Xbox Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Starfield Direct (June 11) treated sci-fi fans to its sparkly settings, customisable spaceships and character creation, it also saw the return of one of The Elder Scrolls’ most aggravating characters.Traits, which are an optional aspect, alter how the game reacts to the player’s character. For example, the Freestar Collective Settler trait allies the player with that faction and will allow for greater faction rewards, however, crime bounties towards other factions are significantly increased.However, Hero Worshiped means that a blond citizen will appear randomly and fawn over the character — seemingly never tiring, requiring food or water, or running out of things to say.You can see it in action through the timestamped video below.As spotted in the footage, there’s no doubting it: that NPC is another iteration of the Adoring Fan that appeared in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion.

Avowed received its latest trailer in the Xbox Games Showcase that went live today (June 11), revealing the world of Eora is in turmoil.“Explore the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger. As an envoy of Aedyr, you are sent to investigate rumours of a spreading plague with a secret that threatens to destroy everything,” reads a new summary from Xbox Game Studios.“Can you save the island and your soul from the forces threatening to tear them apart?”Eora is the same setting as Obsidian Entertainment’s Pillars of Eternity.

Star Wars Outlaws below.“Experience the first-ever open world Star Wars game, set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi,” reads the description for Star Wars Outlaws‘ trailer.“Explore distinct planets across the galaxy, both iconic and new. Risk it all as Kay Vess, an emerging scoundrel seeking freedom and the means to start a new life, along with her companion Nix.

PUBG is changing the rules with its new update! Despite certain maps that had a comeback arena once you were dead in this Battle Royale game you stayed that way. Not anymore you don’t! With this new update, PUBG is bringing a brand new revival system called recall. Recall allows your teammates to bring a player back from the dead.

Microsoft have announced the first batch of free games for game pass subscribers this month. A Indie horror game set in WW1, a adventure puzzle game and a tongue in cheek simulator make up the first few titles available with more set to be announced.

FTC said the company’s Xbox Live signup process collected sensitive data before demanding that young users get parental approval, whereas the appropriate procedure is the reverse (get parents on board before collecting any sensitive data).Soliciting personal information, such as phone numbers, from players under 13 years of age before asking them to get parental approval was only part of Microsoft’s COPPA violation. Another key element, according to the complaint, is that “Microsoft allowed—by default—all users, including children to play third-party games and apps while using Xbox Live, requiring parents to take additional steps to opt out if they don’t want their children to access them.” This allowed children’s information to be shared with third-party developers without parental consent.In addition to the $20 million fine, the FTC proposed that Microsoft be required to keep parents informed (more than is already required) as well as delete child-linked info wherein parental consent is not obtained within two weeks of said data being collected.The FTC’s order has yet to be approved by a federal court, which is required for the fine and associated bolstered Xbox privacy protection terms to be forced onto Microsoft.“Our proposed order makes it easier for parents to protect their children’s privacy on Xbox, and limits what information Microsoft can collect and retain about kids,” said Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.

Bloomberg report shed light on why the game turned out the way it did, and how some of its developers actively hoped Microsoft wouldn’t let it see the light of day in its original form.Development issues began when ZeniMax and Bethesda had Arkane Studios pivot the game’s trajectory, turning a would-be single-player experience into a multiplayer “games as a service” title (“games as a service” is a label used for titles that are designed to generate recurring revenue and, in concept, never have a proper end point). Given that Arkane’s specialty is single-player games with definitive, well-planned end points, one can imagine how such multiplayer mandates weighed on the development team.Constant direction pivots, on top of understaffing, led to a half-baked game not ready for primetime.

Manchester City are aiming to complete a near-perfect season when they face Inter Milan in the Champions League final next week.

The Europa League final between Roma and Sevilla takes place tonight.

Jana Kramer’s ex-husband Mike Caussin was pleased for her when she told him she was set to tie the knot with Allan Russell.

McKinley Franklin editor It’s time to return to the horrific world of Diablo. Blizzard Entertainment has released a new live-action trailer for Diablo IV ahead of its June 6 debut, directed by “Nomadland” Oscar winner Chloé Zhao. The trailer, titled “Saviors Wanted” and co-directed by Kiku Ohe, gives audiences a first glimpse of what’s to come in the fourth installment of the role-playing game series. Zhao’s trailer captures the ominous, cinematic essence of Diablo IV, plagued by conflict, fear and outright destruction. “Saviors Wanted” shows off the dark world of Sanctuary, a land plagued by atrocious monsters and battles fought by the High Heavens and Burning Hells. “With a gripping story that interweaves emotion and humanity into the game’s characters, the promotional film takes viewers on a journey of destruction at the hands of Lilith, the Blessed Mother determined to rule over Sanctuary once more.” 

Selome Hailu After more than a year of fanfare caused by the 2022 merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery, David Zaslav’s WBD has finally launched Max. Branded as “the one to watch,” the new streaming service combines the offerings of HBO Max and Discovery+ into one platform. In April, WBD held an event announcing the name, launch date, ethos and next steps of the brand. Along with unveiling flashy (and controversial) plans like a new “Harry Potter” series, company execs also explained the decision to drop the prestigious HBO name from the title of the service: In short, they want to be clear that the acclaimed but certainly adult-leaning programming HBO is famous for is only a portion of the content available on Max.

Sony’s “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” is almost here and, as a timely tie-in, “Fortnite” is bringing the film’s two lead Spider-Men to its multiplatform battle royale. Starting Tuesday, Miles Morales and Spider-Man 2099 join the fight, accompanied by various “Across the Spider-Verse”-themed cosmetic accessories.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor It’s the big launch day for Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max — and the newly revamped streaming service appears to encountering some technical problems right off the bat. On Wednesday morning, subscribers took to social media to complain that they were having logging in to Max, which is replacing the three-year-old HBO Max service. As reported by users, the issues spanned the Max.com website as well as mobile apps including iOS and connected-TV apps on Roku and Samsung TV. Of course, there are bound to be some problems in migrating millions of customers over to a new streaming platform. A Warner Bros. Discovery rep declined to specify how widespread the issues that users are encountering may be. The May 23 conversion from HBO Max to Max covers only the U.S.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Max, Warner Bros. Discovery’s bulked-up and revamped streaming service that takes the place of HBO Max, makes it U.S. debut on Wednesday (May 23). Max makes several subtle enhancements aimed at making the service easier to use and more engaging — while execs say it should also be more stable than HBO Max. According to the company, a “large portion” of HBO Max subscribers will have their apps automatically updated to Max — while in some cases, users will be prompted to download an updated Max app. If all goes as planned, HBO Max subscribers will have their previous plan (including their username, password and billing information), profiles, avatars, and settings including “Continue Watching” and “My List” items migrated over to the new Max.

Queen perform We Are The Champions in 1977Carrie Fisher on returning as Princess Leia in new Star WarsMcFly discuss having 'group therapy' in 2019 interviewTrailer for Dune: Part TwoWarhammer Fest 2023Official broadway trailer for 'Bad Cinderella'Beetlejuice 4K trailerWe Know The Way from Disney's latest animation MoanaRobert and James Redford discuss positive change in 2017Disney's Wish official trailer directed Chris BuckHalo Infinite gameplay teaser released at Xbox Series X eventOculus announces Resident Evil 4 for Quest 2John Lennon: Son Julian discusses Yoko Ono in 1999HMV: New boss confirms store will keep branding after takeoverRege-Jean Page discusses the reaction he got from BridgertonThe Flash - Official TrailerKelly LeBrock shot to instant global superstardom in 1985 with the release of Weird Science, which is back on TV tonight. She was already well-known for an iconic series of shampoo commercials with a classic catchphrase.

The popular multiplayer game “Dead by Daylight” already has tons of Hollywood royalty on its roster, including Freddy Krueger, Leatherface, Ash Williams, and Laurie Strode. Now, it also has Nicolas Cage.

Official broadway trailer for 'Bad Cinderella'Beetlejuice 4K trailerWe Know The Way from Disney's latest animation MoanaRobert and James Redford discuss positive change in 2017Disney's Wish official trailer directed Chris BuckHalo Infinite gameplay teaser released at Xbox Series X eventOculus announces Resident Evil 4 for Quest 2John Lennon: Son Julian discusses Yoko Ono in 1999HMV: New boss confirms store will keep branding after takeoverRege-Jean Page discusses the reaction he got from BridgertonThe Flash - Official TrailerValorant release teaser for new agent ‘Killjoy'Suggs from Madness talks democracyLana Del Rey sings ‘Let Me Love You Like A Woman' on Jimmy FallonGlen Campbell performs Gentle On My Mind in 2010Little Richard: King and Queen of Rock'n'Roll preview clipSince working together on the Mission Impossible franchise, Tom Cruise and Simon Pegg have become firm pals off-screen as well as on. But there's one line Pegg isn't willing to cross with the megastar - Cruise's connection with the religion Scientology.

A couple who attempted to sell their Xbox to pay for a family holiday have fallen victim to a 'terrifying' scam. Paul Molloy and his partner Charlotte wanted to take their kids away to Wales for a trip.

The heartbroken partner of a young Scots dad who suddenly passed away has paid tribute to "the nicest guy you will ever meet".

Ahead of the summer launch of their breakout supernatural horror-thriller Talk to Me, which set the industry abuzz after world premiering at Sundance, Australian twin brother filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou have entered final negotiations to direct Legendary’s live-action Street Fighter pic based on the classic Capcom video games, sources confirm to Deadline.

Microsoft president Brad Smith has described yesterday (April 26) as the company’s “darkest day in our four decades in Britain,” after its proposed £55billion purchase of Activision Blizzard was blocked in the UK.Yesterday, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced that it was blocking Microsoft’s proposed acquisition, over concerns that ownership of Activision Blizzard‘s catalogue — which includes the likes of Call Of Duty, Overwatch and World Of Warcraft — would harm competition in the cloud gaming market.Speaking on the BBC‘s Wake Up To Money podcast (via GamesIndustry.biz), Brad Smith accused the decision of being “bad for Britain,” and claimed it will “discourage innovation and investment in the UK”.“Microsoft has been in the United Kingdom for 40 years and we play a vital role, not just supporting businesses and non-profits but even defending the nation from cyber-security threats,” said Smith. “But this decision, I have to say, is probably the darkest day in our four decades in Britain.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is hours away from release, and it has already been cited as “the best Star Wars game in 20 years”. The open-world action-adventure video game set in a galaxy far, far away is coming to consoles and PC on Friday (April 28) and marks one of the most hotly anticipated games of the year.

$68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard after publishing its final findings on Wednesday.The regulator, which initially launched an in-depth review of the deal in September, provisionally determined in February that the merger could make the tech giant even stronger in cloud gaming, stifling market competition. In its final decision, the CMA determined that Microsoft would “find it commercially beneficial to make Activision’s games exclusive to its own cloud gaming service” and that the deal would “reinforce Microsoft’s advantage in the market by giving it control over important gaming content such as Call of Duty, Overwatch, and World of Warcraft.”“Given its already strong position, even a moderate increment to Microsoft’s strength may be expected to substantially reduce competition in this developing market, to the detriment of current and future cloud gaming users,” the CMA said.

Microsoft’s $68.7BN deal for games giant Activision Blizzard has been blocked by regulators in the UK.

10:10 Games has released a trailer for its debut title Funko Fusion – an action-adventure game that features Funko Pop characters from Jurassic World, The Umbrella Academy, and more.Set to launch for PC and console platforms in 2024, Funko Fusion is a third-person action game that will see Funko Pops fight enemies and solve puzzles across a variety of worlds.The first trailer shows characters from the likes of The Umbrella Academy, Shaun Of The Dead and The Thing doing battle. Some of the trailer’s locales will also look familiar, as Back To The Future‘s town of Hill Valley and Jurassic World‘s Isla Nublar both make appearances as levels in the game.You can check out the trailer below.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Eq52cnf_Os&feature=youtu.beThe game appears to share some similarities to TT Games‘ Lego series, which — like Funko Fusion — features a mix of third-person combat, co-op, and puzzle-solving.

Halo Infinite‘s former head of creative, Joseph Staten, has joined Netflix Games after leaving 343 Industries earlier in the year.On Twitter, Staten revealed that he would be serving as creative director “for a brand-new AAA multiplatform game and original IP” at Netflix Games.“In my work life, there’s nothing I love more than collaborating with others to build worlds filled with iconic characters, deep mysteries, and endless adventures,” shared the Halo veteran.While Staten was involved with Microsoft’s Halo series since Halo 2, recent layoffs and restructuring saw him moved from 343 Industries to Xbox’s publishing division in January. However, Staten ultimately left Microsoft this month to join Netflix.So today, I'm thrilled to announce that I've joined @Netflix Games as Creative Director for a brand-new AAA multiplatform game and original IP.

With Summer on the horizon, people are booking their Summer holidays in locations like Spain, Greece, Africa and the Caribbean thick and fast. There are currently plenty of holiday offers from travel operators like TUI, EasyJet and First Choice.

The family of a nine-year-old boy who was nearly killed in a horrific scooter accident after he fell down an eight-feet-drop are raising money to thank those who saved his life. Ioan Watts from Bedwas was rushed to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff on October 3 after he fell off his scooter outside his home and was left critically injured.

A woman says she will 'never go back to Tesco' after she claims the supermarket chain fined her £35 when she visited twice in one day. The woman has called the ordeal 'frightening', and says she does not want to 'risk' shopping at Tesco again.

Parents have slammed high-street giant Primark after it launched matching £6 Spring dresses for mums and daughters. The retailer launched the collection of 'gorgeous' floral Spring dresses, which start at £6, last week.

The launch date for Diablo 4 is edging ever closer, and the video game’s developer has confirmed it will come early for some gamers. The latest installment of the action role-playing-game series is set to drop this summer, 11 years since the last main edition in the series.

Shoppers can be in with a chance of securing an Xbox, Samsung Galaxy phone, Smart HD TV, Nespresso Machine, and more from Currys for less than £9 thanks to a new mystery deal. The £9 'mystery deal' has just launched on a popular deals site, giving shoppers the chance to bag tech items worth hundreds of pounds on Currys for considerably less.

Catan board game, has died at the age of 70.The news was confirmed by Catan Studio, which announced through its website that Tauber had died following a “brief and severe illness” on April 1 (via Dicebreaker).“It is with profound sadness that we at Catan Studio acknowledge the passing of Klaus Teuber, legendary game designer and creator of the beloved board game Catan,” the studio posted on Twitter. “Our hearts go out to Klaus’ family during this incredibly difficult time.”“While Klaus’ contributions to the board gaming industry are immeasurable, we will remember him most as a kind and selfless human being, an inspirational leader, and most importantly, as a friend,” it continued.

Legendary Entertainment has secured an exclusive license to the live-action film and television rights for the iconic Capcom video game franchise “Street Fighter,” the studio announced on Monday.All projects will be co-developed and produced in conjunction with Capcom, including the feature film in development.The first “Street Fighter” game was released in arcades in 1987 and has sold over 49 million units worldwide, becoming one of the most well-known and highest-grossing video game franchises of all time. It featured two playable characters, Ryu and Ken, who traveled the world fighting other martial artists in a tournament.

Sega has joined a number of other game publishers in missing E3 this year, leading to the game industry questioning whether the Los Angeles convention will still go ahead.As reported by IGN, Sega said that “after careful consideration, we have decided not to participate in E3 2023 as an exhibitor. We look forward to sharing more information on announced and unannounced projects in the future.”IGN found that Tencent will also be skipping E3 2023, and claimed that more publishers will not be attending but are yet to make an announcement.The news comes just days after Ubisoft confirmed it would not be attending E3, with the Assassin’s Creed developer deciding to “move in a different direction” and host its own live event in June.Both companies join Xbox and Nintendo in skipping E3 2023, while it’s been reported that Sony will also miss the convention.