The Game Awards returns for another year this Thursday, December 12. Host Geoff Keighley has been hyping the show by promising a slew of reveals and announcements, and it seems at least one of them will concern Fortnite.

Epic’s popular battle royale shooter has been nominated for multiple awards this year, including “best esports game” and “best ongoing game.” The official Fortnite Twitter account reminded fans to tune into the awards show this week to see if the title wins any honors, and it casually teased that Epic will be “making a special announcement” regarding the game during the show.

Epic hasn’t commented any further on this teased announcement, so just what it is remains to be seen, but this certainly isn’t the first time the developer has revealed major Fortnite news at the venue. Back during the 2017 edition of The Game Awards, which took place just a few months after Fortnite’s now-omnipresent battle royale mode had launched, Epic announced one of the game’s first limited-time modes, and at last year’s show, the developer first revealed The Block, a section of the game’s map that spotlights user-created content.

Fortnite itself has undergone some significant changes since then. Back in September, the game seemingly deleted itself following Season 10’s big cataclysmic season-ending event, and it would remain offline for more than a day before it was relaunched as Fortnite Chapter 2. As part of the rebranding, Epic introduced a new map and a handful of new mechanics and features.

The Game Awards takes place Thursday, December 12, at 5:30 PM PT / 8:30 PM ET. You can stream the show right here on GameSpot. That isn’t the only video game news coming this week. Sony’s final State of Play of the year airs tomorrow, December 10, at 6 AM PT, while Nintendo is airing a Direct-style Switch presentation just a few hours later at 10 AM PT.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fortnite-teasing-special-announcement-for-the-game/1100-6472040/

Actor and musician Jack Black is big into video games–he even started a YouTube channel to celebrate games (and many other, unrelated activities). The Jumanji star has now revealed that he’s spent a large sum of money on one mobile game in particular.

In an appearance on the Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast, Black said he’s less drawn to console games these days and more toward mobile games, and WTG Golf in particular. Like other free-to-play games, WTG Golf offers microtransactions–and Black is embarrassed at how much he has spent on them.

“Right now it’s all about WTG Golf. It’s really embarrassing. It’s extremely satisfying, and truth be told, expensive. It’s just horrifying because they have figured me out. They know my brain. I have a little bit of OCD,” he said of the game’s microtransaction practices.

In WTG Golf, you can spent money to buy new sets of clothing, among other things. The clothing, which also features attribute boosts for putting and driving–can be unlocked through gameplay or by spending real money. Black has elected to spend money to buy the best clothing.

“I’m not going to tell you how much money I’ve spent on these clothes–because I don’t even know! It’s so much money,” he said.

Black joked that he’s spent so much money on WTG Golf that his children won’t be able to go to a good university. “I have set aside some money for their college, but yeah, they’re not going to be going to the best college,” he joked.

“It’s not just money, but hours of time. It’s so foolish,” Black said of playing WTG Golf.

Conan O’Brien shared his own over-spending story, saying he has spent a lot of money on the mobile game Clash of Clans. “I could have bought an OK watch. Instead, I’ve defended something that doesn’t exist to impress friends of my son that I haven’t met,” he said.

Jack Black starred in the 2009 Double Fine game Brutal Legend, and he also lent his vocal talents to another Double Fine game, 2014’s Broken Age. His next big movie is this month’s Jumanji: The Next Level.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/jack-black-has-spent-so-much-money-on-this-mobile-/1100-6472041/

With the Christmas season upon us, plenty of retailers are getting in on their own 12 Days of Deals–unfortunately, not a single one of them is selling a partridge, a pear tree, or even a pear. Best Buy has its own deals, while Walmart’s sale is full of deals on the Nintendo Switch, PS4 Pro, and Xbox One X, in addition to 4K TVs, wireless headphones, and much more.

Like Best Buy, Walmart is offering a special bundle for the Nintendo Switch. You can get the updated Nintendo Switch model (with Mario Red Joy-Cons) packaged with $20 Eshop credit and a Mario-themed carrying case. Additionally, Walmart is offering special bundles and deals for Xbox One X and S consoles and the PS4 Pro.

Of course, there are plenty of other deals, and new ones will replace them every day. You can keep track of it all on Walmart’s website, but we’ll also update this article with the best daily deals, so you don’t have to.

This bundle comes with the rare Mario Red Joy-Cons

Nintendo Switch (with improved battery) + $20 Eshop credit and carrying case | $299

Available for pick-up only

The updated model of the Nintendo Switch comes with improved battery life, but this bundle also comes with $20 of Eshop credit and a Mario-themed carrying case. The Mario Red Joy-Cons are also a great addition, as they’re not very common–this bundle is also exclusive to Walmart.

An Xbox One X bundle for $280

Xbox One X 1 TB NBA 2K19 bundle | $280 ($500)

This Xbox One X bundle may come packaged with a previous year’s entry in the NBA 2K series, but $280 is an incredible deal for the console alone. It’s being sold through Walmart by Antonline.com, which is a very reputable third-party seller known for its great deals.

An Xbox One X bundle that comes packaged with a PowerA wired controller for $349

Select Xbox One X and S bundles with PowerA controller

Xbox One X bundles were going for $350 during Black Friday, but this deal actually manages to edge Black Friday out by offering a bonus PowerA wired controller. The offer is eligible with multiple different bundles, and you have a choice between three different colours for the controller–White, Black, or Wetlands Cloud Camo.

Xbox One X bundles

• 1 TB Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order bundle — $349
• 1 TB NBA 2K20 bundle — $349

Xbox One S bundles

• 1 TB Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order bundle — $249
• 1 TB NBA 2K20 bundle — $249

This PS4 Pro is going for $299 at Walmart

PS4 Pro 1 TB | $299

Reputable third-party seller Antonline.com is also selling a PS4 Pro for $300 through Walmart. It doesn’t come bundled with anything, but it’s still an excellent price for the more powerful PS4.

TV deals

• Sceptre 50-inch 4K TV — $190 ($400)
• RCA 65-inch 4K TV — $380 ($900)
• JVC 70-inch 4K Roku Smart TV — $530 ($900)

Laptop deals

• Motile 14-inch laptop — $245 ($600)
  • AMD Ryzen 3 with Radeon Vega 3 graphics
  • 4 GB RAM
  • 128 GB SSD
• EVOO 15-inch gaming laptop — $699 ($1,299)
  • Intel i7-9750H with GTX 1650
  • 256 GB SSD
  • 16 GB RAM
• EVOO 11.6-inch touchscreen laptop — $179 ($399)
  • 4 GB RAM
  • 32 GB hard drive

Headphones and speaker deals

• Beats by Dre – Powerbeats3 Wireless Earphones — $89 ($119)
• Vizio 5.1 home theater soundbar system — $198 ($228)
• RCA Bluetooth home theater system — $128 ($198)

Other tech deals

• Jetstream Smart Home Kit (2 Smart Plugs + 4 Smart Bulbs) — $40 ($69)
• Jetstream Blizzard 4K Camera Drone — $70 ($80)
• Sharper Image Instant Print Camera — $40 ($90)
• Echelon Reflect 40-inch smart mirror — $899 ($1,099)

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/switch-xbox-one-x-ps4-pro-and-more-featured-in-wal/1100-6472038/

There’s still time to pick up a new PS4 before the holidays, and you may be surprised to learn that current deals rival what we saw on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Both Ebay and Newegg have steep discounts on PS4 Pro bundles. Ebay is selling the PS4 Pro with Marvel’s Spider-Man Game of the Year Edition for $280 for Green Monday, while Newegg is bundling Kingdom Hearts 3 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 with the PS4 Pro for $300.

PS4 Pro with Marvel’s Spider-Man

PS4 Pro with Marvel’s Spider-Man | $280

Marvel’s Spider-Man is one of the best PS4 exclusives, and the GOTY Edition comes with the three story expansions. You’re saving $160 overall on this bundle.

PS4 Pro with Kingdom Hearts 3 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 | $300

This is a unique bundle, as It comes with two wildly different games. Kingdom Hearts 3 is a charming Disney-infused action game, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is a multiplayer-centric first-person shooter.

The PS4 Pro was discounted to $300 as part of Sony’s official Black Friday deals, so both of these bundles are quite good. However, we’d give the edge to Ebay’s deal. Yes, Newegg’s bundle includes two games, but Kingdom Hearts 3 retails for $20, which is the difference in price between the two bundles anyway. Also, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is last year’s iteration of the popular first-person shooter franchise. The newest entry, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, released in October.

For those who aren’t interested in the PS4 Pro, Ebay also has a decent deal on the PS4 Slim holiday bundle. Dubbed the “Only on PlayStation” bundle, you get a 1TB black console, The Last of Us: Remastered, God of War, and Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition for $245. This bundle was $200 on Black Friday, so you have to spend more now, but it’s still less than the $300 price that it’s going for at major retailers.

Are you in the market for an Xbox One or Nintendo Switch? Ebay has the Xbox One X with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and NBA 2K19 for $290. Best Buy is giving away $30 gift cards with the purchase of a Nintendo Switch, and Woot is discounting the Switch Lite to $180 for Amazon Prime members.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/grab-a-ps4-pro-bundle-for-cheaper-than-its-black-f/1100-6472037/

Minecraft on PS4 will update to the unified “bedrock version” with an update on December 10, bringing it in-line with each of the other versions and allowing cross-play on the platform. This is the final platform to receive the free bedrock edition update, which is the name given to the unified structure that has been populating across PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android, and Gear VR devices.

Aside from cross-play between platforms, the update will also let you carry over any purchases and progress between platforms with your Microsoft account. PS4 players will also be able to access the mod hub Minecraft Marketplace. Sony was reluctant to adopt cross-play on its platform, but began allowing it last year starting with Fortnite. Now it’s available in many more games, including the recently released Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

“One of Minecraft’s core missions is to connect players across devices and provide the best experience regardless of platform,” said Minecraft studio head Helen Chiang. “We continue to fulfill that mission here today by welcoming PS4 players to Minecraft on Bedrock and growing our cross-platform multiplayer community.”

This update to the classic Minecraft edition is part of Microsoft’s continued support for the game since acquiring the property. It’s also working on other games, including the AR game Minecraft Earth and next year’s dungeon crawler Minecraft Dungeons.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/minecraft-ps4-update-adds-cross-play-with-xbox-one/1100-6472031/