Legitimate streaming content providers are achieving what was impossible for Hollywood to get right: they are stamping out piracy by making available the shows people want to enjoy at reasonable cost and with maximum convenience. That’s borne out in independent research commissioned by Vocus Group NZ which confirms piracy is dying a natural death as more New Zealanders choose to access their content legitimately. “In short, the reason people are moving away from piracy is that it’s simply more hassle than it’s worth,” says Taryn Hamilton, Consumer General Manager at Vocus Group New Zealand which operates brands including Slingshot, Orcon and Flip. “The research confirms something many internet pundits have long instinctively believed to be true: piracy isn’t driven by law-breakers, it’s driven by people who can’t easily or affordably get the content they want.” Conducted by Perceptive in December and polling more than a thousand New Zealanders from all walks of life, the study confirms that when content is made available at a fair price, people pay for it instead of pirating. Moreover, the study doesn’t just show that most of us can’t be bothered with piracy, it also confirms that fewer people who once pirated regularly, are doing it now. “Around half of all respondents have watched something at some point in their lives that may have been pirated – however, the majority rarely or never do that nowadays,” says Hamilton, noting only around 10 percent of respondents admit to viewing pirate content in the present day. This emerges in the preferred way that people like to take in their shows or sports. While free-to-air TV rates highly, at 22 percent, paid streaming is the standout figure, at 29 percent. Free streaming services add a further 6 percent, making streaming by far the most popular way to watch for New Zealanders. By contrast, paid satellite TV is the choice for a little over 14 percent of respondents – and only 3 percent prefer to watch pirated content. “People are watching less pirated material now than they used to, and they assume they'll continue to watch less in the future. This is largely because of the cheap, easy access to free and paid material on the likes of Netflix and YouTube,” Hamilton adds. “Compare that with pirating a show: piracy requires some technical ability and it is risky. Hamilton says Kiwi consumers are a savvy lot, too. While the research shows that in general people don't have much appetite for pirating, there is much higher agreement that ‘It would be almost impossible to stop people doing this’. “The simple fact for those who know anything about the internet, is that censoring the internet doesn’t work. People know there are multiple sites where it is possible to download illegal material. They also know that blocking the most popular ones simply means you’ll get pirated material elsewhere.” But the really interesting thing, says Hamilton, is a question around what would stop those who still occasionally view pirate content from doing so. “Overwhelmingly, New Zealanders said ‘cheaper streaming services’ and ‘more content available on existing streaming services’. These two options were by far ahead of other options, at 57 and 48 percent respectively. Punitive measures, such as prosecution for pirates and censorship of pirate sites, were only thought likely to be effective by 33 and 22 percent of people, respectively.” Internet NZ’s Andrew Cushen says he’s not surprised by the findings: “Rights holders have done well by innovating and building great ways of sharing content at fair prices. Piracy isn’t the big challenge it once was because of this innovation, which consumers are using in droves. “The upcoming copyright review is an opportunity to enable greater collaboration and creativity through harnessing the power of new tech,” Cushen says. Historically, industry organisations like the Recording Industry Association and the Motion Picture Association of America have invested millions of dollars in pursuit of pirates, with no apparent abatement in illegal content distribution. By contrast, the simple process of introducing paid streaming services such as Netflix, YouTube, Google Play Movies, and any number of local and international contenders, has achieved far more. A Bloomberg article puts it succinctly, noting that ‘Subscription-based business models in content distribution is making piracy pointless’. It’s the classic carrot and stick approach, which further highlights the difference between the efforts of the MPAA and other industry bodies, versus the ‘organic’ action of Netflix, Google Movies and other streaming content providers. “Piracy is finally dying. The reason for that requires an understanding of why people pirated in the first place. They didn’t do it because of inherent criminality, but rather because they couldn’t get the shows they wanted at a price they were prepared to pay,” Hamilton concludes.

After the UK, Germany, and Denmark, it is Spain that now gets a ‘403 error’ on Zippyshare. Users are opting for a French server through VPN solutions, which seems to be working for now. Italy could be next to get blocked by Zippyshare, as the service is getting unstable there as well. Back in March, we have tapped onto the subject of Zippyshare and how the popular file hosting service was giving a ‘403 error’ to anyone who tried to visit the website from the United Kingdom. There were no official explanations for this, and due to the time of the persistence of the problem, the possibility of this being a misconfiguration was ruled out. Britons resorted to using a VPN and changing their location. Soon, the mysterious and inexplicable ‘403 error’ message spread to other European countries, with Germans getting it in April, and Denmark joining in on May 30. With all this going on and no explanations given from Zippyshare’s side, the fact that the Spanish are now getting the same error message which essentially renders the file hosting service inaccessible does not come as a surprise, but the mystery is growing larger. Is Zippyshare slowly but steadily going dark? We have never seen a service shut down access to individual countries month after month, doing so from their own side (no ISP blocking), without an announcement of what is going on, and without this being the evident result of a coordinated action by copyright protection agencies. Zippyshare is a very popular content hosting platform that is used by more than 100 million people monthly, so we’re talking about a central internet file sharing hub. Among the many files that are uploaded there, some are bound to be infringing copyright. The platform is receiving reports on this type of uploads and removes them as required by law, so it is not exactly a rampant piracy service. The USTR 2018 “Naughty List” isn’t even including Zippyshare, and the fact that it remains unblocked in the US says something on that part. This only increases the mystery even further, as the number of logical explanations for this block thins out. Right now, users from the four blocked countries just use a VPN with a France-based server and continue to enjoy the platform. Some users from Italy also report that Zippyshare is going “on and off” this past couple of days, so a block may be imminent there as well. Whatever the case behind the geo-blocks, Zippyshare is taking a blow as not everyone is willing to use a VPN just to access a file hosting and sharing website.

A BBC report based on an analysis by a global anti-piracy firm called Muso showed that an estimated 1 million Kenyans used unauthorized channels to watch the highly anticipated boxing match between Briton Anthony Joshua and Mexican Andy Ruiz. Kenyans were eagerly waiting for this epic event until they learnt of the exorbitant premium they had to pay to access the TV channel airing the event. The legal demands did not stop them from viewing this match, they devised unlicensed channels through hacks on the internet and watched the entire duel for free. A photo showing Anthony Joshua boxed to the floor by Andy Ruiz Kenya ranked second in the list of countries with the most piracy incidents right after Nigeria whose 2.35 million nationals pirated the match. United Kingdom came in third with 921,994 viewers streaming the match without paying. Muso cited the cost consumers have to pay to access premium events through legal means has become discouraging as the multinational broadcast licence holders charge high rates, especially in third-world countries. On several occasions, Kenyan lovers of sports have expressed frustration with the premium satellite television service providers for charging exorbitant amounts for few programs and sporting events. International laws on live sports piracy caution against such acts and state that the legal broadcaster can sue the offenders when caught as they deny the rightful content provider a lot of revenue such as subscription fees and advertisements. "Their (piracy offenders) motivation is the substantial rewards that can be reaped for bypassing legal rights holders. Approximately one billion people watched the final match of the FIFA World Cup last year, 900 million watched the opening ceremony of 2012 Olympics in London. These figures hint at the golden gains of advertising investment and subscription fees that can be made by those prepared to operate outside the law on a quest for revenues without paying for broadcasting rights. The offenders can and should be sued when caught as they breach the privileges entitled to the content provider," an excerpt from a guide in fighting live sports piracy globally reads. In the energetic 7-round boxing match, Anthony Joshua surprisingly lost his heavyweight world titles to Andy Ruiz Jr.

Founded in 2003, entertainment digital content provider The Pirates Bay’s oldest Torrents have completed 15 years of uncertainty. During the past 15 years, these torrents have passed through many turbulences and are still holding steady. Even though the file-sharing software and web technology have been changed, Pirates Bay’s content is always in demand. Pirates Bay is the oldest online portal, and nobody had predicted at that time that the world wide web service would pass through a drastic change. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was busy in ‘Facemash‘ before he launched Facebook. Youtube, Twitter, and Instagram came into existence years later after The Pirates Bay. People did not use smartphones and laptops at that time. However, they had used regular computers to buy a DVD of their favorite film from webshops with their normal internet connection. Streaming video on Netflix was unthinkable at that time because Netflix itself sold film DVDs through emails. But there was only The Pirate Bay which provided an archive of movies and famous TV series. Although some torrents posted in the starting days are unavailable now, there are some torrents on The Pirates Bay which are older than its users. The oldest torrent which was founded in the data of 2004 is a Swedish Comedy show “High Chaparral”, 15 years old. And this torrent is still one of the most shared. Many people download torrents anonymously, and this particular torrent witnessed numerous anonymous downloads. It is quite an achievement. As these torrents are one and a half decade old, some torrents on the site are doing well while some need help. Piracy has a role in keeping these torrents alive among people, because it made clear to the entertainment industry the demand for online access to media. Hence Netflix, iTunes, and many other video providers started to make the content available online.

One of the largest criminal copyright cases in US history will be heard in New Zealand's highest court. Dotcom, a New Zealand resident, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted in the US, and has spent seven years fighting the extradition. Internet tycoon Kim Dotcom and his three associates are going to make their final plea in New Zealand's Supreme Court on Monday to overturn an earlier ruling that they should be extradited to the United States over copyright infringement allegations. The case reached the top of New Zealand's court system after the District Court found them eligible for extradition and the High Court and Court of Appeal dismissed their appeal. In this Aug. 18, 2014, file photo, Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino, left, and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange speak during a news conference inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. © AP PHOTO / JOHN STILLWELL Net Entrepreneur Kim Dotcom: Swedish Claims Against Assange Are CIA Spy Op to Get Him to US Dotcom and his former colleagues Mathias Ortmann, Finn Batato, and Bram van der Kolk are wanted in the United States on charges that their now-defunct file-sharing website Megaupload, which was said to have once accounted for 4 percent of all Internet traffic, helped people illegally download pirated content, including music, films, and games. The website, which allegedly generated $174 million in revenue from piracy and cost copyright owners over $500 million in lost earnings, was shut down in January 2012; Dotcom was arrested during a police raid on his Auckland mansion at the request of the FBI. His and his alleged cohorts have always denied the charges. READ MORE: Warner Bros Files Copyright Claim Over Trump Re-election Video The NZ Supreme Court is to decide now whether the conduct the men are accused of amounted to an extradition offence under New Zealand law. If the court leaves in place earlier extradition findings by lower courts, the final decision to hand the men over to the US rests with New Zealand's justice minister. Dotcom, 45, tweeted on Monday that his wife Elizabeth, a law school graduate, is on his legal team.

An estimated €100 million a year is lost to counterfeiting and piracy, according to a report by the European Union’s Intellectual Property Office. Taken as a whole, the total value of the lost sales was equivalent to €221 per Maltese citizen in a year, the analysis by the EU office, known as EUIPO, said. The report, published yesterday, was the second sector-wide assessment of the economic impact of counterfeiting and piracy in key economic areas known to be vulnerable to intellectual property rights infringements by the EUIPO. Lost sales in the clothing, footwear and accessories sector due to counterfeiting were estimated at about €76 million annually, or 14.1 per cent of sales, in Malta. The estimated loss for the cosmetics and personal care sector is €8 million, that is, 16.6 per cent of all sales. The EUIPO analysis looked at various sectors: cosmetics and personal care; clothing, footwear and accessories; sports goods; toys and games; jewellery and watches; handbags and luggage; recorded music; spirits and wine; pharmaceuticals; pesticides; and smartphones. The total value of the lost sales was equivalent to €221 per Maltese citizen in a year The report brings together the findings of research carried out by the EUIPO through the European Observatory on the Infringement of Intellectual Property Rights on the extent and economic consequences of intellectual property right infringement in the EU. Because of the high value associated with intellectual property rights, infringement was a lucrative criminal activity, generating significant costs to the rights owners and to the economy in general, the report noted. The business models adopted by counterfeiters made significant use of the internet to distribute their products and to promote the distribution and consumption of illegal digital content, it added. The EUIPO also looked at people’s attitudes to purchasing goods and services infringing intellectual property rights. It found that people were likely to purchase counterfeit goods and to access copyright-protected content illegally because of lower prices, easy accessibility and a low degree of social stigma associated with such activities. The study estimated that, since the first analysis in 2018, the amount of lost sales dropped at EU level in all but two of the sectors studied: clothing, accessories and footwear as well as cosmetics and personal care. Given that legitimate manufacturers produced less than they would have had in the absence of counterfeiting, thus employing fewer workers, the analysis estimated that up to 468,000 jobs were directly lost in the affected sectors across the EU.

Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif starrer Bharat, which has earned over 130 crore (early estimates) at the box office in just four days of release, has also fallen prey to online piracy. This time too, it's the notorious website Tamilrockers that has reportedly leaked the film, who is now available for free download on its platform. Tamilrockers is an illegal website that has been releasing big-budget movies online. It is infamous for online piracy, and despite all efforts of the film business stakeholders and government authorities, Tamilrockers continues to expand its footprints across all languages, including regional. Those contributing to this illegal website, sometimes, release a movie online on its opening day itself. Who uploads content on TamilRockers? As per reports, there are multiple contributing members from across the globe. The movies are uploaded once any member manages to capture a print from a local theatre. The members are paid on the basis of the number of times a print is downloaded. Salman Khan's film likely to touch Rs 130 cr on Day 4; smashes several records However, despite all efforts, authorities have failed to permanently ban Tamilrockers. In the past too, Tamilrockers has been blocked over and over. However, once an URL is taken down, its administrators manage to set up another proxy URL, which makes difficult to shut it down forever. Previous movies released by Tamilrockers include Shah Rukh Khan's Zero, Rajinikanth-Akshay Kumar's 2.0, Aamir Khan's Thugs of Hindostan, Yash's KGF: Chapter 1, Thalapathy Vijay's Sarkar, Dhanush's Maari 2, Mohanlal's Odiyan and many more. Meanwhile, Salman Khan's latest film Bharat is doing exceptionally well at the ticket counter, despite doubts that the film's business could be hurt due to ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 going on England. After earning around Rs 100 crore in the first three days, the film could go up to Rs 35 crore on Saturday. After breaking several records in just a few days of release, Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif starrer Bharat is now their second blockbuster after Tiger Zinda Hai. It is also the biggest opener of Salman Khan to date. Salman Khan has set a new record with Bharat's success -- he is the biggest star in Bollywood with maximum films (14) in the coveted Rs 100-crore club. Of these 14 films, three have crossed Rs 300 crore, while two films earned over Rs 200 crore.

We have for some time been covering the rapid expansion of antipiracy and site-blocking efforts in Australia. Between the movie and music spaces, these efforts have been spearheaded by a couple of local entertainment groups, such as Village Roadshow and Music Rights Australia, and the typical suspects from the US, such as the MPAA, RIAA, and various movie and music studios. The ramping up of those efforts continues to date, with recently updated copyright laws being used by those groups to request massive site-blocking for torrent and streaming sites, with the courts generally rubber-stamping all of them. To date, a glaring non-combatant in all of this has been Netflix. And that hasn't been some huge surprise, either, given that Netflix has long had a history of touting its own ability to both compete with piracy and make use of its cultural effects, and the rest of the entertainment industry painting Netflix as some kind of problem for the industry itself. And, while Netflix's tone on piracy has certainly begun to change, that made it somewhat jarring to learn that the company was suddenly diving into the Australia anti-piracy fray with both feet. Over the past two years, many of the world’s largest torrent and streaming sites have already been blocked, but the work is far from done. A new application recently submitted at the Federal Court of Australia requests ISPs to block dozens of websites. The complaint comes from Village Roadshow as well as several other prominent movie companies such as Disney Enterprises and Universal City Studios. For the first time, Netflix Studios has joined in as well, as Computerworld notes. As stated, Netflix is now a part of the MPAA, which perhaps explains why it is now in on these enforcement efforts. This appears to be something of a move of solidarity with the industry, as the focus of this particular complaint is pretty heavy on sites accused of distributing Asian content. Interestingly, the court order has a strong focus on Asian content. Several of the targeted sites, such as BTBTT and 123kubo.org, are predominantly popular in Asian countries. In addition, the list also includes many anime sites such as Animeultima.to and Ryuanime.com. The latter is likely due to the fact that the Australian distribution group Madman Anime Group is listed as one of the applicants as well. So, again, there's something of a all-for-one and one-for-all flavor to all of this. Still, being a member of the MPAA doesn't require Netflix to join in on these legal efforts at site-blocking. As is typical in these complaints, the torrent and streaming sites are painted as having only one purpose: to commit copyright infringement. On that basis, the complaint seeks the blocking of 86 websites. But the new part of this is Netflix's involvement. Why it suddenly feels the need to join the ranks of those seeking site-blocking is an open question, particularly when it has built a business model out of being more convenient and reasonable an option than piracy itself.

Vast numbers of free boxing streams are being hidden in unexpected places on mainstream sites, according to new data. The fight between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr will be watched by millions on pay-per-view channels, which will make vast sums of money from coverage of the fight. But many more millions will be watching on illegal streams that continue to flourish as people search out ways to watch the fight for free instead. When Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder faced off in the US at the end of last year, nearly 10 million people watched on pirated streams, according to data from piracy experts. Perhaps just as surprising is the means through which they did so. The fight was made available on 133 piracy streaming domains, according to data from piracy company MUSO – but nearly as many streams were available on YouTube, where 80 live links were hosted, the company said. That meant that some 18.31 per cent of viewers watched on YouTube, rather than the more traditional and hidden sites. 10 biggest sports contracts on the planet Show all 12 The 10 biggest sports contracts on the planet 10. James Harden =9. Albert Pujols =9. Robinson Cano The problem of copyrighted content being hidden in plain sight on mainstream sites continues to grow as fans search out ways to watch major premium events for free. As people rushed to watch Game of Thrones, for instance, some pirates hid free links on game streaming site Twitch, allowing them to make use of the site's reliable technology while steering clear of piracy protections by giving the streams ostensibly innocent names. YouTube's terms make clear that copyrighted content is only allowed to be shared by the person or company who owns it. It has automated tools that are meant to spot people such videos when they are being shared, and bans people who do. Watch more Joshua reveals retirement plan and what he wants after Ruiz fight It also operates tools intended to automatically spot and take down copyright-violating content. Its copyright policy allows the owners of content that "requires regular online rights administration" – such as music labels or TV networks as well as those looking after sporting events – to work with it to try and ensure that links are taken down as quickly as possible. Such technologies mean that streams are often shut down before the event has concluded. With sporting events, police have threatened to try and do so at critical moments. Some copyright owners have instead opted to use YouTube in a legitimate way. BT Sport has streamed both the Europa and Champion's League finals for free over the site, apparently at least in part because of a recognition that fans will try and watch for free through other means if they don't. The evidence from Fury vs Wilder suggests that copyright owners need to pursue this kind of strategy and recognise the vast scale of illegal streaming, said piracy experts. "This fight was always going to draw in a massive audience, and it certainly did that," said Andy Chatterley, CEO of global piracy authority MUSO. "In fact, our MUSO Discover data shows that, globally, nearly 10 million viewers chose unlicensed channels to watch the bout. This is a huge audience that is, to all intents and purposes, being ignored. Data like this offers insights that could help bring fans back to legal content, but they need to be acknowledged first." Away from YouTube, devoted and smaller streaming sites still comprise a significant amount of the piracy market, and are less likely to be shut down during the event. But security experts warn that using such sites could bring even worse dangers of their own. “Previously, those who wanted to stream live international sporting events for free were unaware of the risks," said Joseph Woodruff, threat intelligence analyst at EclecticIQ. "There are many ways these sites allow attackers carry out cyber crime, leaving streamers especially vulnerable to attacks. "These include, drive-by-downloads, malware downloaded without the user’s knowledge, pop-up windows that automatically download malware to computers. Alongside this, fake support sites and redirects that look legitimate and tell the user they have malware on their machine, recommending they call a support number – during this phone call the 'support' person installs software that gives the attackers a backdoor to the system."

Counterfeit goods and pirated audiovisual content are costing European companies in sectors vulnerable to intellectual property infringement almost €56 billion a year – or an average of 7% of sales. In Spain, however, the €6.766 billion loss is the equivalent to 10.6% of sales, according to a report from the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). The EUIPO estimates that the indirect impact of the counterfeiting industry is more than €92 billion In the report, which has been seen by EL PAÍS, the EUIPO has updated the effects of piracy and counterfeit goods on the big corporations, focusing on 11 sectors that make intensive use of intellectual property rights linked to patents, designs or brands. These sectors – which include cosmetics and personal care; clothing, footwear and accessories; sports goods; and pharmaceuticals – represent 42% of Europe’s GDP, equivalent to €5.7 billion and 28% of jobs. On top of this, they produce a trade surplus of €96 billion while employees in these sectors earn 46% more than those in sectors that are not as dependent on intellectual property rights. However, the economic fortune of companies in these sectors is being threatened by piracy and counterfeit goods. According to the latest EUIPO data, the global trade in fake goods rose to €452.9 billion in 2016, representing 3.3% of world trade. In the previous report, based on data from 2013, the figure was €338 billion, or 2.5%. According to the EUIPO, the sale for counterfeit products does not equate to direct losses in the authentic market, which is why researchers have looked at other indicators (studies on the sale of counterfeit products, perception of corruption, for example) to calculate the cost to the aforementioned sectors, such as loss of sales, jobs and tax. Consequently, the EUIPO concludes that the direct impact of infringing intellectual property rights is more like €56 billion a year for the aforementioned sectors – the equivalent of 7.4% of sales. Counterfeiting costs European companies in 11 sectors €56 billion a year The sector most affected by counterfeit products is the fashion and accessories industry, with losses in Europe rising to €28.4 billion, or 9.4% of total turnover. Pharmaceuticals is the next hardest-hit with €9.6 billion in losses (3.9%), followed by cosmetics with €7 billion in losses (10.5%). Counterfeit wines and spirits cost companies 5.9% of their business or €2.4 billion. In Spain, the cost of counterfeiting to companies has risen to €6.8 billion a year – the equivalent of 10.6% of sales. Indeed, the impact on sales is worse in Spain than the EU average in several sectors, such as fashion (14.9% of sales compared to 9.4%), pharmaceuticals (4.5% compared to 3.9%), wines and spirits (8.3% compared to 5.9%) and smartphones (10% compared to 8.3%). Fake products also translate to 468,000 job losses and their corresponding tax revenue, which leads to a further loss of €16 billion a year between EU member states. In fact, the EUIPO estimates that the indirect economic impact of the counterfeiting industry is more than €92 billion.

Two-dimensional pixel monarchy simulator Kingdom: New Lands is the latest freebie on the Epic Games Store. If you remember the original Kingdom, New Lands is a standalone remake/expansion of that. You're a king or queen who is shipwrecked on an island, then has to ride left and right across it collecting coins to spend on hiring peasants and building up a fort for them to live in. Every night, monsters come out of the forest and your dinky little peasant archers and soldiers try to survive with whatever weapons you've been able to afford for them. It's the kind of game where you die a lot, and each time have to start from scratch as a new monarch. Hopefully you learned something about Kingdom's systems before that, and can build a better fort next time. New Lands makes the process more enjoyable by spreading it across six different islands, as well as adding more subjects to recruit, different mechanics for the passing of seasons, the option to repair your ship and sail to a new island if you're doing well, and more mounts to ride—including a bear. Kingdom: New Lands is free to download until June 13, at which point it will be replaced by the next freebie, Enter the Gungeon.

Medieval combat game Mordhau was instantly a smash, rocketing onto Steam's most played list immediately after launch in April, and the developers report today that Mordhau has sold 1 million copies. For Mordhau fans, there's a great way to celebrate that impressive milestone: with an update that includes a new map and new weapons, including mortars. The map is called Crossroads, intended for large scale battles with horses, the newly added mortars, and an objective in the center of the map for players to fight over. Also added to the mix in the update are javelins and heavy hand axes. The axes can also be used as repair hammers for fixing structures (by turning them around and using the blunt side, of course). vyycBZSKk6o2SGFNBwGhDX-650-80-2.jpg The update also includes new armor paints, balance changes, and other tweaks to gameplay, combat, and equipment. You can read the full list of changes here. If you're just getting started with Mordhau, we've got a guide to its best weapons and to some weird but kick-ass character builds. Steven can also give you tips on how to win at Mordhau by being an utter bastard.

EA Play 2019 brought Star Wars fans' first real look at Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order with an extended gameplay trailer. If you’ve been itching for more details on Respawn Entertainment’s upcoming Star Wars game, then we’ve got news for you. Today, during EA Play 2019, we got our first in-depth look at the upcoming adventure game with an almost 15-minute gameplay trailer. You can view the full trailer below if you missed it during the show, or if you just want to check it out again. Some notable features include the ability to force throw items, as well as a somewhat intriguing force freeze power, that appears to freeze, or at least slow time for a short amount of time. Also, as anyone would expect from a Respawn title, players will be able to run on walls, just as they have in previous games from the studio. Perhaps one of the most exciting bits we learned about Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, though, is the fact that the game’s story and characters are all being considered as canon members of the Star Wars universe. It’s a huge deal that Disney and LucasArts are bringing in the story from the game into the main Star Wars universe, and hopefully, it will be a story worth experiencing for Star Wars fans. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is set to release on November 15, 2019, which means you won’t have long to wait to dive into the latest Star Wars adventure. Fallen Order is set to release on Xbox One, PC, and PlayStation 4, so players will have plenty of ways to enjoy the new story on whatever platform they prefer. We’ll continue to keep an eye out for more news about the upcoming Star Wars adventure, so be sure to keep your eyes glued to our E3 2019 hub for any new announcements, trailers, or behind-the-scenes interviews we have to share over the coming week. Make sure you also follow Shacknews on Twitter, so you don’t miss a single thing this week at E3.

DICE revealed that Battlefield 5 will take players to a reimagined map of Iwo Jima, as well as other locations in the Pacific Theater of war this fall during the studio's segment of EA Play 2019. Today, EA and DICE revealed a lot about their upcoming plans for Battlefield 5. Not only will Chapter 4 kick off later this month—around June 27—but fans can also look forward to a trip to the Pacific Theater of War later this year. Set to arrive this fall, Battlefield 5 will feature a chapter that focuses solely on the Pacific Theater of War, more specifically around iconic locations like Iwo Jima, and other well-known scenes of battle in the Pacific Ocean Theater of World War 2. Not much is known about the new map aside from the fact that it will be a completely reimagined version of it. They did show off some concept art, which shows off a war-torn piece of the island itself. battlefield-5-iwo-jima.jpg A first look at the Pacific Theater of war in Battlefield 5. No specific release date was given for the update, though there was talk of several other big pieces of content coming to Battlefield 5 in the months leading up to it. Most notably was Operation Underground, a new map inspired by the original Operation Metro from Battlefield 3. Players will also see a update to the max rank, bringing it from 50 to 500, giving you plenty of room to level up and progress. If you’re a fan of the Battlefield series, then you definitely have a good bit of content to look forward to later this year. We’ll continue to keep an eye out on things to see how DICE and EA continue to evolve the series. For more information, and a round-up of the latest announcements from this year’s proceedings, be sure to head over to our E3 2019 hub. You will also want to be sure to follow Shacknews on Twitter, as we’ll be posting all of our news, features, and behind-the-scenes interviews directly to your timeline as the week goes on.

After wowing the crowd at EA Play today with announcements about highly-anticipated titles like Battlefield V, Electronic Arts has now confirmed three new EA Originals titles by the developers of A Way Out, Fe and more. Some of these EA Originals will be playable as early as July 5 this year. The EA Originals initiative took off with the game Unravel in 2016, and the label hasn't looked back since. It's gone from success to success with A Way Out and Fe, and now the company has released a trailer to tease some upcoming games from those very studios that it's had under its wing. This tweet from EA and an accompanying press release put the spotlight on Jo-Mei Games, Hazelight (famous for A Way Out), Zoink! (the creators of Fe), and Glowmade — studios under the EA Originals banner who are excited to share news about previously unannounced titles. Zoink Games is working on a fantasy action adventure game called Lost in Random, which looks to combine elements of uncertainty and strategy to create a unique gameplay experience. Meanwhile, Hazelight is working on another co-operative, narrative-heavy titled which appears to be a reinvention of the formula that they perfected with A Way Out, though it has yet to be publicly named. Finally, Glowmade is working on a co-operative action roleplaying game called RustHeart which gives players a robot partner in their travels throughout a multiverse. https://twitter.com/i/status/1137472343943524352 There are currently no firm release dates yet for the EA Originals that those three studios are currently working on, though the video footage from EA does tease the official release of Jo-Mei Games' Sea of Solitude on July 5 this year. EA has also entered into a new partnership with Velan Studios as part of this initiative to bring indie games to Origin Access and beyond, so fans of the current selection of titles will want to keep their eyes peeled for more well-known releases coming later on in the year like Frostpunk and Moonlighter. As with other games on Origin Access, these three EA Originals announced today will be playable on consoles and PC at launch. If you've not yet caught up on the other E3 2019 announcements that were a part of EA Play today like Apex Legends and FIFA 20, check out our handy E3 hub which we'll update as we cover the latest and greatest of the week.

Football fans rejoice, because more details about Madden NFL 20 are now here. The next entry in the Madden series releases in August, and ahead of its launch EA Sports has shared more details about the upcoming game. Included in this were explanations of the new gameplay features that launched as part of E3 2019's EA Play event. Although Madden has its flaws, with a patchy record at best when it comes to predicting the winners of the Super Bowl year-on-year, it's nonetheless an extremely popular series from EA. It's one of the most valuable properties that EA has under its belt, and football fans pick up the new edition year on year for the most up-to-date version, although it's always preferred when it offers up plenty of new features for users. Now, fans of Madden have a better idea of what to expect from Madden NFL 20. During EA's EA Play schedule for E3 2019, EA Sports shared new gameplay features for the title, showcasing how Madden is looking for the year ahead. A repeat of the gameplay reveal footage can be seen below. One of the major changes is a shake-up of the game's Career Mode. This time around it's called Face of the Franchise, and it takes a player from their very early career journey. This means playing through from college football level through to the NFL Draft and into the NFL as a starting quarterback. It's bound to be an interesting challenge for players, particularly when starting out with college football. Aside from that, another big tweak this time around is the introduction of Superstar X-Factor system. This gives players special moves that can be unlocked by completing specific objectives, with improvements such as an increased throwing distance or perfect accuracy during different throwing scenarios. This should mean that players end up with great improvements, although this will of course need to be balanced very carefully. Those interested in checking out Madden NFL 20 should also be aware of the upcoming closed beta. The beta runs from June 14 to June 16, and will be made available to those who attended the EA Play event as well as across social channels and other online spaces from June 10 to June 14. Although Face of the Franchise won't be available at this point, it'll still give players a better idea of how it's shaping up ahead of its August 2 release.

FIFA is one of the most successful and long-running video game series, and FIFA 2020 will no doubt continue that trend. EA Sports has now revealed FIFA 20 for the first time, unveiling the sports title via EA Play for the E3 2019 expo. This time around, street soccer is coming back to FIFA via the new Volta mode. Although critics often feel as though there is not always enough variation between the annual versions of FIFA, that has not stopped it from being a powerhouse of the industry since its debut in 1993 with FIFA International Soccer. In recent years the series has maintained strong reviews, and is one of the biggest financial successes in EA's roster. However, it has also been heavily criticized for its use of microtransactions, with the high profile nature of its FIFA Ultimate Team mode being one of the reasons behind the ban on loot boxes in certain countries. Fans of the FIFA series still want to see what EA Sports has next, whether it's minor gameplay tweaks or the introduction of new gameplay modes altogether such as The Journey, the single player narrative mode that was introduced in FIFA 17. As part of EA Play, FIFA 20 has been revealed, with the game showcasing its street soccer Volta game mode as per the trailer below, which launched in the morning of the event. Street soccer has been something that FIFA fans will have been hoping for with new additions of the game. Classic titles such as FIFA 97 included indoor football with smaller teams as an element, but FIFA Street was the real deal for many players when it came to a more fluid, artistic form of football. It's something that has been sorely lacking from the series for some time; this time it comes with full character customization, and with male and female players duking it out together. Volta can be played everywhere from a London cage game through to the streets of Amsterdam, and even on a rooftop in Toyko. As such, this should hopefully mean that there's a good amount of variety when it comes to location, which would be a nice change from just looking at the same green pitch constantly. A change-up of game style with a larger emphasis on skills could also mean that FIFA 20 is more difficult to put down. That said, there are other areas that fans have been desperate for EA Sport to improve. FIFA's Career Mode and Pro Clubs have been languishing for some time, with players disappointed that the company has been putting too much emphasis on the money-spinning Ultimate Team mode instead. Although Volta should provide a distraction, it won't be the only thing that FIFA 20 needs to hit home with.

Battlefield V might not have been the game that everyone had been hoping for, but it's still getting content coming through for its player base. Some of its new content seems particularly ambitious, especially a new set of maps that are on the way for the game. Although many people had been extremely excited for Battlefield's return to WWII, Battlefield V did not quite meet expectations. A lack of cohesion over what it wants to be has seen criticism from some, while its real money microtransactions did little to help the title or EA's reputation when it comes to purchasable content in its published games. Nonetheless, Battlefield V has still had its fans, in particular due to DICE's handling of its shooter gameplay. Those who have stuck with the game will soon be treated to some new content, with particular focus on a set of three new maps. As revealed at the EA Play event, the first of these is Al-Sandan, which is based in the African desert. Those who want a larger, more expansive experience will be fans of Al-Sandan, providing a lot of open space for players to take part in air combat. Al-Sandan is an adaption of a map from the core campaign, and will launch in Chapter 4 of Battlefield V. The next map shared was Marita. This Greek map will have much more of a focus on closer combat, with lots of narrow streets and buildings to change things up. Based on the village that was at the start of the Battle of Greece, it has Allies defending the village from the Axis forces that are trying to grasp control. This can be seen in the trailer below, and will arrive in July. The final map that has been confirmed for Battlefield V is Operation Underground, a tense underground battlefield that will no doubt add a different element for players. This will be arriving the latest of the three maps, launching in October. All in all, this should mean that Battlefield V fans get a decent amount of extra run out of these three maps, particularly given that they all provide different tones. On top of that, though, the addition of Pacific elements in Chapter 5 of the game will mean that some of the most-wanted campaigns will be covered in the game. However, whether it will quite be enough to keep users happy remains to be seen.

The Sims 4 is getting a load of new content. The latest entry in The Sims franchise came out all the way back in 2014, but as per series tradition there's been plenty of extra DLC released along the way. The upcoming changes have now been outlined as part of E3 2019, with the Island Living pack on the way. It's fair to say that The Sims has made a pretty big impression on the world of video games. Fans of the series have loved it from the outset, whether down to being able to manage the day to day lives of user-made characters or doing absolutely awful things to the poor Sims in question. The Sims 4 has scratched that same itch, even if there have sometimes been criticisms over a lack of content and the value of some of the additional DLC. Even after all these years it seems as though The Sims 4 is still getting more. As part of EA Play, EA's event for E3 2019, The Sims was given a spotlight, with this new content shared for the first time. This new expansion is called Island Living and will launch June 21 - a trailer for it can be seen below. The Sims 4's Island Living is set on a tropical island that at first appears relaxing, although some may think twice about it once they learn that it has an active volcano. This means that those after a sense of adventure might turn towards the volcano for some fun and danger, whereas those who prefer to spend their time relaxing can go down to the beach and play with dolphins. Of course, given that this is a Sims game, don't be surprised to see that there's a darker, comedic element to it. However, hopefully it won't go down the same route as Alex Garland's The Beach any time soon. Instead, there's more of an emphasis on being able to care for the world, as the Sims can become conservationists to actually make the island healthier over time. Apart from that there is also an element of the fantastic. Not content with vampires, Island Living will introduce mermaids to The Sims 4, who not only are able to interact with ocean life but also have a host of powers as well. Here's hoping that it proves to be a good addition to the ever-growing library of The Sims 4 packs.

A leak of Bandai Namco's E3 assets appears to have given us our first look at a new RPG, Tales of Arise, and the logo of another game, called Elden Ring. And this is a big one: According to the description, Elden Ring is the official name of project "Great Rune," the rumored collaboration between author George R.R. Martin and developer From Software. The description, posted to 4chan and elsewhere online, reads: ELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware, Inc. and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki – creator of the influential DARK SOULS video game series; and George R.R. Martin – author of The New York Times best-selling fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire. Danger and discovery lurk around every corner in FromSoftware’s largest game to-date. Hidetaka Miyazaki, President and Game Director of FromSoftware Inc. known for directing critically-acclaimed games in beloved franchises including Armored Core, Dark Souls, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. George R.R. Martin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast For Crows, and A Dance with Dragons. As a writer-producer, he has worked on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and pilots that were never made. According to posts along with the leak, it's coming to PS4, Xbox, and PC. FireShot Capture 710 - Rumor_ Elden Ring is the official nam_ - https___www.pcgamer.com_elden-ri.jpg

The Elder Scrolls 6 is aiming to be an even bigger game than Skyrim, according to Bethesda game director Todd Howard, who stated in a recent interview that he envisions the upcoming sequel as something that could be played for over a decade. The Elder Scrolls series has been well-known for its lengthy campaigns, which feature an incredible array of side quests and hidden areas to explore that can occupy gamers for hundreds of hours. That game length, coupled with the fact that Skyrim has been ported everywhere it possibly could be within reason and continues to sell well despite being ancient by video game standards, has made the most recent Elder Scrolls game something of a cultural phenomenon. It's still getting mod support from a robust and talented community looking to extend the game's lifespan even further, and it's a testament to the quality of the base game itself that many feel they can load it up for a fourth or fifth playthrough and still find something they might have missed previously. As the gold standard of video game depth and design, Skyrim has endured well past when many expected it to, which lends some weight to Howard's assertion about the sequel. During an interview with IGN, Howard was asked about the decade-long gap between The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and Elder Scrolls 6. Howard first mentioned that Elder Scrolls Online has been released in the interim and that he feels Zenimax Online Studios has been churning out strong, high-quality content. He did then admit that people were salivating over the prospect of another true Elder Scrolls sequel, however, and discussed what to expect from Elder Scrolls 6 after the long wait: "Anything we put it [Skyrim] out on, it becomes a hit game. And they love it, they still play it, it's almost infinitely playable, all of the mods and everything like that. And we're 8 years post-Skyrim. It lets us know going into Elder Scrolls 6 that this is a game we need to design for people to play for a decade at least, at least."

The Epic Games Store has its fair share of critics, and there are some good reasons to be critical—its half-assed search functionality, for instance, or the inability to easily pull full-res screenshots from store pages. But it also offers some pretty spectacular prices at times, including at this moment a trio of big-name games from Ubisoft—Far Cry Primal, Ghost Recon Wildlands, and Watch Dogs 2—that you can pick up for just $5 each. Each of the games is on sale for $15, which is a good deal on its own. But Epic is slicing another $10 off the top of every game in its ongoing Mega Sale priced $14.99 or higher, so those $15 games end up a fiver—three for the price of one, basically. And when you compare that to the regular price points—$50 for Far Cry and Wildlands, $60 for Watch Dogs 2—you very suddenly find yourself deep in "screamin' good deal territory." The EGS pages don't say how long these prices are valid, which is unfortunate, but the Epic Mega Sale runs until June 13.

Sharkoon has designed another line of gaming chairs that takes its inspiration "from the world of motor racing," which is a fancy way of saying it has racing stripes, and is shaped differently than a standard productivity seat. Beyond the shape and color options, however, Sharkoon says its new Elbrus 3 line is both comfortable and sturdy. Those are claims that pretty much all chair makers echo when announcing new models. We haven't had a chance to test the Elbrus 3 yet, so we can't say if it's one of the best gaming chairs. What we can report on are the specs. The Elbrus 3 pairs a steel frame with a five-star base and a heavy duty class-4 gas piston. Sharkoon says its new chairs are certified for weights up to 150 kilograms (~330 pounds), and is adjustable for body sizes up to 190 centimeters (just over 6 feet tall). HsyMTcjjhKRYhcTKVyZTF5-650-80-2.jpg There is an extra large adjustment handle to lock the backrest into different angles, ranging from 90-160 degrees. Users can also adjust the height of the armrests, and rotate them outward. This is another line of chairs that uses synthetic leather over the "high density mold shaping foam" padding, at least on the seat and backrest—there's no padding on the plastic 3D armrests. It also comes with headrest and lumbar cushions. The Elbrus 3 comes in black with green, gray, red, white, and blue accent options. It's available now in the UK for €259. That's around $294 in US currency, though it's not yet available at places like Amazon and Newegg.

Fallout 76 has certainly had its problems, and 'bag-gate' is maybe the most notorious of them. But that story is slowly reaching a conclusion, as six months after the game arrived, Bethesda is finally shipping the notorious and controversial canvas bags to customers who are owed one. As a quick recap of bag-gate, let me first close my eyes and rub the bridge of my nose before digging up a bunch of links. Okay. So, there was a $200 version of Fallout 76 that came with a power armor helmet, and that helmet was supposed to be inside a canvas bag. When the edition arrived to customers, they instead found the power armor helmet encased in a nylon bag. There were complaints, naturally, so: Bethesda first offered Atoms as recompense That made everybody mad Bethesda then quickly offered to replace the bags That made people less mad Bethesda accidentally leaked the personal data of some customers requesting bags That made everybody mad again Bethesda sold a leather jacket and people made bag jokes That made me happy But yesterday Bethesda announced the bags were finally on their way: FireShot Capture 708 - Bethesda is finally gonna ship those _ - https___www.pcgamer.com_bethesda.jpg Granted, a lot could still go wrong. What if the canvas bags still suck? What if the zippers on all of them are defective? What if people peel the Fallout 76 emblem off the bag and it says 'Brink' underneath? What if the bags are, due a manufacturing error, somehow filled with angry, stinging bees? I guess we'll find out soon if the story is over, or if a new controversy is just beginning.

Star Trek: Picard will likely have some thematic overlap with one of the most polarizing movies of all time - Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Picard begins with the former captain of the Enterprise retired from Starfleet, due to some personal tragedy tied to the dissolution of the Romulan Empire. Ever the empathetic, intellectual explorer, this older Picard seems to be a haunted man, abandoning the organization that so completely defined his adult life. Plot details for Star Trek: Picard are still scarce; at this point we know the series will take place roughly 20 years after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis, and, as of now, the rest of Patrick Stewart's Star Trek: The Next Generation cast mates will not be on hand in any meaningful way - though former Commander Riker actor Jonathan Frakes is returning to direct a pair of episodes. The scenario of a legendary hero who goes into exile after a massive personal failure seems to be in the DNA of both Star Trek: Picard and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. In the latter case, of course, that resulted in a movie where opinions are generally either "masterpiece" or "heresy," with very little in between; with the possible exception of Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice, no recent movie has been so polarizing on such a gigantic scale. Does Star Trek: Picard risk alienating its rabid audience in the same ways? SIMILARITIES ALREADY EXIST BETWEEN STAR WARS THE LAST JEDI AND STAR TREK: PICARD Star-Trek-TNG-Picard-All-Good-Things.jpg Beyond the shared scenario of presenting the characters as fallen heroes, there are some fundamental similarities between the characters that could result in thematic overlap between Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Star Trek: Picard. Both Picard and Luke were considered moral arbiters in their primes; Captain Picard was the greatest embodiment of Gene Roddenberry's vision of a hopeful, optimistic future, while Luke's purity of heart turned petty smugglers like Han Solo into freedom fighters. They were both inspirational figures, which is part of what made Luke's descent into anger and self-pity so hard for many fans to swallow. There's also a bit of overlap with the actors themselves. Both Patrick Stewart and Mark Hamill are multitalented performers who happened to stumble into science fiction immortality. They also both found second careers as voice actors. Stewart has become one of Seth MacFarlane's most frequent collaborators, having voiced CIA director Avery Bullock on American Dad since the show debuted in 2005, while Hamill is almost as well known for his portrayal of the Joker as he is for Luke Skywalker; he's voiced the clown prince of crime in countless projects over the last 25 years. Both men have also been humble and respectful of the roles that made them stars and the fans that have supported them for so many years. PICARD & LUKE ARE VERY DIFFERENT CHARACTERS - AND WILL BE DECONSTRUCTED DIFFERENTLY Star-Wars-The-Last-Jedi-Luke-Skywalker-Mark-Hamill.jpg However, despite their similar altruistic, heroic natures, Jean-Luc Picard and Luke Skywalker are very different characters. For one, audiences first met Luke as a teenager experiencing the most important, defining days of his young life, before The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi rocketed the timeline forward 30 years and introduced the broken, cynical older Luke. Captain Picard was already a middle aged man by the time Star Trek: The Next Generation began; his formative experiences happened decades before the character's introduction. Picard was a skilled diplomat, a respected intellectual, and a man of great wisdom. He also endured the sorts of traumas that could lead a different sort of man to a self-imposed exile; he was assimilated by the Borg, which stripped him of all he was and forced him to help destroy a Starfleet armada that claimed hundreds of lives. In Star Trek Generations, the first film to feature The Next Generation cast, Picard receives the devastating news that his brother and nephew had been killed in a fire, which meant he not only lost his closest living family members, but it also meant he would likely be the end of his family line, a rich heritage that meant a great deal to him. We've also simply seen more of Picard's life in Star Trek, and therefore understand him in more nuanced ways than we do Luke Skywalker. Between the TV series and the films, Picard's life was exhaustively chronicled for 15 years. For comparison's sake, there were 178 episodes of TNG and four feature films starring Jean-Luc Picard; before The Last Jedi, all we really knew of Luke canonically was from the original trilogy. In many ways, the younger Luke was more of a literary archetype than he was a fully fleshed out character, while Picard has always been a much more sharply defined man, and one more prone to human failings. STAR TREK: PICARD FOLLOWING STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI WOULD NOT BE A BAD THING Jean-Luc-Picard-Star-Trek-Picard.jpg While we're still in the midst of the unprecedented backlash toward Rian Johnson's film, Star Wars: The Last Jedi will likely outlast the vitriol and eventually be regarded as one of the better Star Wars films as time goes on and tempers either cool or get redirected at other supposedly blasphemous films. Reaction to The Last Jedi was so strong in part because it was a film that took chances with both story and structure, which allowed the series to delve into more ambiguous emotional spaces than are usually explored in Star Wars. Picard losing faith in his mission is just as shocking and tragic as Luke's failings in The Last Jedi, but the former is likely to be far less controversial than the latter. For one thing, Jean-Luc Picard was never portrayed as a mythical chosen one who was destined to bring balance to the universe; Picard was simply a Starfleet officer - perhaps the best Starfleet officer, but still just a man doing a job. And, quite frankly, Star Trek fans are much more accustomed to massive change than Star Wars fans. Before the Disney era, the only canonical, mainstream Star Wars content was the six films that made up the original and prequel trilogies, all directly overseen by George Lucas. In many ways, Star Wars was a franchise encased in amber, shackled to the same tropes and character arcs. Star Trek has been regularly changing its casts and the kind of stories it tells for the past 40 years. Star Trek characters - even the good guys - occasionally lose their way, and finding their way back to redemption has become an important part of the franchise. There's no guarantee that Star Trek: Picard will be successful. The franchise has been on fairly shaky ground in recent years - the J.J. Abrams-produced reboot films have seemingly flamed out after the box office disappointment of Star Trek Beyond, and while it's become very popular worldwide in its much improved second season, Star Trek: Discovery got off to an unquestionably rough start. But Picard feels like something different, something special. Patrick Stewart is the most famous actor involved with CBS All Access by a significant margin, and the story would almost have to be something truly amazing to bring him back to the character he swore off forever after Star Trek: Nemesis. If that story happens to be a bit darker and a bit more somber than The Next Generation, most Star Trek fans will likely be able to handle it - as long as it's good. Star Wars: The Last Jedi shouldn't serve as any kind of cautionary tale for the producers of Star Trek: Picard, but rather as an example of the sort of fresh, creative heights that can be still achieved in these decades-old science fiction institutions. Jean-Luc Picard can handle tough times, and so should his audience.