LinkedIn expands live audio events as it tries to bring in more creators

LinkedIn is expanding its Clubhouse-style live audio feature as it looks to draw more creators to its platform. The company, which first launched live audio events in January, will now open up hosting capabilities to all creators.With the update, all L…

First season of ‘Battlefield 2042’ debuts June 9th with a new map

After a months-long delay, DICE and EA are finally ready to premiere the first season of Battlefield 2042. The two have announced that Season 1: Zero Hour premieres on June 9th with a large batch of fresh content. There’s a new map set in the Canadian Rockies (Exposure) for the All-Out Warfare and Portal modes. A new character, Ewalina Lis, is well-suited to anti-vehicle combat. You’ll need her, too, as there are new stealth helicopters (the Huron and Hannibal) that could provide an unwelcome surprise.

The new season includes a wider range of gear, including a crossbow with multiple round options (including explosive), a mid-range rifle and a smoke grenade launcher. To no one’s surprise, EA is also promising more skins and melee takedown animations for Premium Battle Pass buyers.

Zero Hour also builds on the many bug fixes and needed feature additions since launch. You can expect greater stability, better balancing and improved handling for guns and vehicles, among other tweaks. Custom game mode creators can expect a more powerful editor and a new preset, while Portal brings back some vehicles and “experiences.”

Season 1 is free for all BF2042 players, and you’ll only really want the Premium pass if you insist on having the latest cosmetics. The question is whether or not the update will bring gamers back. While active player counts have levelled out, according to Steam Charts, there’s no doubt that interest in the shooter tumbled soon after its November 2021 debut. A rough launch and other frustrations prompted much of the target audience to drift toward other titles. The major content update might encourage users to give the game a second chance, but it’s not certain that they’ll stick around.

‘The Sandman’ Netflix series will arrive on August 5th

Netflix dropped a trailer for its upcoming series The Sandman, which is set to debut on August 5th. The highly anticipated show is based on the popular graphic novels by Neil Gaiman from the nineties, and features the likes of Tom Sturridge, Gwendolyn Christie, Stephen Fry and Patton Oswalt. Netflix also announced today that Mark Hamill will be voicing the kingdom’s resident handyman Merv Pumpkinhead.

The new trailer is less than two minutes long, but gives us a good glimpse at how the show will recreate the mystical realms in which the story is set. The Sandman follows the King of Dreams, also known as Morpheus (played by Sturridge) after he escapes captivity and returns to his now suffering kingdom, the Dreaming. But a number of people aren’t happy about that, including the occult detective Johanna Constantine (played by Jenna Coleman) and The Corinthian (Boyd Holbrook), a former inhabitant of the Dreaming who went rogue.

The decision to adapt Gaiman’s best-selling graphic novel series may seem like a no-brainer for studio execs, but it took a lot of effort to actually make happen. A planned film adaptation by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Batman Begins screenwriter David Goyer fell apart after disagreements with the studio. Admittedly, the show’s source material is a tricky one to adapt and spans multiple timelines. Gaiman has previously stated, “I’d rather see no Sandman movie made than a bad Sandman movie.” Hopefully, the Netflix treatment will do the story justice.

Star Ocean: The Divine Force, when will the media return? Square Enix responds

You may have forgotten, but Square-Enix and tri-Ace are currently preparing a sixth part of the intergalactic role-playing game saga, Star Ocean: The Divine Force. […]

The post Star Ocean: The Divine Force, when will the media return? Square Enix responds appeared first on Gamingsym.

TikTok launches a $5 subscription comedy series

TikTok is joining forces with Pearpop to launch a comedy docuseries hosted by creator Jericho Mencke, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It’s cost $5 for all eight episodes, each 30 minutes long, with the first two running for free for all TikTok users. 

Called Finding Jericho, the series will feature Mencke doing comedic interviews with characters like a clown from Craigslist. It’ll be executive produced by Pearpop executives Zack Bernstein and Austin Sokol, along with Mencke. 

Last month, TikTok unveiled the Live monthly subscription tool for creators on an invitation-only basis, after unveiling the service in January 2022. It allows creators to “increase their earnings while continuing to grow their communities” with perks like subscriber badges, custom emotes and a subscriber-only chat. 

In 2020, TikTok announced a $200 million fund to support creators, but the subscription service gives personalities a more direct stream of income. Pearpop, meanwhile, is a separate platform that allows creators to “monetize their influence” through challenges and brand sponsorships. The first episode of Finding Jericho premiered late yesterday at 9PM PST and following episodes will arrive Tuesday and Thursdays at the same time on the @Jercho1 and @pearpopofficial TikTok accounts.

‘Street Fighter 6’ arrives in 2023 with new modes and real-time commentary

A few months after confirming the existence of Street Fighter 6, Capcom has revealed that the upcoming entry to the fighting franchise will come out in 2023 for the PS 5, PS 4, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Like the company promised in its initial teaser, the game will include Luke, a key DLC character for Street Fighter V, as well as fan favorites Ryu and Chun-Li. The video game developer previously described Luke as “a key player in the future of Street Fighter” who would help expand its world. 

Capcom is using its own RE Engine to develop the fighting game, and it says that gives it the capability to make sure finer details shine through, such as the look of individual muscles tensing up. The company also used the RE Engine to for its other popular titles, including Resident Evil Village, Devil May Cry 5 and Monster Hunter: Rise.

One of the features debuting with the title is Real Time Commentary, which will provide easy-to-understand explanations about gameplay for your matches. These commentaries will be voiced by notable Fighting Game Community commentators, starting with Jeremy “Vicious” Lopez and Aru, and they’ll support subtitles in 13 languages.

It will also feature modes from previous entries, along with two new ones called World Tour and Battle Hub. In addition, Capcom is introducing Modern Control Type with Street Fighter 6 to make special moves easier to execute: It will allow you to perform special attacks simply by pressing the button for it along with directional input.

The company has yet to announce an exact release date for it, but you can watch a trailer for the game above.

‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ will hit Disney+ on June 22nd

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has only been in theaters for a few weeks, but you won’t need to wait much longer to catch the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe movie at home. It will start streaming on Disney+ on June 22nd at no extra cost to subscribers.

In another example of the theatrical exclusivity window narrowing, the movie will be available on Disney+ just 47 days after its arrival in theaters. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Free Guy also landed on Disney+ just 45 days or so into their theatrical runs.

It used to be the case that movies would be in cinemas only for 90 days before they were available as home entertainment options, but the pandemic upended that. Some major studios, including Disney, started putting movies up on streaming services or made them available for digital rental on the same day they debuted in theaters. Netflix and some smaller studios and distributors adopted the day-and-date approach long before the onset of COVID-19 prevention measures.

Meanwhile, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness isn’t the only MCU property coming to Disney+ this month. The Ms. Marvel series will premiere on June 8th.