Xbox Series S – Page 4 – Author Carlo Carrasco

Team Xbox commits blunder by announcing PS5 version of Indiana Jones and The Great Circle before even releasing the Xbox version

September 2, 2024August 21, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks and gamers!

In case you missed the news, Team Xbox recently had a presence during Gamescom in Germany and they made several announcements and previews of upcoming video games there.

During the first day of Gamescom, Team Xbox announced at last the release date of the much-awaited Indiana Jones and The Great Circle which is December 9, 2024 (for Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass). At the same time, they committed a blunder that the MachineGames-developed first-person adventure game is coming to Sony’s PlayStation 5 (PS5) console sometime in 2025. That’s right, the Indiana Jones video game is no longer an Xbox-exclusive game. Watch the Gamescom trailer of the game below from start to finish…

As I mentioned earlier, Team Xbox committed a blunder by announcing a PS5 version of Indiana Jones and The Great Circle during Gamescom. It is a blunder in the sense that Team Xbox (which owns and controls Bethesda) could have delayed the PS5 version announcement and maximize efforts to sell as many copies of the game on Xbox and PC, sell as many Xbox consoles as possible, and convince many gamers out there to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass to play it.

Team Xbox could have waited until January or February 2025 to announce the Indiana Jones game for PS5. Instead, they shot themselves on the foot by blowing away the first-move advantage.

To put things in perspective, Microsoft/Xbox/Bethesda do not OWN the intellectual property of Indiana Jones which belongs to Disney-owned Lucasfilm. Considering the big financial problems Disney has as a corporation (note: the streaming service Disney+ continues to lose money since it first launched), I can speculate that they pushed Team Xbox and Bethesda to not only make a PS5 version of Indiana Jones and The Great Circle but also announce it very early to maximize sales potential and public awareness. Disney itself has a lot to benefit from collecting royalties if the game sells a lot on the two game consoles.

Going back to Xbox, we have to face the reality that we are witnessing the beginning of the end of Xbox as we know it. It is highly anticipated that in the near future, Xbox-exclusive games will no longer happen and the games of Xbox properties (examples: Halo, Forza Motorsport and Fable) will be released on Nintendo and PlayStation consoles. The Xbox brand itself will fade away and be replaced with something like “Microsoft Gaming” once Microsoft goes all-in as a multiplatform game publisher. It is also obvious that Microsoft wants a huge return for the combined $76 billion it spent on acquiring Bethesda and Activision.

I am still looking forward to playing the Indiana Jones game on my Xbox Series X console, but I can say that this latest development as well as the recent Game Pass adjustments brought my excitement down a bit.

For more details about Indiana Jones and The Great Circle, click https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/indiana-jones-and-the-great-circle

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

From PlayStation to Xbox – Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy now available via Xbox Game Pass (XGP)

August 21, 2024August 18, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks and gamers!

In case you missed the news, Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy was recently launched on Xbox Game Pass (XGP) effectively making the three classic games – Crash Bandicoot (1996), Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back (1997) and Crash Bandicoot: Warped (1998) – available for millions of subscribers to enjoy. In fact, Crash Bandicoot: N.Sane Trilogy on XGP is already a massive success in terms of of player count increase reaching 2,808%!

*A clip I captured while playing the remastered Crash Bandicoot of 1996 on my Xbox Series X.*

The said release on XGP is very significant. Firstly, this is the initial offering for Xbox Game Pass that is directly connected with the Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King deal. We are now living in the age of Microsoft-owned Activision and it should be remembered that Activision first released Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy on PlayStation 4 (PS4) in 2017 before landing on Xbox One and other platforms.

Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy on Xbox Game Pass is most likely the first of many Activision titles that will make their way on to the subscription service in the months to come. Think about the many Call of Duty (COD) games that will soon land on XGP and reignite public interest on the service which can help Team Xbox convince many players out there to start considering subscriptions.

*Caution and precision in key segments like this one happened during a snowy level on Crash Bandicoot 2.*

Secondly and more notably, the classic Crash Bandicoot games all started on the first PlayStation console and the titular character Crash (created by Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin during their time with Naughty Dog) served as the mascot for Sony Computer Entertainment until the year 2000.

Each PlayStation-exclusive Crash video game released from 1996 to 1998 was a million-seller and also a hit with video game critics of the era. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy also sold millions when it was initially released on PlayStation 4.

*From one of the 2D side-scrolling levels of the first Crash Bandicoot.*

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy on Xbox Game Pass is a clear indication that the PlayStation-related exclusivity on Crash Bandicoot games is over and there is nothing Sony could do to change that. With Microsoft owning Activision, it is only a matter of time before the Crash Bandicoot franchise will become solidly associated with Xbox commercially and culturally. I am speculating that Team Xbox and Activision must have plans for more Crash Bandicoot sequels and spin-offs with multi-platform releases and subsequent XGP releases in mind.

With my XGP subscription, I took some time out to replay parts of the three classic games in the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy on my Xbox Series X console. I can say that regardless of which game I played, I enjoyed playing them again and it brings back memories of my enjoyment of them on the PlayStation console in 1996-1998. The remastered visuals (on gameplay and cinematic cut scenes) were nicely done and they looked lively on our UHDTV.

*From the sea water level in Crash Bandicoot: Warped.*

If you are an Xbox gamer who enjoys platform gaming or if you are an Xbox Game Pass subscriber looking for something new and fun to play, then Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy is a good choice as it is fun retro gaming of the platform kind. I encourage you to play it while it is available and you can do your part by expressing your feedback to Team Xbox about having more Activision games on XGP.

For more details about Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy, click https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/store/crash-bandicoot-n-sane-trilogy/c27xpr5xdmft

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Team Xbox delays fantasy RPG Avowed to February 2025

August 14, 2024August 6, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks and gamers!

In case you missed the news – bad ones actually – be aware that the release of fantasy role-playing game Avowed has officially been delayed to February 18, 2025, according to a Windows Central news report. It was previously announced that Avowed was supposed to be released sometime in late-2024 on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass (XGP).

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Windows Central news report. Some parts in boldface…

Obsidian Entertainment and Xbox Game Studios’ upcoming fantasy role-playing game Avowed is being delayed out of the year, as confirmed via the official Xbox X (Twitter) account.

“So many games coming! As such, we’re moving Avowed to Feb 18, 2025 to give players’ backlogs some breathing room,” the message reads. “Stay tuned for more from our games across Activision, Blizzard, Bethesda & Xbox Game Studios at gamescom, including our Aug 23 livestream for a look at Avowed.”

This comes hot on the heels of a report from The Verge indicating that Avowed would be delayed, which Windows Central was able to corroborate. By all accounts, this move is to allow Avowed more breathing room outside of what is shaping up to be an extremely busy fall and holiday period, with multiple Xbox first-party launches and third-party titles including Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

While Avowed won’t be playable at Gamescom 2024, Xbox is hosting theater presentations revealing more of the game, alongside similar presentations for Indiana Jones and Starfield’s Shattered Space expansion.

When it arrives, Avowed will be launching across Xbox Series X|S consoles and Windows PC, as well as being included day one in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

As a long-time Xbox gamer, the delay of Avowed is disappointing and adding more to the disappointment is the fact that an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription (note: the most expensive XGP option) is required to play it on launch day. This effectively locks out (temporarily) many Xbox Game Pass subscribers who could not afford to upgrade their current subscriptions and they have no choice but to wait first before the game becomes available to them.

Ever since it was first announced, I was looking forward to playing Avowed and it was one of the main reasons I bought the Xbox Series X console. I am also a fan of Obsidian Entertainment’s role-playing games such as Fallout: New Vegas and The Outer Worlds. In fairness, Team Xbox announced that they will do a livestream presentation of Avowed during Gamescom 2024 on August 23. Hopefully we will see the latest about the game. To ease the pain of waiting, check out the most recent video of Avowed below.

For more details about Obsidian Entertainment’s Avowed, click https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/avowed and https://avowed.obsidian.net/

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I am having fun playing Grandia again on my Xbox Series X

August 7, 2024August 4, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks and gamers!

After enjoying the big reveals and surprises of the Xbox Games Showcase this past June, things went downhill in recent times. For one thing, I really don’t like the changes Microsoft is implementing on Xbox Game Pass (click here and here to learn the details). With regards to new Xbox stuff this year, the fantasy role-playing game Avowed has been delayed to February 2025 while Indiana Jones and The Great Circle still has no firm 2024 release date as of this writing.

When it comes to games I’ve been playing a lot with my Xbox Game Pass (XGP) subscription, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes was recently patched but it still did not solve the game crashing and shutdown on my Xbox Series X. Rabbit & Bear and 505 Games still have a lot more work to be done to significantly fix and improve Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes on Xbox Series X.

My Xbox enjoyment improved when I started playing the original Grandia after purchasing Grandia HD Collection on the Xbox online store. For the newcomers reading this, Grandia HD Collection contains Grandia (released on PlayStation and Sega Saturn) and Grandia II (released on Dreamcast and PlayStaion 2) and those games have remastered visuals with high-definition TVs (HDTVs) in mind. In my experience, I played and finished Grandia on the original PlayStation console way back in 1999. I never played its sequel but will do so some time later.

As soon as I downloaded Grandia HD Collection on my Xbox Series X, I started playing Grandia for the first time in decades but with HD visuals and other refinements.

*Developer Game Arts did amazing work creating the fantasy world and visual concepts that made Grandia a special game to play.*

After watching a nice introduction (in animation), the story started with a short scene introducing Mullen, Lieutenant Leen and their superior General Baal. After that, the game’s focus shifted to the port town of Parm with a stylish floating camera sequence showcasing in real-time the polygonal location and the inhabitants (presented as detailed 2D animated bitmap sprites). Shortly after, the youngling Sue and the aspiring adventure Justin got introduced.

As of this writing, I played Grandia for several hours and already surpassed the End of the World (the wall that separated the initial world from the mysterious other. I already have Justin, Sue, Feena and Gadwin in my party.

*This is the lounge for the upper class passengers on board a ship. Grandia is a fine example of combining 2D sprites with detailed polygonal environments.*

Much early during my playthrough – specifically before witnessing Feena’s first appearance – I had fun rediscovering the unique locations Game Arts created. The town of Parm is a pretty unique location to start the game with. The Sult Ruins were designed with with sneaking and adventuring in mind. Through these and other locations, you will see how creative the game developers really were when it came to world-building as well as giving each location its own unique style and feel.

Because it had been so long since I finished this old Japanese role-playing game (JRPG), I had to orient myself with the game’s functions using the Xbox Series X controller and the technical options that came with the software. I quickly got used to the way the characters’ moved (in response to the controller), the way I was able to move the in-game camera around and how the functions responded to the buttons pressed. In just a few minutes, the Grandia gameplay familiarity came back to me.

*Battles are always fun to play and grinding (playing many battles to gain experience points to level up) is not as stressful when compared to other JRPGs.*

*Game Arts came up with clever views of a local community like this to give gamers a unique look of this part of the game’s world.*

Oh yes, the battles are still a lot of fun to play! During battles, there is this bar on the lower part of the screen showing the icons of your characters and monsters/enemies moving from left to right. Once the icon reaches a crucial point at the right, the game will enable you to take your turn and decide which action to execute. Once you made your choice of action, your character will be animated accordingly. It should be noted that striking enemies will not only reduce their hit points but also delay the flow of their icons on the bar. As such, battles can be strategic with regards to the actions you take and which enemy you targeted.

With regards to leveling-up, you don’t just gain experience points to develop and improve your playable characters. You will also improve their use of weapons and magic as they involve leveling-up. Along the way, you will get opportunities to acquire weapons and armor, and you can have different types of magic implemented into your character with the use of the Mana Eggs. The freedom of choice is clearly evident in the gameplay.

In addition to enjoying the gameplay and options, I appreciate the Game Arts’ approach on telling the story, the light-hearted way of presenting the characters and how they implemented creative pay-offs to the build-ups that preceded them. I also enjoyed the many visual concepts the developers came up with to make Grandia’s fantasy world, cultures and people come to life.

While I am still several hours away from finishing Grandia again, I can say that my current enjoyment of is literally returning with a vengeance and it helped me forget about the Xbox-related disappointments.

Right now, I am enjoying Grandia in HD and I intend to finish it again.

*Feena with Sue and Justin. These characters are memorable and amusing to watch.*

To buy a copy of Grandia HD Collection, Xbox fans and gamers should click https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/grandia-hd-collection/9n4nlqhx6j18

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 29

August 5, 2024August 27, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back, my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.

#1 Darlene Zschech’s newest worship music videos – In recent times, pastor Darlene Zschech released through her official YouTube channel the latest worship music videos of the songs Testament, Shout to the Lord and Cry of the Broken. For the newcomers reading this, Darlene Zschech is a Christian worship leader as well as an accomplished worship musician. She is based in Australia and she and her husband are with Hope Unlimited Church (HopeUC). She is a truly anointed woman of the Lord God and you can learn more about her by visiting her official website. Enjoy the worship music videos below.

#2 Grandia retrospective videos – I had a lot of fun playing and completing the Japanese role-playing game Grandia on PlayStation way back in 1999. I recently bought Grandia HD Collection which has Grandia and the sequel Grandia II (this I have yet to play) with enhanced visuals. That said, I have been replaying Grandia on my Xbox Series X and I can say that I am enjoying it. The gameplay features, the game design, the writing and visual presentation of Grandia have aged well. To get to know more about Grandia, watch the selected videos below.

#3 HolyLandSite’s newest Mount of Olives tour video – HolyLandSite published their latest video about their Mount of Olives tour in Israel. This time around, the video includes Mary Magdalene Church, Tomb of Prophets, the Chapel of Ascension and other sites. To truly grasp the relevance of this video of HolyLandSite, you must have strong faith in the Lord and in His Word. Be aware that as the world turns chaotic and more people turn to evil, Rapture could happen anytime and that means the return of Lord Jesus will follow. I encourage you to watch the video with faith and you will realize it is more than a tourism video. Pay close attention to the bible teachings.

#4 Popcorn in Bed’s sports-related movie reaction videos – Recently, YouTuber Popcorn in Bed published two movie reaction videos that happened to be sports-related. One was about ice hockey and the other was about running and the 1924 Olympic Games. While the films Miracle and Chariots of Fire are inspiring, be mindful that creative liberties were taken at the expense of historical accuracy which is often the case with movies. Still, Popcorn in Bed’s reactions are amusing to watch and II encourage you watch the videos below.

#5 Rocky (1976) movie reaction/review videos – Still on the topic of sports-related movies, Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky is arguably the most iconic of them all. Not only did it bring fame to Stallone, it also won the Academy Award for Best Picture and was selected by the Library Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. Naturally, Rocky has been featured in a lot of movie reaction/review videos and you can watch some of them below.

#6 Israel’s Prime Minister points to terrorist state Iran and its useful idiots – During his speech to the United States Congress (both lower and upper houses of Congress) in Washington, D.C., Israeli Prime Minister mentioned the truth about terrorist state Iran which has terrorist proxies around the Middle East as well as many brainwashed supportive protesters (the useful idiots) composed of Islamists, Communists, socialists, Marxists, liberals, the woke and other Islamo-Leftist elements. Netanyahu is correct that Iran’s axis of evil exists and there is a clash between civilization and barbarism (this points to Iran, the terrorists and woke extremists who support terrorism). It is also clear that all the people who hate Israel and sided with Islamic terrorists are on the wrong side and God is watching. Watch and learn from the video below.

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 26

July 17, 2024July 17, 2024carlocarrasco

I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.

#1 More Unsolved Mysteries Season 1 episodes – I have always been a fan of the Unsolved Mysteries TV series since the early 1990s. Apart from the great hosting and narration by the late Robert Stack, Unsolved Mysteries’ creative team was consistent in producing live-action interpretations of true crime stories, UFO stories, missing persons stories, ghost stories and other tales with a high level of quality. I also love their attention to details sourced from police reports, law enforcers and interviews of eye witnesses. Not only that, Unsolved Mysteries also helped in capturing wanted criminals and reunited family members who were separated for a long time. This was evident from their first season and posted below are further Season 1 episodes for you to enjoy.

#2 Videodrome reaction video by You, Me and the Movies – Recently, YouTuber team You, Me and the Movies published their movie reaction video of Videodrome which was a very intriguing and shocking movie directed by David Cronenberg. If you don’t mind the spoilers, this is an entertaining reaction video to watch.

#3 RollerGames episodes in high-definition – When I was very young, I was able to watch on local TV here in the Philippines the episodes of RollerGames which showcased a series of action-packed and intriguing roller derby rounds. This was one of those alternative sports competitions that was entertaining to watch and it even shared certain elements with professional wrestling shows with regards to tension between competitors and the show’s notable personalities. The good news here is that the RollerGames episodes have been restored in high-definition and posted below are the first four episodes for your enjoyment.

#4 The Aliens arcade game from Konami – I remember back in the early 1990s – before the debut of Street Fighter II and all those other fighting games that followed – Aliens (by Konami) was a big attraction in local arcades. Loosely based on the 1986 sci-fi action movie directed by James Cameron, Aliens the arcade game was an action-packed 2D scrolling game in which players have to move to their destination while firing their guns against multiple waves of Xenomorphs, Facehuggers and other variants of monsters. This was a highly entertaining game that never got ported into any console, and you can learn more about Konami’s Aliens by watching PatmanQC’s video below.

#5 Xbox Game Pass adjustments – Recently, Microsoft announced big changes to Xbox Game Pass (XGP) which has divided both subscribers and gamers in general. Apart from the price increases, there are also changes on the policies and what subscribers get in return for paying more or less. Personally, I don’t like what Team Xbox came up with. Watch the videos below.

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Could the Shattered Space expansion reinvigorate gamers’ interest in Starfield?

June 26, 2024June 18, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks and gamers!

It has been months since I finished my first playthrough of Starfield on my Xbox Series X. I really enjoyed the massive sci-fi role-playing game (developed by Bethesda Game Studios) but I should say that there were technical glitches and some creative shortcomings that got in the way. While it is indeed a really good game, I have not replayed it ever since.

In fact, I have been waiting for the developers to keep on patching and refining Starfield as much as possible, plus I have been anticipating the release of the promised expansion Shattered Space.

During the recent 2024 Xbox Games Showcase (also referred to as Xbox Showcase), Bethesda and Team Xbox released the official trailer of Starfield: Shattered Space and also went the extra mile announcing new stuff for Starfield players to check out. Watch the trailer as well as the June 2024 video below…

Bethesda described Shattered Space as follows:

The home planet of House Va’ruun remains a mystery to the vast majority of the citizens of the Settled Systems. The religious zealots that make up this clandestine faction are known only by their dangerous reputation. When a distress signal originating from a derelict star station leads you on a path to Va’ruun’kai, you’ll begin to uncover the secrets surrounding the followers of the Great Serpent. Explore a new location, take on new enemies and experience the story of House Va’ruun when Shattered Space launches later this year.

*A lot of mystery await gamers in the Shattered Space expansion for Starfield.*

I can say that the concept of exploring the home world of House Va’ruun is not only intriguing but clearly the next creative step for Starfield. House Va’ruun’s troops and agents are indeed formidable foes to fight and I have been eager to find out more of them in the game. I can only hope that apart from refining the game, Todd Howard and his team will come up with a rock-solid story, more engaging gameplay experiences and maybe a few new characters to introduce as they focus on House Va’ruun.

Don’t forget that there is a huge fanbase of Starfield gamers who are literally hungry for more content that is no less fun and captivating. Perhaps the Shattered Space expansion will reinvigorate both fans and new gamers’ interest in Starfield.

If there is anything lacking with the Shattered Space part of the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase, it is the lack of a firm release date. For me, “coming in 2024” is unsatisfying and uncertain. It should be noted that other games at the showcase had no firm release dates. Perhaps Bethesda and Team Xbox will release Starfield: Shattered Space during the first or second week of September 2024 (note: Starfield itself was released on September 6, 2023).

Watch out for Starfield: Shattered Space on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Windows PC.

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Better than Streaming: Do you have Cloak & Dagger (1984) 4K Blu-ray in your collection?

June 24, 2024December 19, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back, fellow geeks, Blu-ray collectors and movie buffs!

Decades ago, I saw on home video Cloak & Dagger (1984) which turned out to be an entertaining film to watch as I was already playing games on Atari 2600 and the arcades. After replaying by chance on cable TV years later, I finally bought myself the 4K Blu-ray and it sure was fun to watch it all over again. Check out my retro movie review of it by clicking here.

*The front of my copy of Cloak & Dagger (1984) 4K Blu-ray.*

*The rear with the details that can be read.*

For the newcomers reading this, Cloak & Dagger (1984) is a movie that involved then video game giant Atari in the creative process. The movie’s plot is not based on Atari’s arcade game of the same name (previously titled as Agent X).

Cloak & Dagger (1984) its own original plot of espionage about a young boy Davey (played by Henry Thomas, the star of Steven Spielberg’s E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial) who witnesses a murder and receives an Atari 5200 cartridge of the game Cloak & Dagger that contains something very important. This in turn makes him a target of armed henchmen who won’t stop until they get him. Due to his reputation of being too playful and living with his wild imagination as a spy, people don’t believe Davey’s claim of witnessing a murder. This film happens to be inspired by the short story “The Boy Cried Murder” written by Cornell Woolrich.

*Cloak & Dagger in arcade form. Atari released it in the form of an arcade conversion kit aimed at arcade machines of certain games of its competitors.*

The Cloak & Dagger arcade game can be played on your game console with the Atari 50 collection software (over 100 games). This screenshot I captured while playing it on my Xbox Series X console running Atari 50.

A few weeks ago, my copy of the Cloak & Dagger 4K Blu-ray arrived and it came with two discs: One 4K Blu-ray disc which contained the movie in native 4K (scanned in UHD from the 35mm film) resolution of 3840 x 2160p. The other disc has the same movie in HD (1920 x 1080p) plus the extra stuff which can provide viewers and Cloak & Dagger fans a good amount of important content which will help them learn what the video game elements in the film are, what inspired its creative process and why the film is very unique by today’s standards. There is also an informative new interview with Henry Thomas.

Since then, I saw Cloak & Dagger in 4K twice on my Xbox Series X and its 1080p version on a standalone Blu-ray disc player. Cloak & Dagger in 4K looks better than ever as the picture quality is better, images look sharper and clearer, the colors are vibrant, the small visual details (which were not visible in lower resolution before) are more noticeable now, and film grain structure has been preserved intact!

*The two discs. The one on the right is Cloak & Dagger in 4K.*

As for the story itself, I still find it engaging and enjoyable to watch from start to finish. Cloak & Dagger is clearly a production of its time as it carries clear Cold War references – the Soviet Union and Iran are the evil forces told in very subtle fashion – as well as video game elements and brands (note: ColecoVision even appeared in this Atari-influenced movie) that dominated America’s console gaming market long before PlayStation, Nintendo and Xbox arrived. For a movie aimed at parents and children, this one has really intense violence as it involves shooting and even some elements of terrorism.

Ultimately, I got a lot of enjoyment from my Cloak & Dagger (1984) 4K Blu-ray and I highly recommend it to Cloak & Dagger fans, gamers, physical media collectors and anyone who loves watching movies in the comfort of home. Cloak & Dagger (1984) is a very unique and fun movie that Hollywood does not make anymore. You really should see it.

In case you are interested or if you have made up your mind, you can order a copy of Cloak & Dagger (1984) 4K Blu-ray by clicking here.

If you wish to join a group of movie enthusiasts and talk about cinema, visit the Movie Fans Worldwide Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/322857711779576

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Gears of War: E-Day was the pleasant surprise of the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase

June 19, 2024June 14, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks and gamers!

With the exception of a certain 3^rd party games that turned out to be a creative misfires respectively, the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase (also referred to as Xbox Showcase) was clearly a powerful showcase of future games on the Xbox ecosystem and the 1^st party games of Team Xbox displayed is the most exciting bunch yet!

As mentioned before, we are now living in the age of Microsoft-owned Activision, Blizzard, King and Bethesda, and Team Xbox has many game studios as a result. The 2024 Xbox Games Showcase is just the taste of many exciting and fun 1^st party games coming out in the near future (including the Game Pass services for Xbox and PC) with titles like the Perfect Dark reboot, the Fable reboot, South of Midnight, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and more.

Among the many 1^st party games showcased was Gears of War: E-Day which turned out to be the most pleasant surprise as many people heavily anticipated Gears of War 6 and the Marcus Fenix Collection. On my part, I anticipated GOW6 and a Gears Tactics sequel to be announced but what was unveiled officially was both intriguing and captivating. To find out more what Gears of War: E-Day is about, watch the official unveiling below…

Being made by The Coalition using the Unreal 5 engine (the same engine used in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II), Gears of War: E-Day is the origin story that depicts the horror of Locust invasion on Emergence Day through the eyes of the iconic Marcus Fenix. For the newcomers reading this, Emergence Day refers to the event when the Locus Horde emerged from the depths of the planet Sera and started major assaults on human cities causing massive counts of deaths. Chronologically, Gears of War: E-Day is set fourteen years before the events of the original Gears of War game.

As seen in the above trailer, Marcus Fenix looks younger and you can see him struggling in what seems to be his first-ever personal and physical fight with one of the Locusts. There is also a subtle reference in the video that sends gamers a message – the MK1 Lancer is here and it is NOT the chainsaw-equipped gun that became the iconic weapon of choice in the Gears of War franchise. Again, the story of this upcoming game is set more than a decade before the first GOW and The Coalition developers have planned some changes that will impact not only the interactive experience but also the storytelling.

*Do you recognize the eyes of Marcus Fenix in this image? The high level of detail of Unreal Engine 5 combined with the digital artistry of The Coalition make a great combination!*

Gears of War: E-Day is looking like a very welcome addition to not only its franchise but also for future releases on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Windows PC, as well as for Game Pass subscribers among Xbox and PC gamers. I doubt that a version of the game will be released on aging Xbox One consoles. As to when will the new game be released, I am speculating it would be in November 2026 as that month would mark the 20th anniversary of the release of the original GOW. It is also possible that Microsoft will release the next-generation Xbox console on that same month as well.

Gears 5 was the last main Gears of War game I played during the final months of the existence of my old Xbox One console. I played Gears Tactics on my Xbox Series X a few years ago which was fun experience. That being said, Gears of War: E-Day is the next GOW game to look forward to.

I certainly hope that The Coalition will STOP implementing wokeness, identity politics and foolish feminism (present in Gears of War 4 and Gears 5) into the new game and just make Gears of War: E-Day be much more like the original Gears of War of 2006…a war story about a band of brothers (the grunts) who risked their lives to accomplish mission objectives. The original Gears of War had the vibe of 1980s Hollywood action cinema – specifically from Predator (1987) – and I want to see that implemented in the new game.

*Here is hoping that this prequel will be released within two years’ time. Xbox fans have waited long for 1st party exclusive games to be released in this current console generation.*

You can learn more about Gears of War: E-Day by clicking https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2024/06/09/gears-of-war-e-day-interview-details-xbox-games-showcase-2024/

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 22

June 15, 2024June 25, 2024carlocarrasco

I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.

#1 The miraculous rescue of hostages – In case you missed the news, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) successfully rescued four Israeli hostages, fought with the Palestinian terrorists and brought the hostages home safely. This not some high-risk operation turned lucky. This operation was a blessing from the Lord God whose covenant with the Jewish people has always been true and standing to this day. All the praise, honor, thanks and glory to Him! Ignore the lies of the Islamo-Leftist mainstream news media and focus on the truth by watching the selected videos below…

#2 European Union (EU) elections resulted in the fall of the Satanic Left – Very recently, a series of elections took place in Europe which determined the composition of the European Union (EU) parliament. European voters who have grown sick and tired of the policies of the Satanic Left (examples: mass migration, taking care of illegal aliens at taxpayers’ expense, fascist climate change policies, government corruption) made their choices by electing more conservative and more nationalistic/patriotic candidates. In Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni saw her party gain power while the President of France had no choice but to dissolve French parliament (National Assembly) and call for a snap election. Watch and learn more from the videos below…

#3 Documentary of the Houston Rockets’ amazing 1995 NBA championship defense – Never underestimate the heart of a sports champion. That is the moral lesson behind the unbelievable successful NBA championship defense the Houston Rockets achieved in 1995. For the newcomers reading this, the Rockets won the title in 1994 but ended up ranking only 6^th place on the Western Conference the following season. This meant that the Rockets had no home court advantage through the NBA Playoffs of 1995. How they defied expectations and overcame tough obstacles to win a 2^nd straight NBA championship must be seen in the selected NBA documentary video. Enjoy!

#4 A very deep look back at Lost Odyssey – Lost Odyssey is not just a very notable video game released only on Xbox 360 many years ago. It was arguably the most defining, traditional Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) that can be best described as a Final Fantasy game without the name. To be clear, Lost Odyssey involved the combined talents of Japanese greats Hironobu Sakaguchi (Final Fantasy creator), Takehiko Inoue (famous manga artist) and Nobuo Uematsu (musician always know for Final Fantasy), and it was an ambitious JRPG that also happened to be an Xbox-exclusive game. If you wish to know more about Lost Odyssey, what it has in common with Final Fantasy games and why it remains a very notable game, watch the documentary below…

#5 PatmanQC’s Ring King retrospective – Retro gaming YouTuber PatmanQC published recently his retrospective video about the 1980s game Ring King (also titled as King of Boxer) which is fun and informative to watch.

#6 You, Me and the Movies’ The Blob (1958) reaction – Recently the 1958 version of The Blob was featured by You, Me and the Movies in a movie reaction video which is entertaining to watch.

#7 RK Outpost examines woke Star Wars – It is no secret that under the umbrella of the woke Disney company and the Lucasfilm leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, the established entertainment franchises of Star Wars and Indiana Jones got ruined. Sad to say, Star Wars continues to be made with extreme wokeness and rabid feminism, reaching the point of completely ruining the sci-fi franchise as we know it. Watch and learn from RK Outpost’s videos below…

#8 The evil of Palestinian terrorist group Hamas – It cannot be denied that Palestinian terrorist group Hamas is pure evil. So pure is their evil, they want nothing less than committing complete genocide against Israel and its people. To his day, pro-Palestine zealots cannot even tell the difference between good and evil, and right and wrong. For the Palestinians and its brainwashed supporters (all supported secretly by terrorist state Iran), terrorism, violence and murder are the only ways to achieve what they want. Watch and learn from the videos below…

#9 2024 Xbox Games Showcase videos – Following the lackluster Sony State of Play and Summer Game Fest, Team Xbox and its partners came out blazing with the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase recently. In my view, it was a big improvement over last year’s showcase (which itself was quite good) and there were highlights that should not be ignored. Posted below are selected videos for your viewing pleasure.

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