this would make it possible for an NPC to engage in a way that is dynamic, contextual, and absolutely believable. For example, imagine that you’re playing Madden, and you’ve just thrown your second interception of the game against the same cover 2 defense that caused the first turnover. Instead of the commentator simply stating that you threw a pick, the AI enables contextual, real-time commentary to reference the fact that you’re throwing to the sideline against a cover 2 defense and should have thrown against the weak zone over the middle to your tight end, who was open on the route. This would certainly push the game into a greater level of contextual and experiential realism."AI will also allow EA to create more original music--that's right, robots are now making music for EA games. "We are today innovating with AI to write and perform original music in a way that is truly relevant and personalized to every moment of gameplay," Moss said. "Imagine a world where a huge and talented virtual orchestra is behind every game, and new and unique scores get written depending on the current scene you are playing. Each environment may have its own musical motif, which gets merged with the motifs of enemies or allies who may be present."Everything in Project Atlas sounds expensive, and Moss agreed that in the past it might have been prohibitively expensive to make the advancements EA is talking about. However, Moss said the automation in Project Atlas is helping gets tasks done faster and cheaper."With Project Atlas, we are starting to put the power of AI in the creative's hands. In one example, we are using high-quality LIDAR data about real mountain ranges, passing that data through a deep neural network trained to create terrain-building algorithms, and then creating an algorithm which will be available within the platform’s development toolbox," Moss said. "With this AI-assisted terrain generation, designers will within seconds generate not just a single mountain, but a series of mountains and all the surrounding environment with the realism of the real-world. I'm especially excited about what all this means for developers large and small. And this is just one example of dozens or even hundreds where we can apply advanced technology to help game teams of all sizes scale to build bigger and more fun games."The blog post goes into many further details and specifics about Project Atlas. You can read it here on Medium.EA CEO Andrew Wilson recently talked about how he believes the gaming industry is headed to the cloud, and how he believes games should work on any device. Info from Gamespot.com

Nintendo has announced that more than 10 million NES Classic and SNES Classic units have been sold since both consoles released. First launching to high demand in November 2016, the NES Classic was cancelled in April 2017 and then re-released in June 2018. The SNES Classic released in September 2017.During Nintendo's financial results briefing, president Shuntaro Furukawa stated both Classic consoles' success suggested there might be "even greater demand during the holiday season." Furukawa did not discuss either unit's future during the briefing, and did not remark whether this success might justify the creation of additional Classic consoles--for Nintendo 64 or GameCube, for example--or the addition of more NES games on Switch Online.Nintendo has also released the updated list of the company's global game sales data for both Switch and 3DS. The biggest change in the Switch list is Mario Tennis Aces, which shot up to the number six spot with 2.16 million copies sold, after being number 10 during the last update. The big four--Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Splatoon 2--remain in the top, while the rest of the list has shuffled around a bit. With Nintendo adopting a pay to play online model for the Switch, it will be interesting to see if Splatoon 2 can continue to remain in the top four, or if it will be knocked out by another game in the coming months.The full list of the top 10 games on both Switch and 3DS are listed below.Nintendo Switch Global Game Sales DataSuper Mario Odyssey -- 12.17 millionMario Kart 8 Deluxe -- 11.71 millionThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild -- 10.28 millionSplatoon 2 -- 7.47 million1-2-Switch -- 2.64 millionMario Tennis Aces -- 2.16 millionArms -- 2.10 millionKirby Star Allies -- 2.10 millionDonkey Kong: Tropical Freeze -- 1.67 millionXenoblade Chronicles 2 -- 1.53 millionNintendo 3DS Global Game Sales DataMario Kart 7 -- 17.04 millionPokemon X/Y -- 16.29 millionPokemon Sun/Moon -- 16.10 millionPokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire -- 14.06 millionNew Super Mario Bros. 2 -- 12.61 millionSuper Mario 3D Land -- 11.96 millionAnimal Crossing: New Leaf -- 11.69 millionSuper Smash Bros. for 3DS -- 9.24 millionPokemon Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon -- 7.51 millionTomodachi Life -- 6.20 millionInfo from Gamespot.com

Nintendo's biggest Switch game of the holidays, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, arrives this December, but before then, the company is giving fans one final in-depth look at the star-studded brawler with a special Super Smash Bros.-focused Nintendo Direct. The broadcast airs Thursday, November 1, at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET and will feature a ton of new details about the game, so you won't want to miss it.The presentation will be streamed on Nintendo's website, YouTube, and Twitch channels. You'll also be able to watch it right here on GameSpot via the embed below, so you can bookmark this page and come back when the presentation begins. Immediately following the Direct, Nintendo will also broadcast a Treehouse livestream that will feature additional gameplay footage of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, as well as other upcoming Nintendo Switch games like Diablo III: Eternal Edition, Yoshi's Crafted World, and Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee.Watch live video from Nintendo on www.twitch.tv As usual, Nintendo hasn't divulged any concrete details on what fans will see during the Smash broadcast, but it certainly seems like it'll be a big one. The Direct is scheduled to run for approximately 40 minutes--nearly twice as long as the Smash Bros. Direct that aired back in August--and will reveal "new information" about the upcoming fighting game. What that will be is anyone's guess, but it presumably includes the game's final few playable characters, who director Masahiro Sakurai had previously teased would all be unveiled before its release. We'll also likely learn more about the title's mysterious final mode.The last time Nintendo aired a presentation devoted to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the company unveiled five new playable characters: Simon and Richter Belmont from Castlevania; the new Echo Fighters Chrom and Dark Samus; and the oft-requested King K. Rool from Donkey Kong Country. The following month during its September Direct presentation, Nintendo revealed that Animal Crossing's Isabelle is also joining the Smash roster. It's unclear just how many more playable character remain, but more than 70 have been announced to date. You can see everyone that's playable in our full Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster list.Super Smash Bros. Ultimate launches for Switch on December 7. Ahead of then, Nintendo is releasing a Smash Bros. Ultimate Switch bundle on November 2. It includes a digital copy of the game (which won't be playable until its release date) along with a Smash Bros.-themed dock and Joy-Cons. You can read more about the title in our roundup of everything we know about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.Info from Gamespot.com