Because '90s nostalgia never loses its potency, Home Improvement stars Tim Allen (Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor) and Richard Karn (Al Borland) will be reuniting as hosts of Assembly Required, a new History Channel competition series debuting February 23. Check out the latest trailer for the show, which was released Monday.According to the show's official synopsis, Allen and Karn will "spotlight the best and brightest makers from across the country, as they compete head-to-head, to create mind-blowing builds which not only pushes each builder beyond their limits but challenges their inner fixer and inventor to build it bigger, better and more powerful." The pair will be joined by DIY YouTube star April Wilerson, and the show has been ordered to run for 10 episodes.Devoted Home Improvement fans likely don't need this pointed out, but History Channel has also been advertising that Assembly Required is kicking off on the 30th anniversary year of Home Improvement, which first debuted back on September 17, 1991. That's more than a full four years before Allen became an even bigger household name as Toy Story's Buzz Lightyear--a character who it was recently announced will be getting a surprising spin-off on June 17, 2022.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

2020 has ended, but we're not finished celebrating the year's games. The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences has announced the nominees for this year's 24th annual D.I.C.E. Awards, and Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part II leads the way with 11 total nods, including Game of the Year.In total, 57 different games received nominations in 2020, but it was The Last of Us Part II that led all others with 11 nominations. In addition to Game of the Year, The Last of Us Part II was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Animation, Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction, Outstanding Achievement in Character (for Abby and Ellie), Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design, Outstanding Achievement in Story, Outstanding Technical Achievement, Adventure Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Game Design, and Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction.Another Sony exclusive, Ghost of Tsushima, follows behind with 10 nominations. Games that received five nominations include Half Life: Alyx, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and Ori and the Will of the Wisps.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Publisher THQ Nordic has stamped a release date on the long-in-development open-world critter brawler Biomutant. The game is slated to drop on May 25 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. THQ Nordic didn't clarify if the game is coming to PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S.Alongside announcing Biomutant's release date, THQ Nordic shared two editions players can preorder right now from the game's website: the Atomic Edition and Collector's Edition. The $120 Collector's Edition comes with the base game, figurine, soundtrack, the official artwork on a piece of fabric, and a premium box to store everything in. At $400, the Atomic Edition comes with the same artwork fabric, soundtrack, and game, but it also packages a 12-inch tall dioramic action scene statue, steelbook case, large or extra-large t-shirt, oversized mousepad, and a premium box. Check the images below to get a good look at what's in both editions.Gallery Initially revealed in August 2017, Biomutant is the first game by Swedish developer Experiment 101. Despite making an appearance at a few industry tradeshows since its reveal, including a lengthy gameplay video during Gamescom 2018, Experiment 101 never tagged a release date to Biomutant. However, in June 2020, Experiment 101 creative director Stefan Ljungqvist told said that the game was almost done. Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Black Widow, the next MCU movie set to release in theaters, will have a runtime of two hours and 13 minutes, according to Disney's UK site. This is hopefully the start of a trend of MCU movies coming more and more into focus, as opposed to the 2020 trend of delays and deferrals. Provided Black Widow indeed comes out as currently expected on May 7, 2021, that release date alone represents the film coming out a full year after it was originally expected and then pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Black Widow is a prequel, and as anyone who's seen Avengers: Endgame knows, star Scarlett Johansson is unlikely to return for many more Marvel films. Fortunately, Black Widow is just a codename for a group of highly trained Russian agents, and this film is expected to tell their story, which is set at some point after the events of 2016's Captain America: Civil War. Aside from the fuzziest of plot points, the movie seems to be about Johansson's character, Natasha Romanoff, confronting her history as a spy and the broken relationships she left behind to become an Avenger.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The team behind the hit hard-as-nails platformer Celeste are celebrating the third anniversary of the game's release, and they've made a quick sequel to the game's 8-bit progenitor as part of the festivities. If you've played Celeste, you might have encountered the 8-bit version on the fictional PICO-8 video game console as a little extra.What many people don't know is that the PICO-8 game, which was built in three days as part of a game jam, was actually the prototype for the entire Celeste project. This sequel, titled Celeste 2: Lani's Trek, features a completely new core mechanic and playable character. Lani obtains a grappling hook early on in Celeste 2, and it quickly becomes your main method of traversal. However, Lani can also use the grappling hook to grab items, including snowballs and spring platforms, which quickly ramps up the complexity of the game.Celeste 2: Lani's Quest is available for free on developer Maddy Thorson's Itch page. Though the game defaults to keyboard controls, we recommend using your preferred controller, because it requires pinpoint precision just to get past the first few screens. According to Thorson and co-developer Noel Berry, Celeste 2 was built in just a few days, and it was inspired by a community event for the anniversary of Celeste that was organized by fans of the 2018 game. Late last year, Thorson published a blog post that explored the gender identity of the game's trans protagonist Madeline, and how that overlapped with their own experience.Info from Gamespot.com

Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red has released official modding tools for the dystopian RPG, letting players create their own custom content.Since launch there have been many third-party mods for Cyberpunk 2077, including one that allowed you to play the game (badly) in third-person. With the official tools out now, the flood gates are open to custom quest content, asset swaps, and more. CD Projekt Red says the toolset will be updated with the game, meaning mod compatibility should not be an issue.This comes on the heels of the first big patch for Cyberpunk 2077, which aimed to start addressing some of the game's most pressing stability, performance, and scripting issues. Although Patch 1.1 did help some players, it has inadvertently introduced a new game-breaking bug that can halt your main story progress. CD Projekt Red is aware of it and has released a workaround for the issue until a proper fix is released.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Nvidia has released its latest Game Ready Driver for both desktop and laptop GPUs, with support for Bloober Team's The Medium.The latest driver ensures the best performance for The Medium when it launches later this week on PC, including support for its ray tracing and DLSS features. The Medium is also launching on Xbox Series X and Series S, and will be available on Xbox Games Pass across PC and console.In tandem with support for The Medium, the latest driver also launches alongside the first RTX 30-series powered laptops. Nvidia announced Max-Q designs for the RTX 3080, 3070, and 3060 earlier this year, with some of the first laptops with the chips launching today and through early February.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Sea of Thieves' first-ever season is starting on January 28, and fans are curious what exactly that means for the pirate adventure game. A new blog post from developer Rare explains how this new seasonal model will work, and it's going to bring big changes to the game.Essentially, the blog post explains that each season will last around three months, and it will bring new features, rewards, and events to Sea of Thieves. Each season will have its own progression track, and players will advance through that track by earning Renown, a new metric that's separate from the game's existing loot system. However, if players want to earn even more loot from completing the 100 levels of Renown, they can purchase the game's Plunder Pass to obtain more cosmetic items. Said Plunder Pass will cost 999 Ancient Coins, or $9.99.This basically means that the game is switching to the battle pass model that has been embraced by many popular multiplayer games, most notably Fortnite. According to the post, this move to a seasonal progression system is designed to make players feel as though they've accomplished something in every play session, even when all their loot gets swiped by another vessel.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

When it comes to streaming microphones, there aren't many options better than the Elgato Wave 3 microphone, thanks to its easy-to-use onboard controls, Clipguard tech, and impressive audio. If you've been interested in snagging yourself a quality new microphone, then you can get the Elgato Wave 3 microphone for $140, down from its regular price of $160. The Wave 3 doesn't often see discounts of any kind and has been known to sell out quickly. With the current pandemic, it's hard to know when items will restock. Elgato Wave 3 microphone $140 (was $160) The Elgato Wave 3 features a capacitive mute button on top in addition to a single knob that performs the majority of its other functions, including mic volume, headset volume, and sound mix. It also boasts Elgato's Clipguard technology, which helps prevent clipping during intense moments. For example, if you become excited by a clutch win or scream at a jump scare, the microphone will prevent your audio from becoming distorted. See at Amazon Another great aspect of the Wave 3 is its compatibility with Elgato's Wave Link software. This gives you the ability to adjust levels, filters, and sources from your PC and output them to your stream. If you want to exclude certain things from your viewers' ears, such as your friends' voice chat or any music, then you can do that with Wave Link.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Hitman developer IO Interactive is preparing to go on a hiring spree to support the development of its upcoming James Bond video game and other projects.IO director Hakan Abrak said in a new interview that the company plans to expand to around 400 people (up from 200) and open a new studio in Sweden to help develop the new James Bond project, which is only just getting started, along with other endeavors."It's very, very special--a boy's dream. Sometimes it's still a little hard to understand that it's us [making] James Bond," Abrak told The Gamer. "Today we [have] 200 employees and I expect that we will [have] over 400 employees over the next few years. So, there is no doubt that the Bond agreement means an insane amount to us."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Actor and comedian Kevin Hart has officially boarded the upcoming Borderlands movie. He joins Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett, who was previously announced to star in the film, and we've also learned about who Hart will play in the adaptation of Gearbox's popular game.Hart is lined up to portray Roland, a former soldier, who appears in Borderlands 1 and 2, according to Variety. It is rumored that Blanchett will play Lilith in the film, which will be directed by horror movie veteran Eli Roth. Craig Mazin, who is writing the Last of Us TV show, is attached to write the Borderlands script, making it his second video game project.Roth said he is "thrilled" to be working with Hart. "Borderlands is a different kind of role for him, and we are excited to thrill audiences with a side of Kevin they've never seen before. He's going to be an amazing Roland," Roth said.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Banjo-Kazooie's Stop 'N' Swop feature is one of the most infamous pieces of cut content in video game history, and it's been the subject of fan speculation for decades. Now, thanks to the Rare fansite Rare Gamer, a leaked communication between Nintendo and developer Rare reveals why the feature was cut from Banjo-Tooie and other games at the twilight of the Nintendo 64, and the results are quite interesting.What a day for Stop 'N' Swop news! We've updated our Explanation & Retrospective feature to encompass the latest findings and revelations courtesy of @Paul_Mach1! pic.twitter.com/desVLW0JWG — Rare Gamer (@Rare_Gamer) January 23, 2021As Eurogamer explains, the idea of Stop 'N' Swop itself was rather simple: players who achieved 100% completion in Banjo-Kazooie were treated to a special scene that showed Banjo walking into three previously-sealed areas. However, those areas remained inaccessible for the player, which prompted confusion from fans. Rare eventually explained on its website that players would be able to access these areas by swapping out their Banjo-Tooie cartridge for their Banjo-Kazooie cart, allowing them to take the goodies within back into Banjo-Tooie, where they could be used to great effect.As the above leaked missive reveals, however, Nintendo had serious concerns about the technical feasibility of Stop 'n' Swop. "There is no way we can guarantee that the RDRAM will retain data long enough...for the feature to work," it reads in part. "There is also a risk of damage to both the console and the game pak should the swap be made while power is still on." The writer goes on to suggest using a passcode system to achieve the desired interconnectivity between the games.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The upcoming Lord of the Rings game that focuses on Gollum has been delayed to 2022. The game was previously planned to release in 2021, but the delay came as part of the announcement that French publisher Nacon had signed on to co-publish the game with developer Daedalic Entertainment."The two companies decided to join forces to ensure that the game will meet the expectations of fans of The Lord of the Rings and fully leverage the power of the new generation of consoles," Nacon said in a press release.The Gollum game is described as a "story-driven action adventure" title that focuses on Gollum's journey as a creature who is obsessed with the One Ring. Players will apparently get to decide if Gollum's evil side will come out or if he can retain the sense of goodness he had as Smeagol.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Life simulator The Sims 4 has received the new $10 Paranormal Stuff Pack for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S that adds another vocation, a new home for the Sims to live in, and various roommates all centered around the occult.The pack is available to purchase from Microsoft, Origin, PlayStation, and Steam stores. Of course, players will need the base Sims 4 game to access the Paranormal Stuff content. Below is a rundown of everything players need to know about The Sim 4's latest DLC offering.The Sims 4: Paranormal Stuff Pack Release Date, TrailerThe Paranormal Stuff Pack is available now for everyone to purchase. It retails for $10 USD on the Microsoft, Origin, PlayStation, and Steam stores, though those with active EA Play memberships can save 10% on the expansion, as well as all other The Sims 4 content. Developer Maxis and publisher EA shared a reveal trailer showcasing what players can expect from the Paranormal Stuff Pack, which includes new gameplay mechanics and items.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Ahead of Apex Legends Season 8: Mayhem's debut on February 2, Respawn has dropped a brand-new trailer to show fans what they can expect.The trailer focuses mostly on Apex's newest legend: Walter Fitzroy, AKA Fuse. He's an Australian hot head with an eyepatch and a penchant for breaking the rules. According to the trailer he was "born into a world ruled by chaos, and he thrived in the mayhem." It seems that's only going to continue as the The Champion of Salvo enters the ring. With his penchant for explosions, chaos, and Aussie accent, he's a bit reminiscent of Overwatch's Junkrat, though their playstyles look to be completely different.Season 8 will also be introducing a new battle pass, a new weapon, and gold magazines in an attempt to continue expanding Apex's lore and meta. The new addition to your artillery in The Outlands is the 30-30 Repeater lever-action rifle, which looks like it can either fire of a series of weaker shots, or be slowly charged for a more powerful blast.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com