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Either you get it, or you don’t

The Room isn’t for everyone, but those who appreciate its sheer, terrible insanity often do so on a deep level. James Franco wasn’t one of those people–until he finally saw The Room for himself.

The actor and director behind The Disaster Artist, the movie about the making of the worst movie of all time, discussed his first time seeing The Room and more during a panel in Los Angeles recently. Here are some of the most incredible things he said, from listening to Tommy Wiseau’s personal audio diaries to the movie Wiseau wants to make about gay sex. Click forward to read on.

James Franco wasn’t originally a fan of The Room

“I’d been in LA, I’d been here since ’96, and I saw the billboard on Highland with the phone number and Tommy glaring at you with the lazy eyelid, and I honestly–because there had been like, Angelyne billboards, you know, Angelyne in her pink Corvette, with her number. I guess I just thought it was something like that–like you can have the weird, aging Barbie type, or you can have this scary guy. I don’t know. It didn’t register that it was a movie, to me.”

Franco knew as soon as he saw it that he would play Tommy Wiseau

“The book came out about four or five years ago, and I read it immediately. Before I was halfway through, I was like, this is incredible. I was in Vancouver doing an interview at the time, and there was a screening that weekend. I went, and it was like, you know, people throwing spoons at the screen–it was just this insane experience. And I was in. I was just like, I knew then, I was like, ‘I need to play this guy,’ and I knew my brother was right [to play The Room co-star Greg Sestero].”

Tommy Wiseau wanted Johnny Depp to play him

“Strangely, I was one of two people who Tommy wanted to play him. I know why he wanted me–because I played James Dean. Tommy thinks he’s James Dean. It’s not a joke. He quotes James Dean in his–you saw–‘You’re tearing me apart!’ is straight from Rebel Without a Cause. The other one he wanted was Johnny Depp. So, he got me.”

Tommy and Greg still talk every day

“[The Room co-star and The Disaster Artist co-author Greg Sestero], he’s such a great guy, but he’s just as mysterious as Tommy. And he did this movie–whenever he thought about it, he probably, after a while, thought, ‘At least nobody’s gonna ever see this. I’ll forget about this in a month.’ Then it turned out to be the biggest public event thing of his life, it’s how most people know him, and he still talks to Tommy every day.”

Tommy and Greg made another movie

“Greg saw an early screening of our movie and was inspired, and wrote a script in four days, called “Best F(r)iends,” with “R” in parentheses, so it’s Best Fiends/Best Friends, and he said that I had humanized Tommy for him…They just finished it. It’s so long they had to Kill Bill it, so now it’s Volume 1 and 2. Tom Bissell, the co-writer of the book [The Disaster Artist], saw it, and said it’s actually pretty good–I guess David Lynchian?”

The Room is actually a trilogy??

“We didn’t know this, but apparently our movie, The Disaster Artist, is part two of The Room Trilogy, [according to Tommy].”

James Franco has a lot of respect for Tommy

“All I knew about Tommy when I did this was what I’d read in the book. And now, knowing Tommy, there’s sort of Tommy before The Room, and Tommy after The Room. The Tommy before The Room was somebody that had been told ‘no’ his entire life. Now, part of that’s on him–like, if a guy comes in the room and says, ‘I’m an all-American guy, cast me in the James Dean roles,’ like, he’s probably going to hear ‘no’ a lot. But he had to build up a defense in a way to the world…I respect Tommy because he got this thing made. It’s so hard to make it in this business, it’s just hard, and he did it. He made this movie, and I really respect him for that.”

Seth Rogen loves Tommy

“Here’s the thing: [Tommy]’s fascinating. He turned out to be an incredibly sweet guy. We had to shoot this scene with him. He showed up, we had no idea what he was going to be like. Seth just fell for him.”

Tommy wants to direct Seth Rogen and James Franco in a movie about gay sex

“I interviewed him that night, I was dressed as Tommy, had the prosthetics on, and I interviewed him as Tommy, and I was like, ‘So, what do you think, you gonna direct another movie?’ He was like, ‘Yeah, I got this idea, I got this movie, American Stud. You seen American Gigolo? It’s like that, but with gay sex. Very controversial.’ …And Seth then pulled me aside and said, ‘Hey that would be kind of interesting!'”

Franco knows what The Room’s “magic ingredient” is

“Here’s the trick with Tommy: When he made the movie, he was incredibly earnest. That is the magic ingredient, I think, of The Room. He put his heart and soul into that thing. Think about all the bad movies that have ever been made that we just don’t watch, that are just gone, that we’ll never watch again. This thing that people have been watching for 14 years, and I think one of the main reasons is, he put so much passion into it, and I think people feel that.”

Early The Room posters had two taglines

“He put on the original poster, ‘A Tennessee Williams level drama.’ That shows what he thought about it. He used to say, ‘People will watch this movie and won’t be able to sleep for two weeks.’ And then when people started laughing at it, he was, you know, to his credit, able to embrace that. So he kept ‘Tennessee Williams level drama’ on the poster and just added, like, ‘An entertaining black comedy’ or something like that. So, it’s both.”

Franco has Tommy’s personal audio diaries

“As an actor, if you could have like, the ultimate gift of a character, like, here’s a character’s soul, or here’s the character’s private journal, that’s what I got, but even more. Tommy, 20 years ago, would record everything. In The Room he does it–like, ‘I will record everything!’…Tommy actually did that. He recorded every phone call he ever made. He would drive around in his white Mercedes and talk to himself on one of those little old fashioned tape recorders and just have conversations with himself. Greg way back then, 15-20 years ago, stole some of those tapes–another weird thing about Greg–and he had those and he gave those to me. Tommy knows I have them, so I’m not doing something totally unethical!”

Tommy wished for a clubbing life

“[The audio diaries are] Tommy just having these weird private moments. It’s like Tommy’s Journal audiobook…he’s like driving down the street, like, ‘I see the people going in those clubs, and I just know that they stay in there ’til coming out at 4 in the morning and they’ll be sleeping all next day. I know I have to work hard and I just do it but I just want to go to club!'”

Tommy has nicknames for himself

“Sometimes he’d call himself funny names, like–I can’t remember..it’s not Igor, but it’s something like that. ‘And I say, hey Igor, let’s do this!’ And then he’s talking to himself, he’s like ‘Yeah, sometimes I call myself Igor.’ It was amazing. It was like the holy grail for an actor.”

Tommy Wiseau and James Dean are surprisingly similar

“I played a real guy in 127 Hours, but nobody is really as concerned with Aron Ralston’s mannerisms or how he sounds. It’s not what’s primary. What was primary in that movie was the experience, taking people on an authentic experience with that guy. With Tommy and James Dean [who Franco portrayed in a 2001 biopic], people know their movies. They’re going to be watching the movies because they know that behavior, and they can go and watch James Dean movies or Tommy’s movie and see what it was.

“The exterior behavior was very important, but you also don’t want it to become a caricature. And so what I really learned when I played James Dean was how to do that–practice that external behavior, and marry it to a worked out, deep internal life, and to figure out why James Dean slumps, why all these things. And I applied the same thing to Tommy. Why is he doing these things? What does he want? And grounding him also emotionally. That’s why the relationship [with Greg] was so important. That’s why audiences are sympathizing with him here. You can relate. You feel his feelings.”

If there’s one thing that Star Wars Battlefront II accomplishes well, it’s the feeling of being in the universe of the legendary film series. Serving up the greatest hits of all things Star Wars, the follow-up to DICE’s 2015 multiplayer-focused game presents a package that features a greater breadth of content, including an admirable single-player campaign. But the game overall is weighed down by an overbearing and convoluted progression system that doesn’t value the average player’s time, obscuring an otherwise solid Star Wars experience.

Set across the backdrop of the entire Star Wars saga–encompassing the prequels, the original three films, and the new trilogy–Battlefront II’s online modes and single-player offerings expand the scope of its galactic battles to feature more variety in its locations. From taking part in aerial dogfights above Kamino to raiding the Death Star II and escaping before its destruction, the sequel puts its campaign and 14 multiplayer maps set across the 40-year history of the series to good use, showing a clear difference in aesthetics and tone from one time-period to the next.

Unlike the first Battlefront, the sequel contains a narrative-driven single-player campaign. Set during the twilight of the Galactic Empire after Return of the Jedi, the story sows the seeds for the First Order in The Force Awakens. You take on the role of Iden Versio, commander of Imperial special-forces outfit Inferno Squad. She normally works to undermine Rebel forces with wet-work missions and other forms of espionage. But after the destruction of the second Death Star, her loyalty to the Empire is put to the test when an increasingly desperate Imperial army takes drastic measures to ensure its future.

While the brisk 4-5 hour campaign features some strong writing and performances from its cast–with some standout levels that show off the visual luster and diversity of locations within the universe–the potential of its Imperial point-of-view soon becomes lost. Falling into some rather predictable twists, the story eventually turns into a familiar by-the-numbers Star Wars adventure, where the good guys and bad guys are clearly defined, and with a lead up to the final act’s confrontation that’s signposted from a mile away.

On occasion, the campaign will switch things up with levels that feature familiar faces in entirely different scenarios, adding some moments of levity to the story. The downside of these missions is that they often veer into pure fan-service territory, leaving Iden Versio–who proves to be an interesting character with her unique view on the galactic struggle–standing in the shadow of more-established characters. This is made worse by an abrupt ending that teases future updates to the campaign, instead of delivering a strong conclusion for its hero’s journey. The campaign does a decent job of showing the internal strife within the Empire’s ranks, even allowing you to explore an eerily sterile and oppressive Imperial civilization on Iden’s homeworld of Vardos. But it falls a bit short of making it a remarkable journey for its characters.

Outside of the campaign and massive multiplayer battles, there are side-modes that offer some interesting diversions. The Arcade mode makes a return, featuring themed levels where you battle AI bots as classic Light and Dark side characters. While it isn’t a particularly deep mode to dive into, with each mission offering increasing tiers of difficulty for better rewards, it can be fun to try out the different heroes against increasing numbers of enemies. Moreover, the fan-favorite Heroes vs Villains mode makes a return. Cutting out unnecessary filler, players can choose their unlocked characters–such as the rocket wielding Boba Fett, to the unstable Kylo Ren–and compete in 4v4 battles in over-the-top and ridiculous fashion. Heroes vs Villains will be the mode to unwind and cut loose with, away from the chaos of the epic conflicts.

Battlefront II’s main attraction is its expansive multiplayer content. From the 40-player conquest battles in Galactic Assault to the smaller, infantry-focused skirmishes in Blitz and Strike, there’s a greater variety of multiplayer modes than before. Selecting from several infantry classes and hero characters–including Luke Skywalker, Rey, Han Solo, and the story campaign’s Iden Versio–Multiplayer battles are usually intense affairs, especially at the full capacity of 40 players. Along with some stellar visual and sound-design, the large-scale battles have the same exciting flow as Star Wars’ most iconic fights, where one heroic action can turn the tide of a conflict.

Over the course of each match, you’ll acquire Battle Points, which you can cash-in for mid-battle rewards–such as piloting special starfighters or taking control of select hero characters to dish out punishment. While Galactic Assault will likely be the most popular mode for fans to see much of the game’s systems in action, the upgraded Starfighter Assault deserves recognition. Now with more responsive and tighter controls for maneuvering your vessels, the aerial- and space-focused mode features Battlefront II’s most intense missions. There’s nothing more exciting than piloting an A-Wing interceptor through a tight space and pulling off a killer shot in the nick of time.

Your set of troopers, starfighters, and hero characters can be boosted with Star Cards. They can amplify stats, add bonus attributes, and even give characters alternate loadouts–such as replacing a Heavy trooper’s energy shield for a grenade launcher. As you acquire more Star Cards and increase their ranks for a particular class or hero, the overall level for that character increases. The number of ways you can modify your characters is impressive, and the game gives you options to switch things up however you see fit. After each battle, you’ll collect experience for your overall multiplayer rank and credits to purchase loot crates in the in-game store. Unfortunately, the focus on chasing Star Cards–and the prominence of loot crates–reveals bigger issues related to the progression.

“The biggest problem with this system is that it’s never clearly explained.”

Not only is this entire system confusing, it’s also problematic that most of your unlocks and earnings come from opening loot crates. By relying on randomly yielded weapons, resources, cosmetic items, and Star Cards of varying grades, Battlefront II ties its progression to dice rolls. You can acquire and upgrade Star Cards on your own by using crafting components (also found in loot crates), but this also leads into the problem of gating. To upgrade a card, you have to ensure that your class level and overall multiplayer ranking meet certain standards–which in turn means having to rank up several levels in-game, and spending precious resources on loot crates for more resources and cards. Simply focusing on the characters and classes you like to play isn’t enough.

Due to the randomness, and the inherent dependence on the loot crates, progression is often dictated by what these results are. This can steer you away from classes you’d prefer to use, and more annoying results in receiving cards for hero characters you have yet to unlock. With how progression is structured, simply spending time with the Heavy or Assault classes does not guarantee more loot for them, as advancing them is all tied to the luck of the draw. This is especially frustrating when you invest so much time in the game–coming across others online who’ve had better luck or purchased pre-orders copies to acquire epic cards for their characters–only to see your favorite classes fall by the wayside due to the overall systems working against your favor.

While the game gives you options to purchase premium currency in the form of crystals–which you can buy in bundles costing up to $100–these can only be used to buy more loot crates. This is all made worse by the cumbersome menu system, which prompts you to exit out of multiplayer games to collect your paltry rewards from milestones and challenges while also obscuring vital info such as player rank and class data.

The biggest problem with this system is that it’s never clearly explained. While you’ll eventually come to understand how credits, crystals, and crafting components are used, you’ll still have to reconcile the fact that the time you invest in the game won’t always be rewarded with progress, or at least in the way you want.

In this way, Battlefront II plants itself in the same territory as free-to-play games, with much of its content and characters tucked away behind progression walls and randomized loot crates. This is an especially disappointing reality for a full-priced release. Above all, it ends up doing a disservice to the core gameplay, which can still provide solid moments of enjoyment despite the looming presence of its progression systems. Many of these issues related to the meta-game fall by the wayside when you’re in the thick of battle, as you’re taking part in the massive struggle throughout the many locales in the Star Wars universe.

While its main narrative feels unresolved, and the general loop of the multiplayer carries a number of issues, Battlefront II still manages to evoke that same sense of joy and excitement found in the core of what the series is all about. But as it stands, the biggest hurdle that Battlefront II will need to overcome–for its simultaneous attempts to balance microtransactions with genuine feeling of accomplishments–is deciding on what type of game it wants to be.

Editor’s note: This will remain a review in progress until we’ve had the opportunity to test Battlefront II’s multiplayer servers on all platforms after launch. And in an unusual set of circumstances, we will also continue to put the game’s progression system through its paces as a result of EA’s rigorous pre-launch rebalancing of Battlefront II’s in-game store.

You need a PlayStation Plus membership to play PlayStation 4 games online–but not this week if you live in Europe or Australia. Sony has announced an open multiplayer event where you can play online without a subscription.

This runs November 15-20, and there is nothing else required of you like signing up for something. Online modes in any game should simply work. So far, this has been announced for Europe and Australia, but there is no word as of yet regarding the United States.

From the official wording, it sounds like this free PS Plus event does not allow you to download November’s free PS Plus games. You’ll need an actual membership for that.

PS Plus subscriptions, which costs $60/year, grant owners the ability to play online, discounts on store content, and free games delivered monthly. A PlayStation Plus subscription is required in order to continue playing the free games Sony provides. Once a subscription lapses, access to the library of free games is rescinded.

The timing of the free PS Plus offer comes not long after the launch of Call of Duty: World War II and right before the release of Star Wars: Battlefront II on November 17.

In response to fan feedback from the Play First Trial, Electronic Arts has announced it will reduce the amount of credits required to unlock top-tier heroes in Star Wars Battlefront II by 75 percent.

“Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader will now be available for 15,000 credits; Emperor Palpatine, Chewbacca, and Leia Organa for 10,000 credits; and Iden at 5,000 credits.” DICE executive producer John Wasilzyk said in a post on EA’s official site.

“Based on what we’ve seen in the trial, this amount will make earning these heroes an achievement, but one that will be accessible for all players,” he added, noting the change will be made via an update that goes live today.

Continue reading…

With Black Friday around the corner, Walmart has also released its full flyer for the big shopping day. There are a ton of game deals to take advantage of, particularly for those with a PS4 or Xbox One, with these offers becoming available on Thanksgiving evening (November 23) or Black Friday itself, depending on when your state allows stores to begin opening. Nintendo Switch and 3DS offers are also available, although PC gaming fans unfortunately won’t find anything.

In terms of hardware, the offers are similar to what we’ve seen elsewhere. Switch is in stock, but at a regular price ($299), while there’s no sign of Xbox One X or PS4 Pro. However, you can pick up a 1 TB PS4 for $199, or a 500 GB Xbox One S for $189. Neither of these systems comes with any bundled games, although Walmart will also take $50 off “any” Xbox One S, so you’ll be able to pick from other bundles that have what you want. Walmart will also be among the retailers to offer the special green Zelda: Ocarina of Time 2DS bundle.

In terms of accessories, DualShock 4 PS4 controllers drop to $39 each, including the Walmart-exclusive Crystal Blue color. Xbox One controllers are also available for $39, including some special edition versions. Third-party, wired Switch controllers will be available for $17, while the Gran Turismo Sport PSVR bundle will be $299. You can also get a wired PS4 or Xbox One headset, the Turtle Beach Recon 50P, for $25.

In terms of games, you’ve got a ton of options. On Switch, the new Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Explorer’s Edition is $49, while Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is $19. Unfortunately, due to the way Walmart’s ad is laid out, it’s incredibly difficult to discern some of the featured games. For instance, it looks as if Sonic Forces will be $29 on Switch (as it is on PS4 and Xbox One), but we can’t confirm that at this time; we’ve noted as much below. On other platforms, you’ll find recent releases like Forza Motorsport 7, Need for Speed Payback, Middle-earth: Shadow of War, WWE 2K18, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, The Evil Within 2, and South Park: The Fractured But Whole for $29 each. Horizon: Zero Dawn, Rainbow Six Siege, Ghost Recon: Wildlands, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, and Skyrim: Special Edition are among the games going for $19. The just-released Call of Duty: WWII will be $43.

You’ll find a complete rundown of everything on sale–or as much as we can glean from the flyer–below. You can check out the full flyer, and find out when your local store is opening, on Walmart’s website. For more, check out our roundup of Best Buy’s Black Friday 2017 game deals.

Walmart Black Friday 2017 Deals

PS4

Games

• Agents of Mayhem — $29
• Ark: Survival Evolved — $29
• Batman: Arkham Knight — $12
• Battlefield 1 Revolution — $29
• Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare — $12
• Call of Duty: Black Ops III — $19
• Call of Duty: Black Ops III Zombies Chronicles Edition — $29
• Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare — $19
• Call of Duty: WWII — $43
• Call of Duty Combo Pack (WWII / Infinite Warfare) — $59
• Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy — $29
• Deadpool — $12
• Deer Hunter: Reloaded — $19
• Dirt 4 — $29
• Dishonored 2 — $12
• The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind — $29
• The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited — $12
• Everybody’s Golf — $19
• The Evil Within 2 — $29
• Fallout 4 — $19
• Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition — $29
• Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age — $29
• Final Fantasy XV — $19
• For Honor — $19
• Ghost Recon: Wildlands — $19
• Grand Theft Auto V — $29
• Horizon: Zero Dawn — $19
• Injustice 2 — $19
• Just Cause 3 — $12
• Just Dance 2018 — $29
• Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 Remix — $19
• Knack II — $19
• Lega Ninjago Movie Video Game — $29
• Lego Worlds — $19
• Mafia III — $12
• Mass Effect Andromeda — $12
• Middle-earth: Shadow of War — $29
• Minecraft: Story Mode – Season Two — $19
• Mortal Kombat X — $12
• NASCAR Heat — $29
• NBA 2K18 — $29
• NBA Live 18 — $29
• Need for Speed — $12
• Need For Speed: Payback — $29
• Need for Speed Payback — $29
• Need for Speed Rivals — $12
• NHL 18 — $29
• Nioh — $19
• Overwatch: Game of the Year Edition — $29
• Persona 5 — $29
• Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 — $12
• Prey — $19
• Rainbow Six Siege — $19
• Resident Evil 7: Biohazard — $19
• The Sims 4 — $29
• Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 — $19
• Sonic Forces — $29
• South Park: The Fractured But Whole — $29
• Star Wars Battlefront — $12
• Street Fighter V — $12
• Tekken 7 — $19
• Titanfall 2 — $12
• Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End — $19
• Uncharted The Lost Legacy — $29
• Watch Dogs 2 — $12
• Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus — $29
• WWE 2K18 — $29

Hardware And Accessories

• PS4 Slim 1 TB — $199
• PSVR Gran Turismo Sport bundle – $299
• PS4 DualShock 4 controllers — $39
• Turtle Beach Recon 50P wired headset — $25

Xbox One

Games

• Agents of Mayhem — $29
• Ark: Survival Evolved — $29
• Batman: Arkham Knight — $12
• Battlefield 1 Revolution — $29
• Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare — $12
• Call of Duty: Black Ops III — $19
• Call of Duty: Black Ops III Zombies Chronicles Edition — $29
• Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare — $19
• Call of Duty: WWII — $43
• Call of Duty Combo Pack (WWII / Infinite Warfare) — $59
• Deadpool — $12
• Deer Hunter: Reloaded — $19
• Dirt 4 — $29
• Dishonored 2 — $12
• Doom 3: BFG Edition (backwards compatible) — $9
• The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind — $29
• The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited — $12
• The Evil Within 2 — $29
• Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition (backwards compatible) — $9
• Fallout 4 — $19
• Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition — $29
• Fallout New Vegas: Ultimate Edition (backwards compatible) — $9
• Final Fantasy XV — $19
• For Honor — $19
• Forza Horizon 3 — $19
• Forza Motorsport 7 — $29
• Gears of War 4 — $19
• Gears of War: Ultimate Edition — $12
• Ghost Recon: Wildlands — $19
• Grand Theft Auto V — $29
• Halo Wars 2 — $19
• Injustice 2 — $19
• Just Cause 3 — $12
• Just Dance 2018 — $29
• Left 4 Dead (backwards compatible) — $9
• Left 4 Dead 2 (backwards compatible) — $9
• Lega Ninjago Movie Video Game — $29
• Lego Worlds — $19
• Mafia III — $12
• Mass Effect Andromeda — $12
• Middle-earth: Shadow of War — $29
• Minecraft: Story Mode – Season Two — $19
• Mortal Kombat X — $12
• NASCAR Heat — $29
• NBA 2K18 — $29
• NBA Live 18 — $29
• Need for Speed — $12
• Need For Speed: Payback — $29
• Need for Speed Payback — $29
• Need for Speed Rivals — $12
• NHL 18 — $29
• Nioh — $19
• Overwatch: Game of the Year Edition — $29
• Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 — $12
• Portal 2 (backwards compatible) — $9
• Prey — $19
• Rainbow Six Siege — $19
• Red Dead Redemption 2: Game of the Year Edition (backwards compatible) — $12
• Resident Evil 7: Biohazard — $19
• The Sims 4 — $29
• Skate 3 (backwards compatible) — $9
• Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 — $19
• Sonic Forces — $29
• South Park: The Fractured But Whole — $29
• Star Wars Battlefront — $12
• Tekken 7 — $19
• Titanfall 2 — $12
• Watch Dogs 2 — $12
• Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus — $29
• WWE 2K18 — $29

Hardware And Accessories

• Xbox One S 500 GB — $189
• Xbox One controllers — $39
• Xbox Live Gold three-month subscription — $12.50
• Turtle Beach Recon 50P wired headset — $25

Nintendo Switch / Wii U

Games

• 1-2-Switch — $29
• Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 — $19
• Just Dance 2018 — $19 (Wii)
• Just Dance 2018 — $29
• Lega Ninjago Movie Video Game — $29
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Explorer’s Edition — $49
• Paper Mario: Color Splash — $29 (Wii U)
• Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition — $19
• Sonic Forces — $29 (unconfirmed)
• Super Smash Bros. for Wii U — $29

Hardware And Accessories

• Nintendo Switch wired controllers — $17

3DS Games

• Mario Sports Superstars — $29
• Super Mario Maker 3DS — $29
• Pokemon Sun — $29
• Super Smash Bros. for 3DS — $29

Following allegations of sexual harassment against Supergirl, Arrow, The Flash, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow executive producer Andrew Kreisberg, stars from the DC superhero shows on The CW are speaking out. Both Melissa Benoist, Supergirl herself, and Arrow’s Emily Bett Rickards have shared messages online. Since this story was published, several more stars from come forward to offer their thoughts regarding this matter. You can see their social media posts at the end of this story.

It was announced that Kreisberg had been suspended from his role on the shows Friday, coinciding with the publishing of an expose by Variety. In the story, 15 women and four men–all of whom remained anonymous–accuse Kreisberg of sexual harassment and inappropriate physical contact. While the producer denies the claims, Warner Bros. TV says in a statement, “We have suspended Mr. Kreisberg and are conducting an internal investigation. We take all allegations of misconduct extremely seriously, and are committed to creating a safe working environment for our employees and everyone involved in our productions.”

The 19 who came forward for the story were either subjected to or witnessed the alleged harassment, which included sexualized comments about women, asking for massages from female staff, and touching and kissing people without permission. In a statement to Variety, Kreisberg says, “I have made comments on women’s appearances and clothes in my capacity as an executive producer, but they were not sexualized. Like many people, I have given someone a non-sexual hug or kiss on the cheek.”

In her first public comment since news of Kreisberg’s suspension broke, Benoist tweeted her thoughts. “I have always tried to conduct myself this way personally, as well. Sadly, the show and my career are a part of an industry that doesn’t always mirror these sentiments. This is heartbreaking, and at times makes me feel helpless,” she writes. “I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. But I’m an optimist. I believe lasting change is possible, and when people are mistreated, they should have a safe forum to speak their truth and always be heard. And when people commit crimes or harass others they should always be held accountable–no matter what industry they work in or how much power they wield.”

Benoist also says she’ll work on “changing the norm” as she returns to the set of Supergirl “by listening when people speak up, and refusing to accept an environment that is anything less than a safe, respectful and collaborative space.”

Richards tweeted her thoughts as well, writing, “To the men who committed sexual harassment, who perpetuated rape culture, who turn a ‘blind eye,’ and complain about ‘reverse sexism’: You are weak and complicit. To the women who found the strength to speak up, to the women who supported one another and to the women finding their voice: You can. You are heroines.”

Though Kreisberg has been suspended during the internal investigation into the allegations, his absence shouldn’t have any impact on The CW’s superhero shows. The Flash and Supergirl, the shows he works closest with, have showrunners in place to lead production through the end of the season.

Wonder Woman 2 is hitting theaters sooner than previously expected. According to Entertainment Weekly, Warner Bros. announced today that the Patty Jenkins-directed film will hit theaters on November 1, 2019. That is six weeks earlier than its previously slated release on December 13, 2019.

The timing of this announcement comes after Disney moved Star Wars: Episode IX to December 2019 back in September. Warner Bros. moving up Wonder Woman 2 could be in response to that to avoid a clash with the sci-fi juggernaut. In 2013, Blizzard announced a three-month delay of the Warcraft film to get out of the way of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which went on to become one of highest-grossing movies ever.

Warner Bros. officially announced a Wonder Woman sequel in July, with star Gal Gadot coming back to play the titular character once again. Just recently, however, Page Six reported that Gadot won’t sign on for the sequel if producer Brett Ratner, who has been accused of sexual misconduct, is involved. Deadline reported today that this is untrue, and that Gadot is officially on board to reprise her role in the sequel.

There is no word as of yet about the story for Wonder Woman 2. A report from July claimed the sequel will be set in the 1980s, and will “send Diana against the forces of Soviet Union in the closing days of the Cold War.” While DC has not commented on this, sources for The Wrap have “confirmed” the story.

On Black Friday–November 24 this year–people will be busting down the doors of retailers to get the best deals possible on everything from electronics to toys to clothing. Target recently revealed all its deals for the yearly event–which actually starts on Thursday at 6 PM in most states–and if you’re in the market to upgrade your television or smart home, you’re in luck.

Target has quite a few televisions on sale during the Black Friday event, but many are not name brands you’re probably familiar with. A 43″ 4K Polaroid Smart TV will cost $230 and comes with a Google cast with purchase. There are quite a few recognizable brands on sale as well, including a 65″ 4K Samsung Smart TV for $850 or the 49″ version for $430. You can check out television reviews on our sister site CNET to see if these deals are right for you.

The retailer also has a few deals on smart home tech as well, including Amazon’s Echo Dot and Google’s Home Mini both for $30. In addition, Google Chromecast and Amazon’s Fire TV Stick are on sale for $25.

Below, you’ll find a list of Black Friday deals in TVs, movies, and tech that we think might be up your alley. You can check out the complete listing of deals on Target’s website. In addition, check out our breakdown of what Best Buy’s sales.

Best Buy Black Friday 2017 Deals

Televisions

• Samsung 49″ 4K Smart TV — $430
• Samsung 58″ 4K Smart TV — $650
• Samsung 65″ 4K Smart TV — $850
• LG 55″ 4K Smart TV — $500
• TCL 49″ 4K TV + Roku — $350
• Polaroid 43″ 4K Smart TV — $230

Tech

• Samsung 4K Player — $160
• Google Chromecast — $25
• Amazon Fire TV Stick — $25
• Amazon Fire 7 Tablet (8GB) — $30
• Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet (32 GB) — $100
• GoProHERO5 4K Video — $350 (Comes with $50 Target gift card)

Smart Home

• Echo Dot — $30
• Echo (2nd Generation) — $80
• Echo Show — $180
• Google Home — $80
• Google Home Mini — $30
• Nest Indoor Cam — $140

$10 Blu-Rays

• Stranger Things Season One
• Kong: Skull Island
• Wonder Woman
• Spider-Man: Homecoming
• Lala Land
• The House
• Logan
• War for the Planet of the Apes

$6 Blu-Rays

• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
• Minions
• Despicable Me 2
• The Lego Movie
• Kubo and the Two Strings
• Passengers
• Suicide Squad
• X-Men: Apocalypse
• Lego Batman

What Each Figure Gets You

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has been out for over half a year now, and it’s still getting new Amiibo. With the release of four figures based on the game’s champions, there are already questions brewing about what each get you. Click ahead to find out more details, and if you’re curious about what other Zelda Amiibo get you, we’ve got all that information too.

It’s worth noting that all Amiibo (including Animal Crossing Amiibo cards) work with Breath of the Wild, however non-Zelda themed Amiibo will only make three to four random, common items materialize.

Many rare and unique armor sets can only be acquired through Amiibo, though they’re generally no more powerful than your starting gear and they’re much, much more expensive (in terms of materials) to level up.

If you need even more Zelda guides, check out our recipe and cooking manual, our beginner’s guide, or just our general list of everything you might want help figuring out.

And of course you shouldn’t miss our official review of Breath of the Wild.

The information in this guide has been gathered from our collective experience in the office and the official Breath of the Wild Guide. However, while that guide describes the items that can be acquired from Amiibo, it does not specify which Amiibo to use for each weapon and armor set.

Mipha

Potential Chest Items:

Vah Ruta Divine Helm — This special piece of headgear enhances your Swim Speed.

Silverscale Spear | Base Attack 12

Non-chest Items: Assorted fish and cooking materials

Revali

Potential Chest Items:

Vah Medoh Divine Helm — This special piece of headgear enhances your resistance against harsh cold temperatures.

Falcon Bow | Base Attack 20

Non-chest Items: Assorted fruits and arrows.

Daruk

Potential Chest Items:

Vah Rudania Divine Helm — This special piece of headgear enhances your resistance against flame attacks.

Royal Claymore | Base Attack 52

Stone Smasher | Base Attack 42

Non-chest Items: Assorted ore and minerals.

Urbosa

Potential Chest Items:

Vah Naboris Divine Helm — This special piece of headgear enhances your resistance against electricity.

Moonlight Scimitar | Base Attack 25

Radiant Shield | Base Defense 35

Non-chest Items: Assorted meats and cooking materials.

Majora’s Mask Amiibo

Potential Chest Items:

Fierce Diety Outfit — There’s a chance that the chest will include either the Fierce Diety boots, mask, or armor. Each item starts with only 3 defense points, but like your other starting equipment, it can be upgraded. Each individual piece add an “Attack up” effect, and updgrading the full set adds “Charge Atk. Stamina Up.”

Fierce Diety Sword | Base Attack 60

You can check out the Fierce Diety weapons and armor in action here.

Assorted Weapons

Non-chest Items: Assorted basic consumables

Link Skyward Sword Amiibo

Potential Chest Items:

Skyward Sword Outfit: There’s a chance that the chest will include either the trousers, cap, or tunic of the Sky. Each item starts with only 3 defense points, but like your other starting equipment, it can be upgraded. The set bonus for leveling up and wearing all three is “Master Sword Beam Up.”

Goddess Sword | Base Attack 28

Twilight Princess

Potential Chest Items:

Twilight Outfit — There’s a chance that the chest will include either the trousers, cap, or tunic of Twilight. Each item starts with only 3 defense points, but like your other starting equipment, it can be upgraded.

Other Potential items: Assorted swords, shields, and elemental arrows

Non-chest Items: Assorted fruits and cooking materials

Smash Bros. Link

Potential Chest Items:

Epona — The only way to unlock the legendary horse. Epona is a special horse with maxed out stats and a gentle temperament, however she can’t be renamed.

Twilight Outfit — There’s a chance that the chest will include either the trousers, cap, or tunic of Twilight. Each item starts with only 3 defense points, but like your other starting equipment, it can be upgraded.

Other Potential items: Assorted swords, shields, and elemental arrows

Non-chest Items: Assorted fruits and cooking materials

Smash Bros. Ganon

Potential Chest Items:

Sword of the Six Sages | Base Attack 48

Gems (Opal, Amber, etc.)

Monster parts (including rare Hinox and Lynel parts)

Non-chest items: Along with the chest, Ganon also spawns with a few barrels. One or two will tend to be explosive, while the others contain rupees and arrows.

Smash Bros. Toon Link

Potential Chest Items:

Wind Waker Outfit — There’s a chance that the chest will include either the trousers, cap, or tunic of the Wind. Each item starts with only 3 defense points, but like your other starting equipment, it can be upgraded.

Sea-Breeze Boomerang | Base Attack 20

Assorted weapons

Elemental Arrows

Non-chest items: Fish

Smash Bros. Sheik

Potential Chest Items:

Sheik’s Mask | Defense 2 (also increases stealth)

Various Sheikah weapons

Elemental Arrows

Non-chest Items: Mushrooms

Smash Bros. Zelda

Potential Chest Items:

Twilight Bow | Attack Power 30

Various Bows

Various gems (Opal, Amber, etc.)

Non-chest Items: Herbs, flowers, and vegetables

Breath of the Wild Link (Rider)

Potential Chest Items: Traveler’s bridle, Traveler’s saddle, assorted weapons, elemental arrows

Non-chest Items: mushrooms

Potential Chest Items: Hylian shield (you can find this in the game as well, but it’s, overall, the best shield in Breath of the Wild).

star fragments, gems (Opal, Amber, etc.), assorted shields

Non-chest Items: Herbs, flowers, and vegetables

Breath of the Wild Guardian

Potential Chest Items: Assorted Guardian weapons and shields, guardian arrows, ancient cores

Non-chest Items: The guardian spawns with a few metal chests which are well worth breaking open for the valuable gems, arrows, and machine parts found inside.

Breath of the Wild Bokoblin

Potential Chest Items: Assorted Bokoblin weapons and shields, elixers

Non-chest Items: Raw meat and monster parts

Breath of the Wild Link (Archer)

Potential Chest Items: Assorted bows, Elemental arrows

Non-chest Items: Fish, raw meat, and arrows

Twilight Princess Wolf Link Amiibo

While Wolf Link doesn’t provide any items, it does spawn a wolf companion who’ll accompany you in the game. His hearts are based on save data transferred from the Wii U version of Twilight Princess HD. He defaults to having three hearts.

The wolf will both attack enemies and help you hunt wild game!

30th Anniversary 8-bit Link

Potential Chest Items:

Hero’s Outfit (original Legend of Zelda) — There’s a chance that the chest will include either the trousers, cap, or tunic of the Hero. Each item starts with only 3 defense points, but like your other starting equipment, it can be upgraded.

Sword | Base attack: 22

Assorted weapons

Non-chest Items: 8-bit link appears alongside wooden barrels, which can be broken open to find rupees and arrows.

30th Anniversary Wind Waker Toon Link

Potential Chest Items: Wind Waker Outfit — There’s a chance that the chest will include either the trousers, cap, or tunic of the Wind. Each item starts with only 3 defense points, but like your other starting equipment, it can be upgraded.

Sea-Breeze Boomerang | Base Attack: 20

Assorted weapons

Elemental arrows

Non-chest Items: Fish

30th Anniversary Wind Waker Toon Zelda

Potential Chest Items:

Hero’s Shield | Durability 90

Gems (Opal, Amber, etc.)

Assorted shields

Non-chest Items: Herbs, flowers, and vegetables

30th Anniversary Ocarina of Time Link

Potential Chest Items:

Ocarnia of Time Outfit — There’s a chance that the chest will include either the trousers, cap, or tunic of Time. Each item starts with only 3 defense points, but like your other starting equipment, it can be upgraded.

Biggoron’s Sword | Base Attack 50

Assorted Weapons

Non-chest Items: Raw meat

[UPDATE] DICE executive producer John Wasilczyk released a statement on Battlefront II’s controversial loot box/microtransaction system today. He explained that change will be a constant for Battlefront II as it pertains to changing the in-game economy, with tweaks coming as DICE considers and responds to player feedback.

Specifically, Wasilczyk said DICE is aware of the feedback that it takes too long to unlock heroes like Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. “Unlocking a hero is a great accomplishment in the game, something we want players to have fun earning. We used data from the beta to help set those levels, but it’s clear that more changes were needed,” he explained.

In response to this, DICE is dropping the number of credits you need to unlock “top heroes” by 75 percent; Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader can now be unlocked at 15,000 credits, while Emperor Palpatine, Chewbacca, and Leia Organa can be unlocked at 10,000 credits. Iden Versio can be unlocked with 5,000 credits under the new system.

“Based on what we’ve seen in the trial, this amount will make earning these heroes an achievement, but one that will be accessible for all players,” Wasilczyk said. “It’s a big change, and it’s one we can make quickly. It will be live today, with an update that is getting loaded into the game.”

However, Wasilczyk made no mention of a refund for people who paid the higher values for the hero unlocks.

He went on to say that DICE is aware of the feedback on Reddit, and promised that the studio will continue to make changes to credit levels for unlocking heroes. There will be a Reddit AMA on Wednesday featuring leads from the development team where they will answer questions about the current state of the game.

The original story is below.

Star Wars: Battlefront II has been generating controversy for a while already regarding its loot box and microtransaction system, and the game isn’t even fully released yet. That controversy continues now that the game is out in EA/Origin Access, with players complaining about how the game allows you to essentially pay for the chance to get better items that actually affect your in-game performance.

In response to this, EA released a statement on Reddit–and it didn’t go well, reportedly becoming the most-downvoted comment in the history of Reddit with more than 433,000 downvotes. The statement explains that EA is trying to “provide players with a sense of pride and accomplishment for unlocking different heroes.”

It adds that EA determined the in-game credit cost of heroes based on data from the open beta and more. You can expect EA to continue to change the credit cost of heroes going forward. “We’ll be making constant adjustments to ensure that players have challenges that are compelling, rewarding, and of course attainable via gameplay,” EA said.

“We appreciate the candid feedback, and the passion the community has put forth around the current topics here on Reddit, our forums and across numerous social media outlets. Our team will continue to make changes and monitor community feedback and update everyone as soon and as often as we can.”

Community manager Mat Everett added in a statement of his own on Twitter that further changes to Battlefront II’s loot box system will be announced via a blog post soon.

For lots more on the current state of Battlefront II’s loot box system and why we think it’s problematic, check out the video above. In it, we provide a comprehensive breakdown of the different currencies, what kind of items and Star Cards are available, and what $90 (or $100, if you don’t have the EA/Origin Access discount) puts in your hands. It’s a complex system, but one you’ll likely want to understand before diving into the game–or deciding whether it’s worth a purchase.

During an earnings call recently, EA CEO Andrew Wilson suggested that the players voicing concerns about Battlefront II’s loot boxes are a vocal minority. He said the general feedback around the game–covering its campaign, multiplayer, and more–has been “very, very positive.”

“There was the conversation around loot boxes, which is not a Star Wars: Battlefront II-specific conversation but more one that the industry is having with players across the global community,” he explained. “And we are engaged in that conversation, engaging with our players on a daily basis as we think about that.”

EA developers have reportedly received death threats in the wake of Battlefront II’s loot box and microtransaction controversy.

Battlefront II officially releases on November 17. The EA/Origin Access trial provides the full multiplayer component and the first three single-player missions, though you’re limited to a total of 10 hours of gameplay. Pre-ordering the Deluxe edition gets you complete access on November 14. You can read more in our Battlefront II multiplayer pre-review.