Big Bang Theory streaming exclusive with HBO Max in $1 billion deal

Anthony Garreffa | TV, Movies & Home Theatre | Sep 17, 2019 8:54 AM CDT

WarnerMedia has just signed a gigantic $1 billion deal to grab exclusive rights to one of the biggest TV shows ever; The Big Bang Theory. It will be an exclusive on HBO Max for five years.

Big Bang Theory streaming exclusive with HBO Max in $1 billion deal

Another big part of this deal are the syndication rights on traditional cable TV, especially for a show the size and popularity of The Big Bang Theory. The $1 billion deal will see the syndication deal extended with TBS and have the show air on the WarnerMedia-owned basic cable network all the way through to 2028.

All 12 seasons of The Big Bang Theory will be available to stream on HBO Max when its direct-to-consumer service launches in 2020. The Big Bang Theory is one of the biggest bangs in TV history (I had to) where after its 12-season run it became the longest-running multi-camera comedy series ever (beating Cheers!), and laid claim to the #1 scripted half-hour in the most-important 18-49 demographic.

Continue reading: Big Bang Theory streaming exclusive with HBO Max in $1 billion deal (full post)

GameStop stores are turning into retro gaming cafes

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Sep 17, 2019 8:22 AM CDT

Soon GameStop will be a place where you play games and also buy them.

GameStop stores are turning into retro gaming cafes

After years of falling sales and a crippling $500 million loss in 2018, GameStop is making big changes to its business. The company is restructuring its storefronts into gaming cafes with retro gaming, LAN play, and modern console gaming to keep consumers engaged. To pay for all this, GameStop is closing as many as 200 stores across the globe to fund these new expenditures.

Now GameStop teases what future stores could look like. In a recent Facebook post, a test store in Pryor, Oklahoma gave a quick run down of what gamers can expect from new redesigns.

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare now bundled with NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs

Anthony Garreffa | Video Cards & GPUs | Sep 17, 2019 8:00 AM CDT

NVIDIA continues its huge winning streak of offering the hottest games on the planet with its GeForce RTX series graphics cards, with games like Remedy's kick-ass Control and Wolfenstein: Young Blood.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare now bundled with NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is now added to that list with NVIDIA and Activision announcing the new GeForce RTX Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Bundle, where anyone who purchases an eligible GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, 2080 SUPER, 2080, 2070 SUPER, 2070, 2060 SUPER or 2060 GPU-equipped graphics card, laptop or desktop will receive a copy of the game.

Given that the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is the "one of the most anticipated first-person shooters in history" according to NVIDIA (and I tend to agree, it looks awesome and RTX is going to make it pop) -- this is a great deal. It means anyone buying an RTX-enabled card, laptop, or PC will receive one of the best-looking and most-fun games of the year.

Continue reading: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare now bundled with NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs (full post)

Gears 5 is the biggest launch for Xbox Games Studios this generation

Jak Connor | Gaming | Sep 17, 2019 7:40 AM CDT

Microsoft has taken to their official Xbox blog to talk about the success of Gears 5 and how it has broken launch records for Xbox Games Studios.

Gears 5 is the biggest launch for Xbox Games Studios this generation

According to the blog post, Gears 5 saw three million players in its opening weekend and has set a new record for Xbox Games Pass with the "biggest launch week of any Xbox Game Studios title this generation". When comparing Gears of War 4 to Gears 5, the performance has "easily doubled" in the first week of launch and now Gears 5 has become the "most-played Xbox Game Studios title in its first week since 2012's Halo 4."

On PC, Gears 5 has tripled the performance of its predecessor, which has now bestowed the title on Gears 5 as the "biggest-ever launch for Xbox Game Pass for PC" and also Xbox Game Studios' "best-ever debut on Steam".

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Nintendo begin taking orders for wireless SNES Switch controllers

Jak Connor | Gaming | Sep 17, 2019 7:09 AM CDT

It just felt like a matter of time before Nintendo were going to officially announce their own SNES-styled Nintendo Switch controllers, and now here they are.

Nintendo begin taking orders for wireless SNES Switch controllers

The news has come via the official Nintendo America Twitter page where the company has announced the brand new controllers. Following the Tweet, we head over to the website where it is detailed that purchasing will come in at $30 which will give you one Super Nintendo Entertainment System Controller and one USB cable. Orders will begin shipping on September 18th, 2019.

The whole idea of this controller release is to give gamers who are using the retro side of the Nintendo Switch Online service (required for the initial purchase of the controller) an excuse to pick up the controller their games were designed to be played with. Nintendo has also put a limit to the amount of controllers that can be purchased, as the website states that there is a "Limit four per Nintendo Account".

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Dragon Quest XI S: for Switch releases with Dragon Quest 1-3, Sept 27

Jak Connor | Gaming | Sep 17, 2019 6:04 AM CDT

The long awaited launch of Dragon Quest XI S on the Nintendo Switch isn't almost upon us and as a surprise addition, Dragon Quest I-III will also be coming to the hand held console.

Dragon Quest XI S: for Switch releases with Dragon Quest 1-3, Sept 27

The announcement comes from the official Dragon Quest Twitter page who shared an image of the three titles with some of their respective game art. The image says that players will be able to "discover the three legendary RPGs that started it all!". The launch of these three older titles being on the same day as the latest Dragon Quest installment coming to Switch is clearly planned additional content for players who might want to eventually pick up the whole series on Switch.

In other news about Dragon Quest, 'Hero' who represents several of the different Dragon Quest protagonists has been invited to join Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and is currently available to purchase and play. Check out more about 'Hero', and his massive impact in the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate scene here.

Continue reading: Dragon Quest XI S: for Switch releases with Dragon Quest 1-3, Sept 27 (full post)

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 64-player Ground War mode added to beta

Jak Connor | Gaming | Sep 17, 2019 5:06 AM CDT

The first part of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare exclusively came to the PS4, but now that is over PC and Xbox One gamers can join in on the action. How about 32v32?

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 64-player Ground War mode added to beta

Infinity Ward has updated open beta players with a brand new message that says that players can expect a new game mode to be introduced to live beta testers starting on Saturday, September 21. The new game mode will be 32v32 game mode called Ground War and players will be jumping into some raw wide-spread action on a new map called Karst River Quarry.

The Infinity War message reads as follows: "Thank you for playing the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Beta! We hope you're enjoying everything we've shown you so far, but we aren't done yet! On Saturday, September 21, during weekend two of the Beta, we'll be taking your multiplayer experience to the next level. Taking place on a new map, Karst River Quarry, you'll get your hands-on 32v32 warfare in a new mode, Ground War."

Continue reading: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 64-player Ground War mode added to beta (full post)

Netflix secures 5-year streaming deal for Seinfeld, starting 2021

Jak Connor | TV, Movies & Home Theatre | Sep 17, 2019 4:20 AM CDT

There is an ever-growing amount of streaming platforms that are coming out and snatching up the rights to TV shows and movies. Netflix is one of these platforms and they have now got a new 5-year deal with one of the most successful sitcom TV shows of all time.

Netflix secures 5-year streaming deal for Seinfeld, starting 2021

The new Netflix deal focuses in on Jerry Seinfeld's and Larry Davids 'Seinfeld' sitcom, which will feature all 180 episodes of the Emmy-Award winning show. The episodes will come to Netflix and be available worldwide starting sometime during 2021. At the moment, Seinfeld is currently available on Hulu where it has been since 2015.

Netflix will be losing the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe when Disney+ launches their goliath Disney IP-filled streaming platform. Netflix will also be losing Friends and The Office in the somewhat near future, so the company has to make some quick moves into picking up some culturally popular TV shows such Seinfeld, while also providing as much Netflix produced content as possible.

Continue reading: Netflix secures 5-year streaming deal for Seinfeld, starting 2021 (full post)

Twitch streamer banned over sexually suggestive fighting game costume

Jak Connor | Internet & Websites | Sep 17, 2019 3:11 AM CDT

Twitch streamer Quqco has announced that she has been banned from Twitch for violating the websites streaming guidelines, her offense comes under "sexually suggestive content or activities".

Twitch streamer banned over sexually suggestive fighting game costume

The ban happened when Quqco did a weekend stream in a cosplay outfit, and dressed up as the Street Fighter character Chun-Li. As both PCGamer and Kotaku note, most casual Street Fighter fans know that Chun-Li's outfit features a high thigh-cut slit. Quqco also was aware of this and even "brought [the skirt] one size up to ensure that the slit wasn't too high."

Quqco mentioned to Kotaku that this ban was a targeted attack by "a group of trolls" who have previously reported her in mass. She said "I am immediately reported because I've been branded a thot". From the ban, non-followers and followers of Quqco have taken to Twitter to express their concerns with Twitch's power to pick and choose what content has broken their Terms of Service and why.

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Google confirms it'll unveil new Pixel 4 phones on October 15

Google will be launching its next-gen Pixel 4 family of smartphones on October 15 according to media invites going around, with Google changing things up with its first 90Hz display on the new Pixel 4 phones.

Google confirms it'll unveil new Pixel 4 phones on October 15

The first member of the new Pixel 4 family will be the regular Pixel 4 with a 5.6-inch AMOLED screen and 2280 x 1080 resolution, while the larger Pixel 4 XL should rise up with a 6.2-inch AMOLED screen and 2960 x 1440p resolution. Both of these displays should feature a smooth 90Hz refresh rate.

Google will ship the new Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL (and any other members of the Pixel 4 family) with Android 10 as well as 6GB of RAM, and what should be a kick ass camera system. We're being told to expect a dual-camera rig with a 12-megapixel and 16-megapixel snapper on the back and Google's usual camera software magic on top.

Continue reading: Google confirms it'll unveil new Pixel 4 phones on October 15 (full post)