DraftKings and FanDuel are reportedly talking about a merger
Many would say that DraftKings and FanDuel are two sides of the same daily fantasy sports coin, and for good reason: in addition to similar businesses, they’ve sometimes been uncomfortably close to each other. And now, it looks like they might just cement that bond once and for all. Sources for both Bloomberg and Reuters say that the two companies are in merger talks. They reportedly haven’t agreed on anything and might not unite, but the insiders claim that the two have been discussing the deal for a long time. Neither DraftKings nor FanDuel has commented so far.
A tie-up might be necessary. Regulators in multiple states have been clamping down on daily fantasy businesses, limiting where and how they operate. A merger would let them consolidate and potentially weather the legal storm better than they would on their own. There’s no certainty that this would work, or even make financial sense, but it’s easy to see the companies deciding that the risks are too great to remain separate.
Source: Bloomberg, Reuters
Ubisoft is still making a ‘Watch Dogs’ movie
Ubisoft has decided that all of its major video game franchises should be turned into movies. Following Assassin’s Creed and The Division, the publisher has reiterated (almost three years after its original announcement) that Watch Dogs is getting a big screen adaptation. There’s no word, however, on when it’ll be coming out. Or what it’ll be like. The upcoming Watch Dogs 2 has a wildly different tone to its predecessor, removing the unlikeable Aiden Pearce in favor of a more youthful hero. The trailers so far have been hilarious, in a borderline cringeworthy way — if the film is based on the new game, hopefully it can strike a better tone.
Follow all the news from E3 2016 here!
Serious Sam’s next adventure will be in virtual reality
Adapting classic gaming franchises to VR seems to be a theme at E3 this year. Fallout is getting a VR experience. So is Doom. So, what nostalgic game series is next? Serious Sam, of course. Today, Croteam announced Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope — a virtual reality smorgasbord of explosions, hordes of alien monsters and gratuitous 1990s video game violence.
The game’s teaser trailer is wonderfully silly — bursting with the over-the-top aggressive shtick Serious Sam is known for. Details on gameplay are a little sparse though: all we really know is that players will face off against new and old enemies in new and old locations, and that the game appears to be a standing rail action shooter akin to Space Pirate Trainer.
If the trailer seems a little shallow, that’s because it is — the title’s developer says that Serious Sam VR is just a “fun separate side project,” and reassures die-hard fans on twitter that a proper sequel is still in the works. “We’re still working hard on Serious Sam 4 as our prime goal,” Croteam wrote on Twitter. “Be patient!” There’s no word on when the official sequel will be ready, but folks with VR headsets will be able to play Serious Sam VR on Steam early access later this summer.
Source: Twitter
Netflix nabs ‘The Discovery’ sci-fi film, plans cinema release
Netflix continues to pad its streaming library, and this time it’s adding another indie film. The Discovery, directed by Charlie McDowell, takes place two years after humans proved the afterlife is a real thing and millions are committing suicide in an attempt to start fresh. The movies stars Rooney Mara (The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo), Robert Redford and Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother, Forgetting Sarah Marshall). Redford’s character makes the discovery while Segel plays his son with Mara as the younger’s love interest.
The project also stars Jesse Plemons of Fargo and Breaking Bad fame and joins the slate of upcoming Netflix original films with the likes of Ellen Page, Paul Rudd and Brad Pitt. There’s no word on when The Discovery will make its debut, but Deadline reports there are plans for a 2017 theatrical release alongside the streaming premiere. It’s a similar strategy the service took for Beasts of No Nation, making it available for both streaming and theater-goers after its release. This is just the latest in a string of movie announcements from Amazon and Netflix, as both services are adding full-length films at almost the same rate they’re announcing original series.
Source: Deadline Hollywood
Apple’s new file system revolves around encryption
One of Apple’s quietest announcements at WWDC might also be its most important. The company has introduced a brand new file system, simply called Apple File System (APFS) that makes security its centerpiece. It offers a unified encryption method for virtually every device Apple makes, ranging from the Apple Watch to the Mac. That includes multi-key encryption, which makes it tough to crack even if you have physical access to the storage. In short, the FBI won’t be happy: Encryption is now a core part of the operating system, not just something bolted on after the fact.
APFS also acknowledges the advances in technology in the nearly two decades since Apple’s current file system, HFS+, hit the scene. It’s optimized for flash storage, uses extremely fine-grained time stamps (down to the nanosecond) and supports a whopping 9 quintillion files on a single volume. You’ll also see “snapshots” (read-only instances of the file system) that make Time Machine-style backups easier.
The file system is available to developers in preview form right now, and it should launch in earnest in 2017. However, unlike the usual operating system previews, you don’t even dare try this unless you’re writing apps where it’d be a factor. The pre-release APFS can’t be used to boot a device and doesn’t support many Mac staples, such as Fusion Drives or Time Machine. There’s no certainty that the data you put on a drive now will be readable by later versions of APFS, for that matter. Nonetheless, its very existence is noteworthy: It’ll likely dictate the features of Apple gadgets for years to come.
Get all the latest news from WWDC 2016 here!
Source: Apple (1), (2)
What’s on your HDTV: ‘OITNB,’ ‘Star Trek’ 4K Blu-ray, NBA Finals
The NHL has awarded its Stanley Cup, and this week the NBA Finals will wrap up — maybe even tonight. Later this week Netflix has season four of Orange is the New Black ready for your bingeing pleasure, as new summer series come to TV like Uncle Buck, Wrecked and Guilt. The last two Star Trek films have been remastered for Ultra HD Blu-ray, however we don’t have many new games while all the developers are busy this week at E3. Look after the break to check out each day’s highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).
Blu-ray & Games & Streaming
- The X Files: Event Series
- Eddie the Eagle (4K)
- 10 Cloverfield Lane
- Star Trek (4K)
- Star Trek: Into Darkness (4K)
- Jaws 2
- Jaws 3D
- Jaws: The Revenge
- Star Trek: The Complete Original Series
- Power (S2)
- Sorceress
- Jeeper’s Creepers (Collector’s Edition)
- Victor Victoria
- The Elder Scrolls Online: Dark Brotherhood DLC (PS4, Xbox One)
- Octoshield VR (PC – Early Access)
Monday
- NBA Finals Game 5: Warriors vs. Cavaliers, ABC, 9PM
- So You Think You Can Dance, Fox, 8PM
- WWE Raw, USA, 8PM
- Reign, CW, 8PM
- American Dad, TBS, 8:30PM
- Guilt (series premiere), Freeform, 9PM
- Rizzoli & Isles, TNT, 9PM
- Angie Tribeca, TBS, 9PM
- Top Gear, BBC America, 9PM
- 12 Monkeys, Syfy, 9PM
- Braindead (series premiere), CBS, 10PM
- Major Crimes (season premiere), TNT, 10PM
- Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge (series premiere), NBC, 10PM
- Mistresses, ABC, 10PM
- Turn, AMC, 10PM
- Extra Gear, BBC America, 10:30PM
- Scream, MTV, 11PM
- Hunters, Syfy, 12AM
- After the Thrones, HBO, 1:30AM
Tuesday
- Powers, PSN, 3AM
- The Mindy Project, Hulu, 3AM
- Casual, Hulu, 3AM
- America’s Got Talent, NBC, 8PM
- To Tell the Truth, ABC, 8 & 10PM
- 30 for 30: O.J. Made in America – Part 2, ESPN, 9PM
- Animal Kingdom (series premiere), TNT, 9PM
- Uncle Buck, ABC (series premiere), ABC, 9PM
- Inside the Label, BET, 9PM
- Coupled, Fox, 9PM
- 60 Minutes Sports, Showtime, 9PM
- Containment, CW, 9PM
- Deadliest Catch, Discovery, 9PM
- Feed the Beast, AMC, 10PM
- Maya & Marty, NBC, 10PM
- Person of Interest, CBS, 10PM
- Tosh.0, Comedy Central, 10PM
- Wrecked (series premiere), TBS, 10PM
- Not Safe with Nikki Glaser, Comedy Central, 10:30PM
Wednesday
- Chelsea, Netflix 3AM
- Unsung: Kwame, TV One, 8PM
- Young & Hungry, Freeform, 8PM
- In A Perfect World, Showtime, 8PM
- Baby Daddy, Freeform, 8:30PM
- 30 for 30: O.J. Made in America Part 3, ESPN, 9PM
- Dual Survival (season premiere), Discovery, 9PM
- Kingdom, DirecTV, 9PM
- Maron, IFC, 9PM
- Wayward Pines, Fox, 9PM
- Another Period (season premiere), Comedy Central, 10PM
- AFI Life Achievement Award: John Williams, TNT, 10PM
- Royal Pains, USA, 10PM
- The Real World/Road Rules Challenge, MTV, 10PM
- The Ultimate Fighter, Fox Sports 1, 10PM
- Cleverman, Sundance, 10PM
Thursday
- Chelsea, Netflix, 3AM
- Bones, Fox, 8PM
- Bones, Fox, 8PM
- WWE SmackDown, USA, 8PM
- NBA Finals Game 6: Cavaliers vs. Warriors (if necessary), ABC, 9PM
- Aquarius (season premiere), NBC, 9PM
- Home Free (season premiere), Fox, 9PM
- Streets of Compton, A&E, 9PM
- Beauty and the Beast, CW, 9PM
- Live from Daryl’s House, MTV Live, 9PM
- Red Nose Day, NBC, 9PM
- Alone, History, 9PM
- Inside Amy Schumer (season finale), Comedy Central, 10PM
- Orphan Black (season finale), BBC America, 10PM
- Ladylike, MTV, 11PM
Friday
- Orange is the New Black (S4), Netflix, 3AM
- All Hail King Julien (S3), Netflix, 3AM
- Chelsea, Netflix, 3AM
- Masters of Illusion, CW, 8PM
- 30 for 30: O.J. Made in America Part 4, ESPN, 9PM
- Outcast, Cinemax, 10PM
- ELeague, TBS, 10PM
- Comedy! Bang! Bang!, IFC, 11PM
- Big Jay Oakerson: Live at Webster Hall, Comedy Central, 11:59PM
Saturday
- Killing Mommy, Lifetime, 8PM
- People’s List, ABC, 8PM
- Premier Boxing Champions, NBC, 8:30PM
- 30 for 30: O.J.: Made in America Part 4, ABC, 9PM
- Hell on Wheels, AMC, 9PM
- Outlander, Starz, 9PM
- American West, AMC, 10PM
- Being, Centric, 10PM
Sunday
- NBA Finals Game 7: Warriors vs. Cavaliers (if necessary), ABC, 9PM
- The Girlfriend Experience, Starz, 8PM
- Vicious, PBS, 8PM
- Dodgers/Giants, ESPN, 8PM
- Penny Dreadful (season finale), Showtime, 9PM
- Endeavour, PBS, 9PM
- Preacher, AMC, 9PM
- Game of Thrones, HBO, 9PM
- The Last Ship, TNT, 9PM
- Ride with Norman Reedus, AMC, 10PM
- Feed the Beast, AMC, 10PM
- Penny Dreadful, Showtime, 10PM
- Silicon Valley, HBO,10PM
- Declassified (series premiere), CNN, 10PM
- Murder in the First (season premiere), TNT, 10PM
- Tunnel (series premiere), PBS, 10:30PM
- Veep, HBO, 10:30PM
- Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, HBO, 11PM
(All times listed are ET)
Kanye West releases game trailer for ‘Only One’
Producer, hip-hop artist, fashion designer and famous husband Kanye West has been busy lately. When he wasn’t working to put the not-so-final touches on The Life of Pablo or debuting Yeezy Season 3 at Madison Square Garden, Kanye was also working on an interactive video game companion for Only One — his 2014 single of the same name.
The footage debuted today at E3 and features a stripped-down version of the song, which follows an imagined conversation with his late mother about life, his children and growing older. As The Fader reports, Kanye’s interest in gaming actually predates his music career and the artist actually showed off some of the footage to developers at last year’s E3. While the trailer doesn’t offer much insights in the way of gameplay, it is lovely to look at:
According to Polygon, Kanye collaborated on the project with animation studio Encyclopedia Pictura, known for their earlier work with artists like Bjork and Grizzly Bear. Although there’s no release date yet, we think it’s a safe bet to say Kanye will pull a Kanye and release the game whenever he feels it’s good and ready.
Live from Sony’s PlayStation showcase at E3!
Sony is set to unveil the latest games and hardware updates for the PlayStation 4 tonight, and we’re on the ground at the big show. Rumor has it that Sony’s pièce de résistance is a new PS4 model with 4K output and all-around upgraded guts. Join us live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California starting at 6PM PT / 9PM ET — and make sure to bring your own popcorn because Sony is known for mic-drop moments.
Watch Sony’s E3 press conference right here
It’s hard to imagine Sony topping its E3 press conference from last year. Shenmue 3, The Last Guardian and a remake of Final Fantasy VII was a pretty jaw-on-the-floor combination. Still, this year could be a doozy too. We’re nearing the launch of the PlayStation VR, so a few extra game announcements wouldn’t go amiss. Throw in a new God of War and some fresh footage from Gran Turismo Sport, Dreams and Horizon Zero Dawn — that’s a packed show already. To keep up with the madness, you can watch Sony’s livestream right here (there’s also an audience camera feed for the full you-are-there- feeling) and follow along with the Engadget liveblog.
Source: PlayStation (YouTube), Live.PlayStation.com
Madden NFL 16 championships will be broadcast live on ESPN2
While their deal with League of Legends may have been a pipe dream, ESPN is expanding their eSports coverage to something a little closer to the roots of the “Worldwide Leader in Sports.” On June 14th from 6–7:30 PM ET, ESPN2 will televise live coverage of EA’s Madden NFL 16 Championship series for the first time ever.
The live, in-person event will be broadcast from the Novo Theater in Los Angeles, where game Madden publisher Electronic Arts is currently hosting their weeklong EA Play event. Streaming coverage of the quarterfinals is already playing on EA’s site, but the TV broadcast of Tuesday’s championship game will mark the first time the sports channel has put the virtual Super Bowl on network TV. (For the cord cutters out there, it will also be streamed to desktop computer and set-top streaming boxes via the WatchESPN app.)
With eSports shaping up to bring in nearly half a billion dollars in revenue this year, and more and more traditional sports clubs adding eSports players to their rosters, it makes sense to see one of the biggest sports game franchises of all time make the leap to broadcast TV. On the other hand, the championship bonuses aren’t quite as lucrative in eSports yet — players in the Madden NFL 16 Championship are competing for just a piece of a $50,000 total prize pool.
