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Will Ferrell will bring eSports to the silver screen
According to Variety, Will Ferrell has reportedly signed on to star in an upcoming film about eSports. The as-of-yet untitled movie will feature Ferrell as a member of a pro gaming team with the twist being he's super old for an industry where most people retire in their mid-20s. The film will also include appearances by the Evil Geniuses and Fnatic, two actual professional teams.
The Morning After: Wednesday November 2nd, 2016
Yes, it's the start of hump day, but you may have missed Google revealing unpatched Windows 10 bugs, the truth of the dark web and (in cheerier news) our beautiful Engadget Holiday Gift Guide. We also take a closer look at Xiaomi's plan to become more than just the king of budget smartphones.
The Philadelphia 76ers just bought a pair of eSports teams
The Philadelphia 76ers' ownership group announced on Monday that it has acquired two eSports teams, Team Apex and Team Dignatas, and will merge them into a single organization under the Dignatas banner. The team will compete in League of Legends, Counter Strike: Global Offensive, Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm while the 76ers will handle the day-to-day operations including player recruitment, marketing and sales.
NBA Live 14 update expected this month, adds Shootaround mode
EA Sports has outlined a second content update for NBA Live 14, noting the presence of a Shootaround mode and visual and gameplay tweaks in the patch. EA Sports Marketer Ty Stover's tweet, spotted by Polygon, suggests the update may come "as early as Monday," but an exact date has not been shared. Shootaround will let players shoot hoops and get a handle on controls without having to outwit defenders or watch a shot clock. EA Sports describes Shootaround as the "first step" toward creating a "robust, comprehensive onboarding experience." The post states the team is looking forward to feedback for additional features desired for "next year's game," suggesting that additional, significant introductory features won't make it to NBA Live 14. For those requiring additional help with NBA Live 14, the post points to online video tutorials that break down styles of play. The update will also implement changes to ball physics, passing speeds, dribbling and first steps. The post also references lighting and color changes to address the "plastic" appearance of players in NBA Live 14. EA Sports writes that these changes are "transitional steps which not only help us right now, but as we continue to work on the franchise." A process of scanning the heads of NBA players to approach photorealism is also mentioned, with plans to utilize the work in next year's game. The planned update will follow a statement in November from NBA Live 14's executive producer, which admitted that the team had "a lot of work to do." Our review described the game as feeling "unfinished," and when compared to NBA 2K14, we felt NBA Live 14 was "nowhere near deserving of your time and money." [Image: EA]
