Tag Archives: Arts & Entertainment

Theater chains will spend $2.2 billlion to lure you back to the movies

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The biggest theater chains in the US and Canada are giving their cinemas a major upgrade in hopes of enticing more people to watch movies outside of their homes. According to Variety, they're planning to spend $2.2 billion to modernize 21,000 screens over the next three years — even adding activities audiences can do, like pickleball and ziplining. Michael O'Leary, the president and CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), told the publication that the industry feels it has "turned a corner" and that "audiences are coming back to the theaters." However, they have to do more to make the shared cinematic experience more enjoyable. 

People have become used to waiting for films to come out on streaming over the past years, after all, and they're not going out for movies they don't feel compelled to see as soon as they come out. The total US domestic revenue for this year's summer box office, for instance, is over 10 percent lower than last year's. Variety says AMC, Regal Cinemas, Cinemark, Cineplex, Marcus Theatres, B&B Theatres, Harkins Theatres and Santikos Entertainment have all told NATO that they're investing money to better their facilities. 

The companies are expected to spend their budgets on upgrading their laser projectors and their sound systems, as well as on installing more comfortable seating, better AC, lighting and carpeting. And, yes, they're adding new attractions like pickleball courts, arcades, ziplines and bowling alleys, which could change what it means to go to the movies. The image above is a pickleball court at a B&B Theatre cinema. "This investment of resources is the next step in our industry’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that going to the theater remains a unique and special experience for generations to come," O'Leary said. Whether the strategy works or not remains to be seen, but that these companies are willing to spend a collective amount of $2.2 billion in upgrades signifies that they're at least in a better place than they were in at the height of the pandemic. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/theater-chains-will-spend-22-billlion-to-lure-you-back-to-the-movies-140054935.html?src=rss

The Morning After: I really want this 30th anniversary PS5 Pro

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To commemorate PlayStation’s 30 years in the game, Sony revealed some nostalgia-tinged redesigns of both the PS5 and the forthcoming PS5 Pro. With that classic gray colorway and the old-school logo, there’s a similarly styled DualSense controller and even a chunky retro-designed cable wrapped around the typical USB-C connector.

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Sony

The PS5 Pro bundle even includes a standard controller, a DualSense Edge and a retro cover for the optional disc drive and the charging stand. Even the PlayStation Portal is getting a 1994 colorway.

Pre-orders start on September 26 through the company and at participating retailers, launching on November 21. Sony has me trapped: Design it in the colors of my childhood gaming memories, and I will probably buy it — especially when early impressions of the PS5 Pro show it could be capable of some leaps in game engine performance.

— Mat Smith

At its in-person fan event for Geeked Week this year, Netflix showed teasers and sneak peeks for the second season of Avatar: The Last Airbender as well as Squid Game season two, with last season’s protagonist, Lee Jung-jae, wearing his player 456 uniform again. There were also new clips for One Piece, Wednesday, Splinter Cell, Devil May Cry and more.

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YouTube is turning paused videos into its newest ad space. The company first started looking at using ads on pause screens in 2023 with select advertisers. YouTube’s viewers are less enthusiastic. The new ads also pop up when you pause videos on the YouTube mobile app.

A YouTube rep told The Verge they’ve seen “strong advertiser and strong reviewer responses” since they “rolled out Pause ads to all advertisers.” Great.

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A documentary on Oprah Winfrey is no longer coming to Apple TV+. Because, well, Winfrey, herself, bought back the rights to it, PageSix reports. Allegedly, Winfrey and filmmaker Kevin Macdonald clashed on the final product, with the latter not making the requested edits. Winfrey was initially very involved in Apple TV+, even speaking at its launch. She signed a multi-year deal with the platform, launching shows such as The Oprah Conversation, but the agreement ended in 2022.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-i-really-want-this-30th-anniversary-ps5-pro-111559032.html?src=rss

Netflix teases the next seasons of Avatar, Squid Game and Arcane at Geeked Week

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At its in-person fan event for Geeked Week this year, Netflix has shown teasers and sneak peeks of its upcoming shows, including the second season of Avatar: The Last Airbender. In addition to revealing that the new season is already in production, Netflix has also announced that Miya Cech (Are You Afraid of the Dark?) is playing earthbending master Toph. 

A teaser for Squid Game season 2 shows Lee Jung-jae wearing his player 456 uniform again to compete in another round of deadly games with other contestants hoping to win millions of dollars. The next season of Squid Game will start streaming on December 26. 

The streaming giant has also revealed that One Piece live action's Mr. 0 and Miss All-Sunday will be portrayed by Joe Mangianello and Lera Abova, respectively. And for Wednesday fans, Netflix has released a teaser for the second season of Wednesday that will arrive sometime in 2025. 

For animation fans, Netflix has released a teaser for Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, with Liev Schreiber voicing protagonist Sam Fisher. It has also given viewers a short look at a new Devil May Cry animated series by Korean company Studio Mir, which is coming in April 2025. 

Netflix has teased a new Tomb Raider animated series that's coming in October and a Rebel Moon game that's arriving in 2025, as well. Finally, the company has given Arcane fans a clear schedule for the final chapter of the critically acclaimed show: Act 1 will be available to stream on November 9, followed by Act 2 on November 16. A third and final Act will close out the show with a proper ending on November 23.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/netflix-teases-the-next-seasons-of-avatar-squid-game-and-arcane-at-geeked-week-035246559.html?src=rss

Monument Valley 3 breaks the series’ old boundaries by adding a sailboat

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During Netflix's Geeked Week event, some more details about Monument Valley 3 emerged. Developer Ustwo Games says the long-awaited sequel builds on its predecessors in several ways, especially in terms of the gameplay, art style and story.

Perhaps the biggest change in Monument Valley 3 is the introduction of sailing. You'll be able to move the boat in almost any direction and, as such, "the game is no longer restricted to geometric spaces," game director Jennifer Estaris said during a call with reporters. Along with unfolding cubes that shift new protagonist Noor onto different planes, Monument Valley 3 is in large part about "deconstructing what we know," Estaris said.

Naturally, those changes allow for fresh puzzles and visuals as players navigate impossible-looking, MC Escher-style architectural spaces. Aligned with that, Ustwo has evolved the art style with softer and more abstract shapes (you are going to be navigating rivers after all). The result is something that looks very familiar, but like a hazy memory. Meanwhile, the soundtrack from an 18-piece orchestra might just stir up some emotions.

While the original game was about forgiveness and its sequel was a coming-of-age tale, Monument Valley 3 focuses on the themes of hope, togetherness and resilience. Noor is a lighthouse keeper's apprentice who is tasked with searching for a new source of power before light fades away from the world forever. It's the "most ambitious story" to date for a Monument Valley game, according to Ustwo marketing manager Jamie Wotton.

All three Monument Valley games are standalone titles with their own stories. That means you'll be able to glide right into Monument Valley 3 without playing the previous two entries. But there's plenty of time to check those out first (or revisit them). You won't have to pay extra for those mobile gaming classics if you have a Netflix subscription. There are no ads or in-app purchases in the company's games.

Monument Valley is available to Netflix subscribers on iOS and Android starting today, and its sequel will arrive on the service on October 29. Monument Valley 3 will then debut as a Netflix mobile exclusive on December 10.

Netflix revealed some other mobile gaming news during Geeked Week. Its multiplayer take on Battleship (which includes special weapons and ranked modes) will drop on September 24. Subscribers will soon be able to play Civilization IV and Street Fighter IV CE on their mobile devices at no extra cost — the Netflix version of the latter will offer cross-play between iOS and Android.

Meanwhile, Netflix provided another peek at Squid Game: Unleashed before that multiplayer tie-in game arrives later this year. Last but not least, there was a first look at Blood Line: A Rebel Moon Game, based on Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon movies. The Netflix-exclusive co-op action game from Vainglory developer Super Evil Megacorp will debut in 2025.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/monument-valley-3-breaks-the-series-old-boundaries-by-adding-a-sailboat-013638578.html?src=rss

Black Mirror season 7 cast revealed in a cryptic computer message

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Get ready to question humanity’s control over the technology that surrounds us because another season of Netflix’s Black Mirror is in the works. Earlier today, the official Black Mirror X page revealed the cast of the new season coming next year along with some other interesting clues and Easter eggs.

The video features an old, flickering computer screen that appears to unload a complete data dump of the entire cast for season 7. Some of the names that jumped out at us includes Oscar nominee Paul Giamatti, Doctor Who star and Oscar winner Peter Capaldi (he won in 1995 with his live action short film Franz Kafka’s It’s a Wonderful Life), Awkwafina, Issa Rae, Tracee Ellis Ross and Rashida Jones. 

The list also included some of the cast who played virtual crew members of the USS Callister from the iconic fourth season episode of the same name. The names from the USS Callister episode that appeared on the list include Cristin Milioti, Jimmi Simpson, Billy Magnussen, Milanka Brooks and Osy Ikhile.

We’ve known for a while now that series creator Charlie Brooker has been planning to revisit the crew of the USS Callister. The season 4 opening episode starred Jesse Plemmons as the chief technology officer named Robert of a top tier game studio and a big fan of a Star Trek-esque TV show called Space Fleet. By day, he gets pushed around and little credit for the company’s success from his colleagues and staff. He uses immersive virtual reality technology to play as Space Fleet Capt. Robert Daly away from work on a virtual starship and takes out his frustrations and anger on the crew in increasingly cruel and inhumane ways. The crew members were replicated in the game using his boss and staff members’ DNA that Robert obtained without their permission or knowledge. The crew revolt and escape to the open Internet while leaving a seething “Capt. Robert” stranded in the game.

Of course, this wouldn’t be a true Black Mirror reveal if it didn’t contain some clues and hidden items in the teaser. The loading screen features the studio name Tuckersoft, a reference to the game studio in the interactive “Bandersnatch” movie. The cast names are listed in alphabetical order by first name but they’ve been broken into eight groups. There are some cryptic phrases between the scrolling group names like “Too soon?”, “A rose for a rose” and “Shields 58 percent.”

Could these be episode titles? The latter definitely sounds like a reference to the USS Callister and Brooker and company love symbolic episode titles taken from songs for their tech hell stories like “Shut Up and Dance” and “Hang the DJ.” The new Black Mirror episodes haven’t even landed yet and they’ve already screwing with our heads.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/black-mirror-season-7-cast-revealed-in-a-cryptic-computer-message-203343148.html?src=rss

YouTube is now showing ads when you pause videos

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Google has found another way to turn your eyeballs into money: by turning paused YouTube videos into a new real estate for ads. A YouTube communications manager told The Verge they’ve seen “strong advertiser and strong reviewer responses” since they “rolled out Pause ads to all advertisers.”

YouTube first started looking at using ads on pause screens in 2023 with select advertisers. Google’s chief business officer Phillip Schindler announced last April that advertisers loved the new ad concept. YouTube’s viewers aren’t as enthusiastic about the idea.

Reddit users posted screenshots of the new pause screen ads and to say they aren’t happy with the ads is the understatement of the year.

The new ads aren’t just showing up on the website. Ads also pop up when you pause videos on the YouTube mobile app, according to others on the site.

Pause screen ads are not a new concept. Streaming services like AT&T’s DirecTV and Hulu show ads when the screen is paused if you have one of the lower tier subscription plans. Some Amazon products like the Fire tablets also show ads on the lock screen and Amazon announced last May that it plans to expand its ad space offerings for living-room devices, according to Amazon’s official blog.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/youtube/youtube-is-now-showing-ads-when-you-pause-videos-193622495.html?src=rss

Oprah buys back her Apple TV+ documentary to lock it away

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A documentary on Oprah Winfrey is no longer coming to Apple TV+. Why, you might ask? Well, Winfrey, herself, bought back the rights to it, PageSix reports. Allegedly, Winfrey and filmmaker Kevin Macdonald clashed on the final product, with the latter not making requested edits.

A spokesperson for Winfrey put things a bit nicer: "As the Apple TV+ deal was coming to an end, Ms. Winfrey bought back the rights to her docu-series and has since decided to put the doc on hold. Ms. Winfrey believes Lisa Erspamer and Kevin MacDonald are incredibly talented filmmakers and is grateful for the time and energy they put into the project." Erspamer previously worked with Winfrey for a long time at OWN but was let go in 2012.

Winfrey was initially very involved in Apple TV+, even speaking at its launch. She signed a multi-year deal with the platform, launching shows such as The Oprah Conversation, but the agreement ended in 2022. It's unclear how much Winfrey, a billionaire, had to spend to get the rights back, with some sources saying it was in the millions and others claiming just six figures.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/oprah-buys-back-her-apple-tv-documentary-to-lock-it-away-130002869.html?src=rss

Get a good gawp at Ghostface’s fatality and some new animalities for MK1

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A new update for Mortal Kombat I (MK1) is less than a week away from release that will add new character skins, new finishing moves and (eventually) new fighters to its “kombatant” selection screen. NetherRealm Studios released a preview of the “karnage” that’s “koming” around the “korner” (OK, we’ll stop with the unnecessary K’s).

The new trailer released on Mortal Kombat creator Ed Boon’s X page shows some of the new stuff MK1 players can expect from the Khaos Reigns pack scheduled for release on September 24 and future updates. The base game costs $49.99 for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC on Steam and $39.99 on the Nintendo Switch. The Khaos Reigns DLC costs (gasp!) $49.99 for the PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC on Steam and $39.99 for the Nintendo Switch The Khaos Reigns Kollection bundle that includes the Khaos pack and base game will set you back $89.99 for the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S or $69.99 for the Nintendo Switch.

The MK1 add-on adds a brand new story mode to the game in which the newly apotheosized Liu Kang battles the evil Titan Havik with his band of fighters and EarthRealm defenders. The new pack also comes with the “Kombat Pack 2” of new fighters available on the release day including the cyborgs Cyrax and Sektor and the shadow assassin Noob Saibot.

The pack will also provide access to Ghostface from the Scream movies, the T-1000 voiced by Robert Patrick and Conan the Barbarian once they are released. If you can’t wait for a release date or you just don’t like watching whole trailers for one moment, footage of one of Ghostface’s fatalities found its way to X. The video shows the infamous Scream villain eviscerating an opponent with the help of another Ghostface killer, a loving nod to Scream VI starring Jenna Ortega and Hayden Panettiere.

MK1 is also bringing back an old favorite finisher known as “animalities” that first appeared in the Mortal Kombat 3 arcade game. Every fighter in the game has a finishing move where they turn into an animal and vivisect their opponent in a number of creative ways. Boon shared a clip of Kitana’s animality in which she transforms into a giant, bloodthirsty hummingbird and turns her opponent into a bloody flesh flower.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/get-a-good-gawp-at-ghostfaces-fatality-and-some-new-animalities-for-mk1-233038696.html?src=rss

Battletoads/Double Dragon headbutts its way onto Nintendo’s Switch Online library

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If you grew up in the age of the NES and SNES consoles, you might be positively giddy to learn that one of the greatest video game crossovers since Marvel vs Capcom is available on the Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo announced the addition of four new SNES titles to its Switch Online service including the 1993 beat ‘em up Battletoads/Double Dragon. This rare meeting of mayhem between the fly-gulping trio and the martial arts duo Billy and Jimmy Lee takes players through both games’ universes as they plow through unique waves of fist-flinging enemies.

The crossover begins when the Evil Queen from the Battletoads’ universe cuts a deal with the Shadow Boss from the Double Dragon universe on Earth. She sends a massive ship called the Colossus to take over our planet so Zitz, Rash and Pimple pick up the Double Dragons with the Battlecopter and intercept the ship to stop it from reaching Earth. The game features seven levels that take place on the Colossus and on Earth as the Battletoads and Double Dragons smash, kick and ram enemies and bosses from both video game franchises.

The latest Switch Online game update also brings three more SNES games to the Nintendo Switch. The update includes the Tetris-inspired Cosmo Gang The Puzzle, the Jaleco rally racer Big Run and the Super Famicon port of Kunio-kun no Dodgeball da yo Zen'in Shūgō! (It's Kunio's Dodgeball, Assemble Everyone!).

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/battletoadsdouble-dragon-headbutts-its-way-onto-nintendos-switch-online-library-193034766.html?src=rss

Five features that caught our eye from today’s YouTube livestream

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YouTube’s creator-focused broadcast, Made On YouTube, is here again, and there's plenty to talk about. From more AI integration to Communities, YouTube seems to be gearing up to compete against rivals like TikTok and Netflix. Here are five things that genuinely interested us among the deluge of updates and new features.

YouTube is introducing the Hype system, which lets viewers “go beyond” liking and sharing a video. The idea is to allow fans to give more visibility to smaller creators — so hyping is only allowed for videos from creators under 500,000 subscribers, and only on videos under a week old. Content with the most hype will end up on a new leaderboard of the 100 most hyped videos in their country. Fans can only hype three times in a week for now, though additional uses will eventually be purchasable in the future.

YouTube Shorts creators will be able to employ Google DeepMind’s Veo video generator model later this year. Veo can generate six-second clips after reading a prompt, and all creations will have a label showing that generative AI was used, along with SynthID watermarking. Veo integration will exist parallel to (but doesn't replace) YouTube’s Dream Screen — another AI video generation tool — which was introduced last year.

The Community tab is getting a revamp, slated to come out in early 2025. Currently, only the channel owner can post in the Community tab, but the new experience will allow subscribers to create posts, with a tab to view only creator posts if necessary. Of course, subscribers can post images to prompt conversation. Some creators interact with their viewers currently through other platforms (like Discord) and this seems to be an attempt to create an in-house alternative.

Some of us lament being unable to understand creators using languages we don’t speak, but YouTube intends to fix that by implementing auto-dubbing. With the help of AI, viewers can now listen to machine-translated audio in their preferred language. YouTube promises that the audio will sound natural, taking intonation into account along with the creator’s surroundings.

Finally, the YouTube TV app will have an update mirroring Netflix’s current layout. Creators will be able to organize their content in seasons and episodes, and there will be previews before users play any content. According to The Hollywood Reporter, we can expect to see these new features starting next year, though no concrete date was announced.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/youtube/five-features-that-caught-our-eye-from-todays-youtube-livestream-171537530.html?src=rss