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Skull and Bones – Ubisoft 200 Million Waste

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Many fans were waiting for the first Triple AAA pirate game a week ago. The world-renowned game developer CEO even promised the first-ever Quadruple A game. However, the reality was quite far from the promises.

Skull and Bones, a video game by Ubisoft, seems to have become a notable example in discussions about video game development challenges, budget management, and project expectations.

The development of Skull and Bones was indeed a subject of concern due to its prolonged production time and escalating costs, which reportedly reached around $200 million. This situation raises several points about the video game industry, project management, and consumer expectations.

Skull and Bones cost Ubisoft 200 million

A new report alleges that Ubisoft’s new pirate game, Skull and Bones, cost roughly $200 million to produce, and the company doesn’t think it’ll make all that money back.

This is according to Insider Gamer, who claimed to have spoken with several Ubisoft employees to discuss the company’s current state and its plans. If this $200 million figure is accurate, it would make Skull and Bones the most expensive video game ever made, at least as far as the general public knows.

Skull and Bones was Ubisoft new big game

Skull and Bones was Ubisoft’s new big game. (Credit: Instagram)

Development budgets aren’t typically shared, but considering officially known figures, Cyberpunk 2077 is the most expensive game ever developed at the time of writing, as it costs around $174 million, not including marketing.

Skull And Bones has also been a critical flop, with a current Metacritic score of 64, compared to 83 for Helldivers 2 (nobody has given Palworld a scored review yet, but current assessments are mixed, unlike the very positive rating on Steam).

Skull and Bones’ development has been tumultuous, a severe understatement. Multiple behind-the-scenes reports have documented its troubled history; just last September, it was reported that the game had lost its third creative director.

Even without these reports, it’s evident that progress has been far from smooth, considering Skull and Bones was announced nearly seven years ago, and Ubisoft has publicly delayed it no less than six times.

Many players slammed Skull and Bones for being boring to play. Skull and Bones is focused on updating ships with better weapons, perks, and armor and on aiming to exchange them all as soon as possible for bigger and better ships.

Why are Ubisoft games flopping?

The perception that Ubisoft games have been underperforming or flopping can be attributed to a combination of factors that reflect broader challenges within the video game industry as well as specific decisions made by the company.

While not all Ubisoft games have failed to meet expectations, several high-profile titles have faced criticism and commercial disappointment for reasons such as lack of innovation, technical issues, and market saturation.

One common critique of Ubisoft games is their tendency to rely on a formulaic approach to game design. Many of their franchises, including Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Watch Dogs, have been criticized for repetitive gameplay mechanics and a lack of innovation across sequels.

While this strategy can ensure a consistent level of quality and familiarity for fans, it can also lead to franchise fatigue, where players become disinterested due to perceived sameness.

Disappointment of Assassin’s Creed Games

Several Ubisoft games have launched with significant technical issues, undermining player trust and satisfaction. High-profile examples include the problematic launch of Assassin’s Creed Unity, which was plagued by bugs and performance problems. These issues can stem from tight development timelines that prioritize meeting fiscal targets over delivering a polished product.

The video game market is highly competitive, with numerous high-quality games vying for players’ time and money. Ubisoft’s titles compete with those from other major studios, and a growing number of indie games often offer unique experiences or innovative gameplay at a lower price point.

Additionally, Ubisoft’s focus on open-world games means they are directly competing in one of the most saturated segments of the market.

There’s been growing scrutiny and backlash from the gaming community regarding the use of microtransactions and aggressive monetization strategies in AAA games. Some players feel that Ubisoft has overly embraced these practices, detracting from the gameplay experience and pushing players towards additional spending to enjoy or complete their games fully.

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Three True-Crime Documentaries Coming to Netflix in April 2024

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Three True-Crime Documentaries Coming to Netflix in April 2024

Netflix has a wide range of TV shows and movies.

Alongside them, Netflix also hosts a lot of documentaries. It has a wide range of documentaries but the true-crime genre is the one that has its audience sitting on the edge of their seats.

There are various true-crime documentaries and docuseries on the platform, including American Nightmare, Girl in the Picture, Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich, Tiger King, and Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer, among others.

In April 2024, various documentaries and docuseries are coming to Netflix. However, the three most anticipated true-crime shows are — What Jennifer Did, Crime Scene Berlin: Nightlife Killer, and Files of the Unexplained

Here is all we know about it.

‘What Jennifer Did’ 

What Jennifer Did is an upcoming documentary directed by Jenny Popplewell, the creator of another famous Netflix documentary, American Murder: The Family Next Door.

What Jennifer Did digs into the frightening story of Jennifer Pan, who plotted to murder her parents. The crime, disguised as a heist gone wrong, unravels through police interrogation film and interviews, showing Pan’s network of lies leading up to the incident.

Pan is a Canadian woman who was convicted of a 2010 kill-for-hire attack on her parents, which killed her mother and injured her father. The crime occurred at the Pan house in Unionville, Markham, Ontario, in the Greater Toronto Area. 

According to her exact account, several gunmen entered the house, forcefully retrained her and her parents, then shot them. Her father, Huei Hann, was sent to the hospital, and her mother, Bich Ha, died instantaneously.

A whole new image appears as the law enforcement personnel piece together the facts. Pan plotted the entire operation with her drug dealer boyfriend, Daniel Wong, whom her parents had forbidden her from dating. 

This motivated her to seek his help and devise a plan to murder her parents. This threatening notion was carried out in the form of a burglary, with Pan as the victim. The documentary will also concentrate on her arrest and the legal processes.

What Jennifer Did will be released on April 10, 2024.

‘Crime Scene Berlin: Nightlife Killer’ 

As the name of the documentary suggests, Crime Scene Berlin: Nightlife Killer is based on true events that occurred in Berlin. The series examines the case of several odd and unusual killings.

In 2012, three guys were murdered and robbed in Berlin after being unintentionally drugged. While the murderer was called ‘The Darkroom Murderer’ at the time, just one occurred in a dark room at a homosexual bar in Berlin. 

‘Crime Scene Berlin: Nightlife Killer’ will be released on April 3, 2024.

‘Crime Scene Berlin: Nightlife Killer’ will be released on April 3, 2024. (Source: Netflix)

However, the murderer did look for guys in and around the city’s party scene to prey on victims. Only when one of his targets survived his attack and the assassin attempted to purchase a train ticket with one of the deceased men’s credit cards did the inquiry begin to narrow.

Jan Zabeil and Caroline Schaper directed this true crime show and Netflix will begin streaming the series on April 3, 2024. 

‘Files of the Unexplained’

Files of the Unexplained is an upcoming terrifying eight-episode docu-series that talks about strange encounters, weird disappearances, disturbing incidents, the mystery of mutilated feet washing up, and more. 

This investigative documentary series examines genuine stories that defy explanations and talk about witnessing weird encounters and strange events. 

Files of the Unexplained kind of dives into a similar area as its previous documentaries like Unsolved Mysteries, Haunted, and 28 Days Haunted. According to its plot on Netflix, the series is described as “Eerie encounters, bizarre disappearances, haunting events, and more perplexing phenomena are explored in this chilling investigative docuseries.”

The docuseries will be released on April 3, 2024.

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‘Cowboy Carter’ — Everything You Need to Know About Beyonce’s New Album

The album will be released on March 29, 2024.

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‘Cowboy Carter’ — Everything You Need to Know About Beyonce’s New Album

When Beyoncé announced her 2022 album Renaissance, she made it clear that it was merely the first installment of a multi-act body of work.

And now, after over two years of waiting, the singer has revealed that Act II is on the way — Cowboy Carter. Cowboy Carter, also known as Act II: Cowboy Carter or just Act II, is Beyoncé’s eighth studio album, set to be released on March 29, 2024, by Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. 

It is the second chapter of Beyoncé’s trilogy project, developed during the COVID-19 epidemic, and follows Renaissance (2022).

The then-untitled album was first announced on February 11, 2024, during Super Bowl LVIII, when Verizon Communications aired a Super Bowl commercial, titled ‘Can’t B Broken,’ in which Beyoncé tried to ‘break the Internet’ by doing increasingly outlandish means —  from releasing a jazz saxophone record and performing on top of the Las Vegas Sphere to building an AI version of herself and launching a “Barbey” doll collection.

After all of the ideas failed, Beyoncé closed the advertisement by saying, “Okay, they ready. Drop the new music.” Following the broadcast, the singer shared a preview video for Act II on Instagram. 

The video paid tribute to the 1984 movie, Paris, Texas, which mentions border blasters, and incorporates Chuck Berry’s 1955 song ‘Maybellene.’ The singer’s official website was updated the same day, announcing her eighth studio album, Act II, which would be released on March 29, 2024.

The album’s two main singles, ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ and ‘16 Carriages,’ were then made available for digital download and streaming. On March 12, 2024, Beyoncé stated that the album would be called Cowboy Carter via a teaser poster with a western saddle and sash. 

She released the album cover on Instagram on March 19, 2024, and teased surprises and collaborations on the album. On March 20, 2024, she unveiled a limited edition unique cover featuring a ribbon that says “act ii BEYINCÉ,” referring to a generational family surname.

On March 27, 2024, she unveiled the album’s tracklist via a themed poster. She shared a graphic on Instagram of the album’s tracklist, which was inspired by classic Chitlin’ Circuit posters. 

Cover of Beyoncé’s eighth studio album, ‘Cowboy Carter.’

Cover of Beyoncé’s eighth studio album, ‘Cowboy Carter.’ (Source: Instagram)

It includes the titles “Dolly P” and “Smoke Hour Willie Nelson,” implying possible collaborations with Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson. Similarly, ‘Jolene,’ was written on the poster, which netizens believe is a cover or reinterpretation of the Parton’s song of the same name.

‘The Linda Martell Show,’ has also been mentioned on the poster, possibly referring to the first Black woman to achieve commercial success in the country genre. 

The themed poster revealing the album’s tracklist has been confusing a lot of netizens. The following things have been mentioned on the poster, so possibly, these are the songs on the album.

They are —  ‘Texas Hold ‘Em,’ ‘16 Carriages,’ ‘Ameriican Requiem,’ ‘Blackbiird,’ ‘Protector,’ ‘My Rose,’ ‘Bodyguard,’ ‘Daughter,’ ‘Spaghettii,’ ‘Alliigator Tears,’ ‘Smoke Hour Willie Nelson,’ ‘Smoke Hour II,’ ‘Just for Fun,’ ‘II Most Wanted,’ ‘Levii’s Jeans,’ ‘Flamenco,’ ‘Ya Ya,’ ‘Oh Louisiana,’ ‘Desert Eagle,’ ‘Riiverdance,’ ‘Tyrant,’ ‘II Hands II Heaven,’ ‘Sweet Honey Buckin’,’ ‘Amen,’ ‘Jolene,’ and ‘The Linda Martell Show.’ 

It looks like we will only get to know the collaborations and tracklist of Cowboy Carter after its release on March 29, 2024.

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‘Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2’ Debuted With 100% Rotten Tomatoes

“A drastic improvement over its novel predecessor.”

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‘Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2’ Debuted With 100% Rotten Tomatoes

When Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey was released back on March 10, 2023, it was not received well. 

It was neither liked by critics nor the audience. At the time of writing, it has 3% on Tomatometer out of 62 reviews and a 50% audience score.

Looking at the previous installment, many believed that the second movie — Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 — would not do well. However, it came with a massive comeback.

It debuted with 100% on Tomatometer and at the time of writing, it has 56% with 18 reviews. One of the critics wrote, “Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 is a drastic improvement over its novel predecessor, even if it suffers from some of the same problems.”

“This flawed but enjoyable sequel defies expectations — albeit low ones — and outperforms its predecessor on most levels,” another critic quipped.

By the looks of it, the audience is loving the second movie more than the first. It has an 83% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes with over 250 audience reviews.

Giving reviews on the movie, one netizen wrote, “Really fun twist on a classic. Directing acting and plot was fantastic. Not corny like most movies just fun and worth the watch.”

“This sequel was incredibly enjoyable! Despite my appreciation for the first film, this one surpassed it 1000% with its fantastic kills, (so much fun brutal, gory kills) the enhanced appearance of Pooh and friends, and a captivating storyline that kept me interested throughout. I’m eager to add this movie to my collection,” another commented. 

Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 is a 2024 British indie horror film directed by Rhys Frake-Waterfield and written by Matt Leslie. It is the second installment in the Twisted Childhood Universe (TCU) and a follow-up to Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey (2023), a horror reinterpretation of A. A. Milne and E. H. Shepard’s Winnie-the-Pooh stories. 

The film stars Scott Chambers as Christopher Robin and Ryan Oliva as the eponymous figure, with Tallulah Evans, Eddy MacKenzie, Lewis Santer, Marcus Massey, and Simon Callow in support. 

In a June 2022 interview with Dread Central, Frake-Waterfield showed interest in making a sequel to Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, stating that he wants to ramp it up even more, go even crazier, and go even more extreme. In September 2023, teaser photographs were revealed revealing the new character Owl. 

The film contains a fresh cast and character designs, and it is set in the Ashdown town rather than the Hundred Acre Wood. Furthermore, the character Tigger, who was absent from the original film, reappeared after entering the public domain in January 2024.

The film’s budget was first rumored to be five times bigger than its predecessor, it was subsequently revealed that the budget had climbed to ten times that of the previous picture. Shaune Harrison, who has previously worked on the Harry Potter franchise and Game of Thrones, was the film’s monster and gore designer, while Paula Anne Booker oversaw the special effects. 

In the movie, Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Owl’s house and life are jeopardized as Robin discovers their presence. Not wishing to remain in the shadows any longer, the group resolves to go on a rampage through Robin’s native village of Ashdown to exact their retribution once and for all.

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