Analyst Stephen Follows reported a nearly 40% decrease in the number of sex scenes in Hollywood movies since 2000. His research, which examined 250 of the highest-grossing films released over 23 years, revealed that the proportion of movies without bed scenes increased from 18% to 46% during this period. The decline in intimate scenes was most pronounced in action movies, dropping by 70%, with thrillers ranking second in terms of decline. Romantic movies were the least affected by this trend. However, the number of scenes featuring profanity, drugs, and violence has remained relatively stable since 2000.

Follows outlined several potential reasons for the decrease in intimate scenes:

• Changes in modern audience preferences.
• Distributors aiming to lower age ratings to reach broader audiences.
• Increased availability of "adult" content.
• Changing cultural norms leading movie producers to exercise caution with sexual content.
• Rejection of stereotypes, such as the necessity of sex scenes in action movies.
• The emergence of the role of intimacy coordinators.
• The growing popularity of streaming services and the resulting increase in overall content.

Follows highlighted that he initially analyzed 250 of the highest-grossing films at the request of The Economist magazine for an upcoming study. However, he expanded his analysis and found that the observed trends remained unchanged.

• On May 3, Sony announced that Helldivers 2 on PC would soon require PSN account tethering by the end of the month. This requirement has actually been in place since the game's release, but technical issues initially made tethering optional. Consequently, many players were unaware of this condition.
• The company's decision faced significant criticism from players, particularly because creating a PSN account is not possible in certain regions, such as Africa, the Baltics, and the Philippines. Although players can create an account by specifying a different region, Sony reserves the right to block accounts for providing false data.
• Some players who have been enjoying Helldivers 2 on PC via Steam may lose access because the PSN system does not support their region. As of May 3, Steam users have already posted over four thousand negative reviews of Helldivers 2, with many threatening to seek refunds if mandatory PSN account linking is implemented.
• Analyst Daniel Ahmad believes that such a requirement should have been imposed immediately or provided with a one-click solution, and he considers the players' reaction to be expected. Neither Arrowhead studio nor Sony has commented on the situation, but players are hopeful that the companies may reconsider the decision or make exceptions for regions where creating a PSN account is technically impossible.

• FromSoftware studio head Hidetaka Miyazaki recently shared details about the upcoming Elden Ring expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, in an interview with Chinese media. In it, Miyazaki revealed new aspects, including the introduction of secret characters and the expansion's narrative significance.
• Throughout Shadow of the Erdtree, players will uncover deeper layers of Elden Ring's lore. While the expansion won't conclude the main storyline, it will offer multiple endings based on player choices. Additionally, it will provide answers to many questions but won't reveal the full scope until its conclusion, as the developers are still undecided on the main story's resolution.
• The expansion introduces new weapons, combat skills, and spells usable in both the DLC and the main game, enriching the player's arsenal against bosses. Miyazaki mentioned that even seasoned players will find surprises in the new weapons and can develop fresh tactics against foes.
• Shadow of the Erdtree marks the first and final addition to Elden Ring, with no plans for further content updates. Players are advised to explore Shadow of the Erdtree before reaching the climax of the main story, although Miyazaki didn't specify the expansion's duration.
• Furthermore, the expansion will introduce characters indirectly connected to Elden Ring, such as St. Trina, who was only mentioned in the base game.

• In early May, DC announced Batman: Arkham Shadow for the Meta* Quest 3 VR headset. Unlike previous Arkham games developed by Rocksteady, this one is being developed by Camouflaj, the studio behind Marvel's Iron Man VR.
• In the Batman Arkham and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League franchises, Batman was voiced by Kevin Conroy, except for Arkham Origins, where Roger Craig Smith took on the role.
• Conroy passed away in 2022, leaving the question of who will voice Batman in future animated films, TV series, and the Arkham series, which DC plans to continue.
• For Arkham Shadow, it appears that the developers have turned to Roger Craig Smith once again. While he hasn't officially confirmed his involvement, he did retweet the announcement.
• Craig Smith has previously voiced Batman in Arkham Origins and some animated films like Batman Ninja, though not on a full-time basis.
• Best known for his roles as Ezio Auditore in Assassin's Creed, Mirage in Apex Legends, and Sonic, Craig Smith's potential return to the role of Batman has excited fans.
• Arkham Shadow is set to release in 2024, with more details expected to be revealed at Summer Game Fest in June. Fans have already noticed hints in the trailer suggesting a storyline set between Arkham Origins and Arkham Asylum, such as the "Vote for Dent" graffiti.

I definitely never use spears. I don't think I've ever committed to using one in a game for more than a few minutes.

Bethesda Studio has revealed the fourth major patch for Starfield, set to be the largest update since the game's release. Here are the main additions:

• Updated city and location maps, featuring visible markers for easier navigation during movement.

• Additional gameplay options, allowing players to customize settings such as enemy damage, food effects, merchant credits, and ammo weight, with experience gain adjusting accordingly.
• Introduction of an extreme difficulty level, requiring careful gameplay, especially at higher character levels.
• Spacecraft interior customization mode, enabling players to personalize all rooms of their flight vehicle.

• Character customization and appearance changes in "New Game+" mode, enhancing replayability.
• Xbox Series X will feature "Quality" and "Performance" modes, with selectable target frame rates.
• Various quality-of-life improvements, including the ability to disable the first-person camera during dialogs and improved inventory management.

Bethesda stated that they are actively working on future updates for Starfield, with promised vehicle transportation on planets expected in one of them. A video showcased one of the transportation means.

• Back in 2023, Chris Hemsworth criticized the film "Thor: Love and Thunder," calling it "too stupid."
• In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, the actor expressed his belief that fans deserve another movie about the hero because the fourth one was unsuccessful. He also takes some responsibility for its failure.

“I got caught up in the improv and the wackiness, and I became a parody of myself,” he says.

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• Hemsworth admitted to not always feeling comfortable on the set of "The Avengers," feeling like his character was more of a bodyguard to the team.

You’ve got the wig on. You’ve got the muscles. You’ve got the costume. Where’s the lighting?’ Yeah, I’m part of this big thing, but I’m probably pretty replaceable.

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• Despite this, Hemsworth's colleagues praised his work. Robert Downey Jr. called his performance in "Ragnarok" and the last two "Avengers" films a "terrific hat trick." He also acknowledged the actor's ability to handle the complexities of the character in the Thor solo films.
• Now, Hemsworth aims to collaborate with iconic directors on complex characters. One such role he's interested in is Dementus in George Miller's "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga," set for release on May 24.

I just started playing Jedi Survivor and noticed that despite fighting with the Rebellion, Cal Kestis has lost almost all his powers, plus BD-1's health stims, for no clear reason. It doesn’t really make sense. As a combat veteran, he should be more powerful, or at least maintain the level he had at the end of the first game.

It got me thinking, I can’t really name any games where you start with everything from the previous installment. There must be some, right?

• The first user ratings for Stellar Blade appeared on Metacritic on April 28, with a rating of 9.1 points based on 500 reviews. By May 1, the average score had risen to 9.3 points, with nearly 2,500 reviews.
• Users noted that this not only made it the highest-rated game of 2024 but also the highest-rated title for PS5 overall.

• Stellar Blade surpassed other popular titles such as Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (9 points), Astro's Playroom (9 points), and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (8.9 points). However, the latter has around eight thousand ratings, and it's uncertain whether a Shift Up game would maintain its rating with a similar number of reviews.
• Stellar Blade was released on PS5 on April 26 and quickly climbed the sales charts.

Ninja Theory studio has released the minimum system requirements for Senua's Saga: Hellblade II on Steam. According to them, the game will run on a PC with an Intel i5-8400 processor, GeForce GTX 1070 graphics card, and 16 GB of RAM. Hellblade II will require 70 GB of free space on an SSD.

The minimum system requirements are as follows:
The developers of Senua's Saga: Hellblade II have not yet specified the graphics settings corresponding to the minimum system requirements. Ninja Theory is expected to provide this information soon, as the game is set to be released on May 21.

• Microsoft has sent a survey to some customers, as reported by Twitter users who received emails from the company. The questionnaire included questions about handheld gaming gadgets, such as game installation, cloud services usage, and general impressions of these devices. Additionally, Microsoft asked about gamers' usage habits and preferences regarding device form factors.
• The survey comes amidst leaks about Microsoft's plans to release its own handheld gaming device, leading many to believe that the company is actively working on such a gadget.
• In a special edition of the podcast in February, Microsoft announced plans to make an "exciting" announcement related to Xbox by the end of 2024. Executives mentioned a "unique" device, sparking rumors of a portable Xbox.
  

What video game was praised by critics but disliked by fans of the series?

• After the release of the next-gen update for Fallout 4, Digital Foundry specialist Thomas Morgan reported that on Xbox Series X|S, the image and frame rate in "Quality" and "Performance" modes do not differ. Regardless of the preset, the game continues to run at 60 fps, and the picture quality remains the same. Other bloggers confirmed the same information.
• Bethesda later reported that on Xbox Series X, the game is aimed to run at 4K/60 fps in both modes. This is why the difference between the graphics modes is not so obvious. In Performance mode, the graphics settings are lowered "more aggressively" to achieve these figures, the studio emphasized.
• According to Bethesda's statement, both graphics modes in Fallout 4 work correctly. However, there seems to be an error in the update description on the company's website. It states that in "Quality" mode, the frame rate is 30 fps or 40 fps when connected to a 120 Hz display.
• The update description also mentions that if the console is connected to a 1440p display, Fallout 4 will automatically start running at 1440p and 60 fps, regardless of the mode selected.