Miss the sneak peek at The Amazing Spider-Man 2 during tonight's New Year's Eve telecast from New York City's Times Square? Not to worry.
Sony Pictures has released the footage online, which you can see below. It features Andrew Garfield's Spidey in action against Jamie Foxx's Electro:
The studio's also released this handful of new photos from the Marvel Comics movie:
Jamie Foxx as Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Welcome to the latest edition of of IGN's comic book reviews. We're taking things a little slow this week, as everyone is on different schedules because of the holiday. So look for more updates to come during the day on Wednesday as we continue to cover the big releases from Marvel, DC, Dynamite, and others.
As you can see, we're also including a handful of reviews for last week's releases. Jesse tackled Forever Evil #4 and Origin II #1 last Tuesday, and reviews for Justice League #26 and Avengers #24.NOW are forthcoming.
Expect things to get back to normal next week as everyone finishes their holiday traveling and publishers reopen the floodgates of new books.
Forever Evil: Blight has circled back around to the pages of Justice League: Dark. In the last installment, the opening battle with Blight didn't go too well for John Constantine and his merry band. The conflict takes a few new twists and turns this time around, as the heroes regroup, betrayals are made, and the Sea King enters the battlefield. All of this helps to address the story's biggest flaw so far - that it just doesn't have the meat to sustain readers every week all the way through March 2014.
One of the best compliments that can be paid to Superman Unchained is that, while it has its flaws, the series never makes the mistakes so many Superman stories seem to. This is a book burdened by too many characters and plot threads rather than too few. It makes use of many familiar faces, but not always in the traditional way. Scott Snyder finds ways to challenge Superman to his fullest without just relying on over-powered villains to trade punches with him. And as cluttered as this book is, the pieces are slowly coming together in issue #5.
As light a week as this is from a Marvel standpoint, the fact that Superior Foes of Spider-Man is on the docket is enough. The series remains as entertaining as ever with this latest issue, which is a standalone tale exploring the origin of Janice, the new Beetle. Given that issue #6 revealed her father is none other than Tombstone, you can imagine her road towards super-villainy was an unusual one. And you'd be correct.
Based on Jeff Parker's resume, there was no reason to doubt that Aquaman would be in good hands with the transition from Geoff Johns to Parker. And Aquaman #26 does nothing to dissuade that notion. Fans of the series will find that nothing has fundamentally changed about the tone or direction of the series, and newcomers will find a perfectly sound jumping-on point for the ongoing saga of Arthur Curry.
Parker isn't really one for making overly flashy debuts on his ongoing books, instead letting the big ideas trickle out naturally over time. Aquaman is no exception in that regard. There are signs that political tensions among the Atlantean elite will continue to play a major role in the series, but apart from that, this issue basically boils down to "Aquaman vs. Crab Kaiju." It's a fun way to kick off Parker's run. He's able to showcase the full extent of Aquaman's considerable talents, and we get a good sense of how Parker will handle the dynamic between Aquaman and Mera. Apart from a fairly abrupt ending, it's a solid start all around.
The Rock, aka action star Dwayne Johnson, tweeted today that he's had talks with the boss of Warner Bros. about partnering for a DC Comics project in 2014. Check out his cryptically cool tweet below:
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) Dec. 31, 2013
So does this mean Johnson -- once joking described as "franchise Viagra" for boosting the likes of The Mummy, G.I. Joe, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and The Fast and the Furious -- is joining Batman vs. Superman? If so as whom? Lex Luthor? Doomsday? Vandal Savage? Jimmy Olsen?! (OK, kidding on that one.)
Disney and Marvel Studios released their first official photo from next summer's Guardians of the Galaxy today. Check it out below along with a new official synopsis for the James Gunn-directed comic book movie.
The image was first seen during Marvel's movie panel at this past summer's San Diego Comic-Con:
Guardians of the Galaxy: Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Chris Pratt as Peter Quill, Rocket Raccoon (voice of Bradley Cooper), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), and Groot (voice of Vin Diesel).
Ho ho ho. Haappppppy New Year!
Look, here's the situation. My parents went away on a week's vacation. And it's freakin' NYE so this Wrap Up'll be a quick one. Plus, I only half-paid attention to wrestling last week. Hell, I didn't even do my yearly tradition of DVRing Tribute to the Troops only to then fast-forward through the entire thing. Yes, I allowed my brain to (mostly) decompress. Mental hibernation. It was my Christmas gift to myself. It was like Zen but with more Doritos crumbs on shirts.
Despite the "INH" tag and the big Inhumanity banner, don't expect New Avengers #13.INH to deal very much with the new status quo of the Inhuman race. Instead, Jonathan Hickman is much more interested in exploring a different piece of Infinity's fallout. Infinity #6 alluded to the existence of Black Priests and Ebony Kings, and this issue reveals much more about the nature of these beings. It's a far more interesting story than any mere Inhumanity tie-in would likely have been.
Devil's Third, the upcoming third-person shooter from Tomonobu Itagaki, the creator of the Dead or Alive series, is almost done. In a recent interview with 4Gamer (translated by Siliconera), Itagaki confirmed that Devil's Third is 80 percent complete and due for a release sometime in 2014.
“Next year will be the year we’ll be releasing the console game, Devil’s Third,” said Itagaki. “At the moment, it is about 80 percent complete, and we can about see the end of it. However, there’s still a little more polishing that needs to be done. That’s also one of the reasons I’ve decided to work independently.”
The free-to-play shooter, Warframe, may be coming to the Xbox One.
A recent update to PEGI (Europe's video game age rating organization) shows an Xbox One version of Warframe assigned a rating of "18" for extreme violence. Oddly enough, its release date is marked as today, December 31.
Warframe is currently free to play on PC and PlayStation 4. In July 2013, developer Digital Extremes said it would consider bringing Warframe to the Xbox One after learning of the option of self-publishing.
Titanfall is a futuristic military shooter that will feature snipers, Respawn Entertainment has confirmed.
"Sniping is in the game, but due to how the game plays it's a pretty different animal than you'll find in your run of the mill modern military shooter," said Titanfall developer "scriptacus" on the official forums. He goes on to explain that, "Quick scoping and no scoping are ineffective."
He's referring to a few tactics used in many of today's military shooters. Quick scoping involves shooting a player as soon as the reticle lines appears, rather than taking the time to aim down the scope. No scoping, usually done up close, is when a sniper doesn't even use the scope of his gun to aim, instead he just relies on the power of the rifle to take down the target.
When Marvel published Infinity earlier this year, it was the latest in a long line of cosmic-oriented mini-series with the word "Infinity" in the title and revolving around Thanos. But it was the first to not be written by Jim Starlin. Starlin created the Mad Titan in the pages of Iron Man in 1973. Since then, he's been a thorn in the side of heroes like Silver Surfer, Adam Warlock, and Captain Marvel, and he's been the central villain of events like Infinity Gauntlet, Infinity Crusade, and Infinity Abyss.
Starlin last worked with his creation in the short-lived Thanos ongoing series in 2004. That seemed to mark the end of Starlin's tenure at Marvel. However, for months he's been hinting online about working on a new Thanos-themed project. And this week Marvel confirmed the existence of a graphic novel titled Thanos: The Infinity Revelation.
Researchers at NASA's Jet Propulusion Laboratory are experimenting with robots using the Xbox One Kinect sensor and Oculus Rift.
The team has been using the gaming technology to control a robotic arm called JACO in real time. According to NASA, the way it works is by combining the position tracking from the Kinect and the rotational tracking of the Oculus to create a first-person view for their operator. Once the operator is set, he can then perform simple tasks like picking up blocks.
If the tests prove successful, future applications could include using the technology on the Robonaut 2 humanoid on the International Space Station.
This isn't the first time NASA has used gaming technology. Earlier in 2013, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory used the Oculus Rift paired with an Omni treadmill to recreate what it's like walking on the surface of Mars.
Many were surprised when PlayStation 4 was revealed with no word on its Japanese release. After all, Sony is a Japanese company, and every PlayStation device in the past – from PSone and PS2 to PS3, PSP, and Vita – came out first in Japan.
But the gaming landscape has changed, and Sony decided to use its limited supply of PlayStation 4s to wage war in the west, where a majority of its sales are made. Sony may take for granted that it will win the war in Japan by default, but either way, it was wise to take the PS4 units that may have been allocated for Japan and instead bring them west. After all, PlayStation 4 sold 2.1 million copies in only two weeks, and is officially the fastest-selling console of all-time.
When Community returns for Season 5 on Thursday, it will also mark the return of the show’s creator, Dan Harmon. Harmon returning to the show was a huge surprise, given the less than happy circumstances around his departure, but many involved in the series credit Joel McHale for playing a huge role in pushing for it to happen. When I spoke to McHale on the set of the show, we discussed bringing Harmon back to the series and the other changes in store for Community this season, including Jeff Winger becoming a teacher.
IGN TV: What's it like having Dan back this season?
Joel McHale: Well, it's like someone's giving you a new tank of air underwater, and now you can breath again. It's the restoration of what the show is and who the show was created by. The show is in Dan's brain, and that's why last year was kind of all over the place. One of the episodes was written by Jim Rash, which was a really good episode. Megan Ganz and Andy Bobrow were there, but it just wasn't the same, because everything comes out of Dan. The impetus starts with Dan. Obviously, Dan's particular brand of comedy for Community is very distinct, and that was lost last year.
Deadpool and Carnage have never really crossed paths in the Marvel Universe, even though they share a number of similarities. Both are hyper-violent characters. Both sometimes have a tenuous grip on reality. And both debuted in the early '90s at the height of the speculator boom, maintaining devoted fanbases even as the market has ebbed and flowed.
And at long last, Marvel is bringing these two characters together for one battle royale. Deadpool vs. Carnage is a four-issue mini-series launching in April 2014. Chronicling this epic brawl are writer Cullen Bunn and artist Salva Espin, who previously teamed up on Deadpool Kills Deadpool.
We had a chance to talk to the duo about their new collaboration and why Deadpool and Carnage are going to war. Read o for the full scoop and a glimpse of Espin's art from issue #1.
Welcome to the final Comics Run of 2013. It's another holiday week, so most comic shops should be offering new books for sale on Tuesday (check with your shop to make sure). But unlike last week, where only a handful of new issues saw release on the day before Christmas, this week's lineup is pretty respectable. Only Marvel's output is still reduced (expect that to change pretty quickly in January).
This week sees new writers take the reins of Batwoman and Aquaman at DC, an Inhumanity-themed issue of New Avengers, and some promising new series from the likes of IDW and Dynamite.
No doubt you have your own opinions on what's hot this week, so take the opportunity to strike up a lively conversation in the comments section below.
A hacker group called DERP has intermittently taken down multiple gaming sites and servers today. Riot Games' League of Legends servers took the brunt of the attack, as the NA/EU/OCE servers have been down for a good portion of the day, as was the LoL website and forums. The group also managed to take down the Dota 2 servers for a while, as well as Club Penguin, Battle.net, and EA.com.
DERP began the DDoS attacks with a few Tweets about League of Legends:
Something special planned for League of Legends :D
— DERP (@DerpTrolling) December 30, 2013
After a healthy number of sales and new releases this year, Steam is still going strong –– today's peak user count reached 7.6 million, and sits at 7 million as of this writing, according to a Steam stats page.
Titles such as DOTA 2 and Left 4 Dead 2 contributed greatly to the high user count today, pulling in 600,000 and 111,000 users, respectively. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Team Fortress 2 also had an exceptional number of players today.
Steam's year-end numbers accompany two huge games sales, the Steam Autumn Sale and Holiday Sale. The current Holiday Sale added a twist this year, allowing players to earn badges that can be traded in before the sale ends Jan. 3. Users can earn badges in several different ways, such as spending money, voting for community flash sales or trading them with other users.
Microsoft has filed a trademark for a game called "Throne Together."
Unfortunately the trademark application, which was filed on December 19 and only appeared on the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) last night, doesn't give any details about Throne Together other than letting us know it's game software.
For now it's unclear what Microsoft has up its sleeve, but considering the company has promised new IPs for its successful Xbox One console, could this be our first hint at the one of them?
Keep it tuned to IGN for more Throne Together details as they're released. For now, what do you think Throne Together could be? An action game based in medieval times? Something toilet related? Let us know.
During interviews conducted for IGN’s extensive History of Naughty Dog, Naughty Dog’s Co-President Evan Wells revealed an interesting story regarding the development of Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, one specifically surrounding its title.
At Sony’s now-infamous E3 2006 press conference – the one where the company revealed PlayStation 3’s exorbitant $600 price tag – Naughty Dog’s new, much-anticipated project was set to be revealed. After working on cartoony, mascot-driven platformers for the past decade, Naughty Dog was ready to unveil its fresh, realistic new series: Uncharted.
“The funny story behind
Microsoft's Games With Gold promotion continues in 2014, with January bringing two new games: Sleeping Dogs and Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light.
Sleeping Dogs, typically priced at $19.99, will be available from January 1-15. As a game released in August 2012, this is the newest -- and one of the best -- games to be given away through Games With Gold. Typically, the games given away for free are older retail games (like Gears of War and Halo 3) and Xbox Live Arcade games (like Defense Grid and Iron Brigade).
Following Sleeping Dogs next month will be Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. The XBLA game is regularly priced at $14.99 and will be available for free from January 16-31.
Several of Capcom's lead developers have unveiled some of the company's 2014 lineup. In a recent group interview with 4Gamer, the developers revealed they're working on a fighting game, a new Phoenix Wright title, the revival of a classic IP, and more.
During the panel, Kazunori Sugiura, Producer on Deep Down, explained that Capcom intends to reaffirm its presence in the fighting genre. No word as to whether he was referring to the upcoming release of Ultra Street Fighter IV or a new title.
With so many new games and movies coming out, it can be hard to keep up. Lucky for you, IGN is here to help with a weekly round-up of the biggest releases each and every week. Check out the latest releases for this week, and be sure to come back next Monday for a new update.
Note: The prices and deals compiled below are accurate at the time we published this story, but all are subject to change.
When you talk about survival horror games, Resident Evil can't be ignored. Capcom recently looked back on its long-running series and examined why it thinks Resident Evil became so popular.
After Resident Evil 5 earned record high sales for the series, Capcom looked at what it could do better in the sixth entry. The result, Resident Evil 6, sold over five million units, despite mixed criticism.
Perfect World Entertainment, the publisher behind free-to-play PC MMOs like Neverwinter and Star Trek Online, has announced its new console division. The division will target current and next-gen consoles.
Alan Chen, CEO of Perfect World Entertainment, believes that bringing the company's titles to consoles is a "natural progression" and that the games are poised to set a new standard for console MMORPGs and other genres.
Unfortunately, Perfect World isn't ready to let us in on which games will be coming to consoles first. Aside from their MMO properties, Perfect World is also a majority owner of Runic Games, developer of Torchlight II. Could we see the epic action-RPG on consoles soon? All we know for now is that we'll have more details in 2014.
A group of friends published Croft, a short film based on the Tomb Raider series, on Youtube last week.
Croft is a non-profit project created purely for entertainment and for showcasing the group's filmmaking talents. According to its profile page, Croft is CanCinema's first project published on Youtube.
The film follows the eponymous Lara Croft as she rescues a group of friends taken hostages by mercenaries. The mountainous setting is reminiscent of the Tomb Raider reboot's from earlier this year, as are Lara's attire and equipment.
Watch the Youtube video below in all of its glory, but be warned, there is some profanity throughout.
In a continuing streak of bad luck, developer Hello Games found that the damage to its office last week won't be covered by flood insurance. Microsoft's Phil Spencer said he had heard about the studio's situation on Twitter, and that he is "going to look into it."
Hello Games is the developer behind No Man's Sky, the procedurally generated MMO that captured audiences' attention earlier this month. Floods devastated the studio last week, the team said, destroying pretty much "everything in the office." The team said that efforts with insurance claims failed, as living in a flood risk zone prevents flood coverage.
Bowser has never been a commanding Super Smash Bros.’ competitor, but if a recent update from game director Masahiro Sakurai is any indication, he may soon become a turtle-shelled terror.
In his weekly column with Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu (via Siliconera), Sakurai said “fans of Smash Bros. probably never saw
as to much of a strong character, but this time, his ability to knock others out is very strong!” His special attacks, aerial attacks, and Smash attacks can now easily send opponents flying into the air.
The problem, then, is making sure Bowser remains fun to play without becoming unstoppable.
EA and DICE, developer of Battlefield 4, have posted an alert for players on its technical support forums warning them that intermittent connectivity issues are still affecting some players across various platforms.
Since its release in October, Battlefield 4 has been plagued with connectivity issues, crashes, loss of data, and now there are reports that the China Rising DLC, which was recently banned in China, is failing to carry over from PlayStation 3 to PlayStation 4 systems. The bugs are so serious that a law firm even filed a complaint against EA.
From trailer to Blu-ray packaging material, The Miller Brothers’ Sweetwater presents itself as an action-heavy gritty revenge thriller. But if you pop the disc in expecting an hour and a half of January Jones shooting up the Old West, you’ll be disappointed. What Sweetwater does provide, however, is a leisurely paced tale of a former prostitute trying to live her new life.
Jones plays Sarah Ramirez, wife to Miguel (Eduardo Noriega), as the couple eke out survival on a small farm in 19th century New Mexico. Their closest neighbor is a religious leader named Prophet Josiah (Jason Isaacs), a sinister zealot more akin to a cult leader than a man of the cloth. Meanwhile, the idiosyncratic Sheriff Jackson (Ed Harris) follows a trail of bodies that lead back to Josiah. Eventually, all paths collide.
Next up in my interviews with the cast of Community is Jim Rash, who oh-so memorably plays Dean Craig Pelton. With Season 5 about to debut, Rash and I discussed Dan Harmon’s return to the series and the Dean’s reaction to Jeff Winger coming back to Greendale, now as a member of the faculty.
IGN TV: First and foremost, I’ve been asking all your castmates the obvious question: What's it like to have Dan back on the show this year?
Jim Rash: Oh, I should go the opposite about it, because I'm sure they all said, "Terrible!" and I'll say, "It's wonderful!" No, it's been great. I'm sure they've all said the same thing, and it stands to reason, because it's the same answer. You knew what was missing the minute we read the first episode, you knew what we didn't have last year, which is just something that can only come from Dan's brain. I feel like there was a depth that returned to all the scripts that only he brings, because it's, like, layers that make you want to watch it again. You're like, "Did I miss that?" That goes to the credit of Chris McKenna as well, and the whole relatively new writing team, so it's been great.
Buying the right wireless router is a real task, sometimes. With the new 802.11ac standard floating around in the wings, and a seeming endless line of variations in routers, which one is best for you? Here's a list of wireless routers that should keep your multiplayer gaming sessions going late into the night, free of those nagging dropped connections. As a note, all of the routers below include 802.11ac draft, so they should last you for some time.
Yes, Nymphomaniac had the year's most talked about red band trailer -- one so NSFW that we can't even host it or embed it here since it essentially has porn scenes in it. That one aside, the trailers below were also among the biggest 17+ trailers of 2013. Which one was your favorite? Let us know in the Comments!
At the 30th Chaos Communication Congress, an annual conference for hackers, a team showed off a modified Wii U GamePad that was capable of streaming games directly from a PC. As reported by Engadget, the group reverse engineered the Wii U peripheral using a lengthy series of complicated techniques to achieve their goal, and while the results are still quite buggy, the team was able to successfully demo a session of a GameCube ROM of The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker by way of the Dolphin Emulator.
Speculation regarding the climax of Walter White's transfigurative journey in Breaking Bad has now ended, while Game of Thrones' 'The Rains of Castamere' episode from earlier this year left audiences reeling in shock. In both series, no character is ever truly safe, and death carried great emotional impact.
In video games, meanwhile, it’s rare for death to mean much. The safety net offered by the ability to continue from a previous save or change the difficulty level is an affirmation for players that they always remain in control, hindered only by repetition as they trundle on from a previous checkpoint. Most games offer power fantasies for the player with relatively few repercussions; in an apparent nod to Star Trek's ill-fated Redshirts, the Redcoats of Assassin's Creed III push disposable mookdom to the point of parody as Connor cuts his way through hordes of soldiers in busy streets. Although visceral and well-animated, any attempt to imply danger in these moments comes off as a facade, as the penalty for death itself is so fleeting.
There were a lot of awesome movies this year, but let's not kid ourselves: there were more than enough crappy ones, too. With 2013 now coming to an end, we've gone back over our year in movie reviews to find our lowest-rated and most reviled releases of the year.
Our review scale labels anything from 5.0-5.9 as "mediocre" and mediocre just isn't bad enough to warrant being named among the worst movies of the year. So all the films listed below scored below a 5 from our reviewers.
Be sure to sound off in the Comments with your thoughts on these movies and their scores, as well as what films you thought were among the worst of the year.
Review score: 1.5 out of 10.
No game room is complete without at least one old-school arcade cabinet. But thanks to the ingenuity of emulator developers like MAME, you're no longer restricted to just playing one title in your machine. Of course, you could always go the do-it-yourself route and build your very own multi-game cabinet, but here's a list of ready-made machines filled to the brim with hundreds--if not thousands--of retro arcade games.
Low-budget horror films gave Hollywood the biggest return on their investments in 2013.
According to TheWrap, Insidious Chapter 2 gave investors the biggest bang for their buck with a 31.1% return on their investment. The film's budget was $5 million and earned $160.4 million worldwide.
Universal's The Purge had the second best ROI (return on investment) with a worldwide gross of $89.3 million on a $3 million budget. In third place was The Conjuring, a $20 million horror film that had a global cume of $316.7 million.
Both Insidious Chapter 2 and The Conjuring were directed by James Wan.
Just because you want a nice smartphone, doesn't mean you have to drop a ton of cash to get a decent product. While they may not have the best cameras or fanciest build materials, there are definitely more than a few affordable smartphones out there that are worth your time and your hard-earned money. Take a look at some of the best smartphones under $100.
Note: The prices compiled below are accurate at the time we published this story, but all are subject to change.
The new iPhone 5C replaces last year's iPhone 5 in Apple's lineup, but just because it's a less expensive product, doesn't mean it's full of unwanted compromises. The iPhone 5C sports a beautiful Retina display with a high pixel density of 326ppi, a fantastic 8-megapixel rear camera, and access to Apple's robust App Store. The rear casing features a plastic finish, which is available in a variety of colors to fit your personal style.
As smartphones have become more and more ubiquitous, picking out the perfect handset has become increasingly challenging. Between screen sizes, camera options, and operating systems, there are plenty of options out there. If you're in the market for a new mobile device, check out some of the best smartphones currently on the market.
Note: The prices compiled below are accurate at the time we published this story, but all are subject to change.
LG's Nexus 5, the latest Google-sanctioned smartphone, is a tremendous value almost any way you look at it. For just $349 unlocked, you can pick up a device with top of the line specs along with a version of Android that has been untouched by carriers or manufacturers. Optimized for use with Android 4.4 KitKat, the Nexus 5 features a number of new software features, including newly-revised home screens and an updated app launcher, as well as cleaned-up user interface. It may not have the best battery life or camera, but it's the best phone you can get at such a low cost.
Sometimes the world of technology brings us mind-blowing products to forever change our lives. And sometimes--well, sometimes technology comes up with a product so weird we just can't look away. Here's a mere sampling of the strangest gadgets available right now. But just a reminder: we're not responsible if you use these products in public and look like a person from outer space.
After a long day of work, everyone just wants to sit in their favorite recliner and relax. Of course, you could play video games or watch TV, but neither of those activities allow you to look like a discarded cyborg from an episode of Dr. Who. Thankfully, the iDream3S comes to the rescue.
Playing PC games usually requires three important pieces of hardware: a decked-out PC (obviously), a speedy mouse, and an efficient keyboard. While there are a ton of gaming keyboards on the market, finding the perfect one requires a deep look at all the features available. Mechanical keys, ergonomic layout, configurable macros, backlighting--the list goes on. Here's five excellent keyboards to keep in mind before you take the plunge.
The iPhone has an amazing retina display, a sleek aluminum body, and an overall form factor that keeps bringing mobile fanatics back year over year. But one false move, and your expensive piece of Apple technology is sailing through the air and onto the hard pavement below. Suddenly the screen is a spiderweb of cracked glass, and that aluminum body looks like a banged up trash can. If you're susceptible to the occasional fumble--aren't we all--check out these butterfinger-proof iPhone cases.
If you're going to play the latest games the way they're meant to be played, you're going to need a real HDTV. Thankfully, prices on HDTVs continue to fall--unless you're in the market for OLED--and these days it's not hard to find an amazing deal on a quality HDTV for less than a thousand bucks. So, before you pass off on picking up a new TV because they're just too expensive, take a look at this list of great sets for nearly a budget price.
OK, so maybe you're not quite a Major League gamer when it comes to playing fighting games, but that doesn't mean you should have an inferior experience. Arcade fighting sticks for Xbox 360 come in all kinds of shapes and configurations, and figuring out which controller is right for you could mean the difference between a K.O. or crushing defeat. Here's just five of the best fighting sticks available right now.
While it's totally possible to play a fighting game on your PlayStation 3 using a DualShock 3 controller, nothing beats the accuracy and arcade feel of a decent arcade stick. But when choosing your controller, you need to find the right mix of price, layout, and even customization options. If you're in the market for a fight stick, but confused about where to start, don't be afraid: IGN has you covered with this list of some of the best fighting game peripherals for the PS3.
Gaming laptops can cost a pretty penny, but contrary to popular belief, you don't need to break the bank to find a decent one. Budget shopping is all about managing one's expectations, and so long as your needs are reasonable and your shopping skills are savvy, finding a laptop that's just right for you (and your bank account) isn't an impossible task. While the debate about the merits of ultra high-end machines will surely rage on, we've compiled a list of more affordable alternatives that are (at least relatively) kinder to your wallet.
Lenovo's line of IdeaPads tends to pop up on lists like this and for good reason. With a shiny new Core i7 processor, crisp 1080p display, and sophisticated form factor (a sturdy backlit crimson keyboard), the 15.6-inch IdeaPad Y510p is a solid choice that comes in at just under a grand with the right specs. Admittedly, the Y510p isn't the greatest when it comes to battery life, but chances are, if gaming is your primary reason for getting it, you're likely to used it plugged in more often than not. And it doesn't hurt that Lenovo is well known for its perennial online discounts which knock the rice below $1,000 even when customized to its full potential.
A new year is upon us, and you know what that means: it's time to make and break resolutions. We've gathered together an armful of gadgets that just might help you keep the fitness-related promises you made to yourself. If you're already the sporty type, then perhaps the following list will offer some inspiration for the year ahead.
With the 2013 refresh of the popular Fuelband, Nike adhered to the age old principle of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" when it came to design. Aesthetically, it's similar to last year's model with the improvements happening under the hood. The Fuelband SE comes equipped with a 100-dot LED display and a durable wristband that'll hold up to even your toughest workouts. The SE is more social than its predecessor as well; Facebook integration lets you share your progress with your friends. And if counting calories stresses out, Nike's Fuel system might prove to be a viable alternative. When you reach your fitness goals, the wristband explodes with color, which is the artificially intelligent way of saying "I'm proud of you, son."
Community returns next week, for its much-anticipated Season 5. When I visited the set of the show this fall, I spoke to Alison Brie about a big season that sees the return of series creator Dan Harmon and the introduction of Breaking Bad’s Jonathan Banks in a notable new recurring role as a Greendale professor, while Donald Glover makes his exit from the show. We also spoke about some of the show’s guest stars this season and how Annie Edison is doing this year.
IGN TV: So what's it like having Dan back this season?
Alison Brie: It's incredible! It's been really incredible. The material this year I think is better than any other season. Everything's just super sharp. Dan's back, we're only doing 13
Note: Full spoilers for the Nikita series finale follow!
One of TV’s coolest and most underrated series came to a close Friday night, as The CW aired the final episode of Nikita. I spoke to the show’s executive producer, Craig Silverstein, about the decisions they made in the finale, how the truncated six-episode season changed things and much more.
IGN TV: Did you have the idea in mind for how you'd wrap Nikita up for quite awhile?
Warning: full spoilers for the Nikita series finale follow.
Well, that was it, the end of one of the best action-adventure series to ever air on television. This show delivered an action movie in an hour every episode and it's a shame it never found the audience it deserved. But they did go out in style and Craig Silverstein, Albert Kim and the Nikita team did get to give us an ending and for that I'm grateful.
Was it good for you? It probably depends on how you feel about being tricked throughout the entire episode, a pretty ballsy decision for the powers that be to make with their last hour. I had a lot of problems with being duped by Amanda's fake death two weeks ago in "Pay-Off", but primarily because we weren't allowed to believe it long enough for it to justified. I revisit that only because the twist here did work for me for the most part. It was fun to see Amanda get played and in effect we got to see our heroes as outsiders looking in, being fooled by their tradecraft the way Amanda was. And it was a relief to see Nikita win without losing her soul in the process.
Battlefield 4 has been banned in China after the release of the China Rising DLC. According to Techie News, the Chinese government accused Electronic Arts, publisher of the first-person shooter, for creating a form of cultural invasion.
China Rising is Battlefield 4's first expansion. Set on the Chinese mainland, it contains new maps, modes, vehicles, assignments, and weapons and follows the fictional story of Admiral Chang, who wants to overthrow the government.
With the release, China's Ministry of Culture wants to ban all forms of Battlefield 4, and plans to prohibit the sale of physical copies of the game and all related downloads, demos, patches, and news. PCGames.com.cn reports BF4 has been characterized as illegal on the grounds that it "endangers national security and cultural aggression."
Imagine what Minecraft might be like if it had been made with pixel-art sprites and released in the Super Nintendo era. That sums up the overall vibe of Terraria pretty well. This devious little indie sandbox game borrows so many ideas that it essentially is Minecraft in 2D, but it also beefs up the familiar gameplay in exciting ways. There’s a lot more creepy-crawly stuff to kill, and the staggering number of deadly doodads you can MacGyver together to slay them with is mouth-watering. There’s some gnarly fun to be had in these uncharted depths, and Terraria's jump to the PlayStation Vita is no less enthralling.
After you’re done customizing your sprite character, Terraria dumps you on the colorful surface of a randomly generated pixely world with nothing more than a handful of tools and the vague sense that you’re meant to build stuff, explore the terrain, and battle monsters. The Vita version's updated tutorial does an excellent job of explaining the controls and laying down the core mechanics of gameplay in an effective, simple-to-understand way. This makes it easier to get into the groove of what makes this sandbox so great: freeform exploration and tinkering. That said, total newcomers will want to dip into the Terraria Wiki to guide you through the exhaustive list of crafting recipes and resource uses, since figuring out some of the trickier combinations remains unintuitive.
An unexpected discovery was made this week on what was thought to be a new Nintendo 3DS. Expecting to find only the pictures he had taken, Tom Mayhew's eight-year-old son instead found pornographic pictures saved on the new gaming system he received for Christmas, according to WAVY News 10.
"He went to play his games, not knowing anything was on it," Mayhew said. "After a while,
took pictures of themselves and when the picture was taken it went to a file. When that file was opened, there were already pictures on it."
In total, there were a dozen pornographic pictures found on the system, which is incorrectly identified by the report as being a DS, when it in fact appears to be a 3DS. The system was recently purchased at a Walmart in Hampton, Virginia under the assumption that it was new. Mayhew said he believes the system may have already been purchased and then returned to the store, with those images -- which were dated as being saved in early December -- never being removed prior to it being sold again.
After releasing creation tools earlier this month that allow players to make their own content, Rockstar is now beginning to put its stamp of approval on a select number of player-created jobs in Grand Theft Auto Online.
For this first round of approval, 10 jobs created by players can now claim to be officially "Rockstar Verified" jobs. The benefits of this are twofold: These high-quality jobs can now get more attention from the online community, and they become available for play on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 regardless of which platform they were originally designed on. Grand Theft Auto Online players are free to play any player-created jobs whether or not they've been given the thumbs up by Rockstar, but this increases the visibility of high-quality content.
For the past few days, Nintendo's online services have been plagued with connection issues preventing gamers from creating Nintendo Network IDs and accessing the eShop. Now, Nintendo is preparing to take the eShop offline for a period of 12 hours in order to get things working properly again.
The problems seem to have begun on Christmas Day, presumably due to the rush of people looking to connect their new 3DS or Wii U to the Internet. What may have been putting additional pressure on Nintendo's servers is a change introduced earlier this month; Nintendo Network IDs are now used on 3DS and Wii U, allowing an eShop account balance to carry over between the two platforms.
Whatever the exact cause, in addition to trouble creating new Nintendo Network accounts -- locking new account owners out of certain functionality -- the eShop has been largely inaccessible for new and existing users. Nintendo took to Facebook today to apologize and explain what it's doing to resolve matters.
The smash hit Minecraft may have just been released for the PlayStation 3, but according to the game's creator Markus "Notch" Persson, there aren't any plans for a Wii U release.
Speaking out on Twitter, Notch said, "I am not aware of any plans to release a Wii U version of Minecraft."
Earlier in 2013, Notch explained that Microsoft previously had an exclusivity deal for Minecraft on consoles, and once that was up, the team was going to consider bringing the game to PlayStation. Even back then he said Wii U is "very unlikely."
The reason the port isn't in the works isn't because Notch doesn't like Nintendo though. In a follow-up Tweet, he said, "I agree a Wii U version would make sense,
With the first teaser trailer for his next film Interstellar now in theaters, let's take a look back and rank the trailers for director Christopher Nolan's movies, from Following to Interstellar.
Since his movies have multiple trailers, we've selected the one trailer for each of his nine films that best encapsulated and sold that particular movie.
Don't agree with our ranking? Then be sure to sound off in the Comments below!
The Pokemon Bank and Poke Transporter app services, which were supposed to be released today, Dec. 27, have been delayed due to the problems that Nintendo's online network services and eShop had over the Christmas holidays. The problem was caused when more gamers than Nintendo anticipated tried to use their online services to link their Nintendo Network ID with a Nintendo 3DS/2DS.
Unfortunately, during the outage folks had trouble acessing the eShop for Wii U and 3DS, purchasing and downloading content, and creating or editing a Nintendo Network ID. The service has since been restored for many gamers around the world, but regarding the Pokemon Bank and Poke Transporter, Nintendo only said that it's not coming today and that they, "Apologize for the delay and thank you for your continued patience."
HD remakes are all the rage these days. From Aliens versus Predator to Zone of the Enders, dozens of ageing games are embarking upon comeback tours on modern machines. Some have simply had their code tweaked to run on today’s hardware, whereas others have undergone complete HD makeovers, but they all share that same desire to bring classic experiences to modern audiences - and make a quick buck on the side, of course.
While HD remakes are now as popular with publishers as dubstep and microtransactions, that urge to update games for contemporary hardware isn’t something new. Since before the turn of the millennium there have been small, dedicated groups of fans striving to upgrade their most treasured gaming memories. In the weird world of the amateur remake, fanatical dedication clashes with seemingly impossible goals; and the results of this collision can vary greatly.
Somehow, I ended up with three new consoles this year. I say somehow, I know exactly how; I’m weak-willed and apparently hate having money. The Wii U was a rare impulse purchase at a bargain price, but one I’m very happy with thanks to Nintendo finally getting into their first-party stride. Planned for and payed off well in advance was my PS4, a system I absolutely adore at this point even though we’re only weeks into its lifespan. The third console I bought in 2013 happens to be my favourite of the bunch, although it’s not what you might expect…
The console in question is grossly overpriced, has no social media or streaming features and it doesn’t have high-definition graphics; in fact, its visual output is terribly washed out. Its update process is clunky to say the least and it can’t even connect to the internet. The hardware developers and brand owners are also currently embroiled in a nasty battle over whether the device is still allowed to be sold and, as such, there are likely to be only 26 games ever available for it.
Gamers beat up a lot of things in 2013, didn't we? We got into airborne gunfights with freakish beyond-human monstrosities, tore apart bars while going toe-to-toe with creatures from classic fairy tales, and sunk massive battleships all in the name of becoming the most feared pirate in the Caribbean. Well, with the year coming to a close, we thought it would be fitting to take a look back at the boss battles that helped define 2013. Note that some of these come from later moments in their respective game, so there are definitely some spoilers ahead.
The Royal Jelly is one of those classic JRPG boss battles where you're thrown into the deep end and forced to make liberal use of a new ability you've just learned. In this case, it's the All-Out Attack and Defense options, which really open up Ni No Kuni's combat mechanics and elevate the game's RPG battle system to one of the best of 2013. This beautiful, challenging encounter with the boneless royalty forces you to pay close attention to the creature's tell -- when it's about to attack, you'll need to have everyone defend unless you want to reload your save. But once you get the hang of this new mechanic and learn the enemy's weakness, watching your three heroes and their respective critters work in unison towards defeating the massive jellyfish is a great sight to behold.
A new multiplayer mode called "Heavy Duty" is now available for Call of Duty: Ghosts. Those who own the FPS on any console (except Wii U) can update their game to get the mode for free. Additionally, the update brings a few bug fixes, balance changes, and other improvements.
Heavy Duty Mode is a fresh multiplayer playlist that offers a somewhat more stress-free firefight. In the mode, players will have increased health so the game becomes less about who shoots first and more about strategy. For those who want to give their input on their experience with the new playlist, Infinity Ward is looking to collect player feedback on the mode. Unfortunately, while Heavy Duty Mode is available for most consoles, there's been no word on when a Wii U version is coming.
Fast & Furious 6 actress Gal Gadot was recently interviewed on Israeli television during which time she spoke about being cast as Wonder Woman in Batman vs. Superman and her preparation for the role.
According to a translation via Batman-News, Gadot addressed the criticism that she has too slender a physique for the role: "I represent the Wonder Woman of the new world. Breasts… anyone can buy for 9,000 shekels and everything is fine. By the way, Wonder Woman is amazonian, and historically accurate amazonian women actually had only one breast. So, if I’d really go 'by the book'…it’d be problematic."
Sony has unveiled the lineup of games coming in January for American PlayStation Plus subscribers. This time around the list is strong, with a few AAA titles along with a remarkable PlayStation 4 game.
Starting in the new year, those of you who picked up a new PS4 during the holidays will be able to get Don't Starve, the survival game hidden under a cute exterior.
Meanwhile, PlayStation 3 owners will be able to get their hands on an IGN Game of the Year Nominee, BioShock Infinite. The indie darling, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is also on the lineup, as is another tale of brotherly love, DMC: Devil May Cry.
Nintendo has revealed that Zelda, the beautiful princess of Hyrule, will be the 20th playable character in the upcoming Super Smash Bros for Wii U and 3DS.
The version seems to be modeled after Zelda from Twilight Princess, and she'll join other iconic Nintendo princesses like Peach and Rosalina, as well as a few versions of her beloved Link, on the battlefield. In addition, Zelda will have a few familiar stages to fight on, like Skyloft, Gerudo Valley, and the Spirit Tracks Train.
Danny Pudi has gotten to go to some very odd and very fascinating places as Abed Nadir in Community, and that looks to continue in a big way in Season 5. This season, Abed will be saying goodbye to his best friend, Troy, as Donald Glover leaves the series. When I visited the set of the show this fall, a few weeks after Glover had wrapped up his work, I spoke to Pudi about what to expect in the new season and what it’s like exploring Abed without Troy in his life.
IGN TV: How’s Season 5 been going for you so far?
Danny Pudi: I'm glad to be back. This is I think the eighth episode this season, something like that? I'm still being surprised, which is wonderful. If we're looking at it, this would be episode number 92 of Community. The fact that I'm still being surprised is... I mean, yesterday there were two scenes where it was very hard for me to keep a straight face. So that is a wonderful thing.
The best bit of roguelikes is the dying. Most modern games fear death, toning down the difficulty so the player never has to face the reaper, or respawning them so quickly they barely notice (despite the unique advantages that permadeath can offer). Roguelikes cut through all that. In these games, death works realistically: once you're gone, you're gone. It forces you to savour the virtual life you've been given. Every decision feels that much more important, every game that bit more tense, all because you know that 'game over' really means it.
Modern games like FTL and Spelunky have brought the roguelike to the attention of many more people. If you’re curious about the genre’s heritage, here are six classic roguelikes you can enjoy for free.
Horrible news for Hello Games this holiday week, as the game developer behind the captivating No Man's Sky trailer that wowed gaming fans in its unveiling just a few short weeks ago is reporting on Twitter that its office has been devastated by flood waters.
Oh god. Water moves really quick. Hello Games has been totally flooded. Everything in the office has pretty much been lost :(
— Hello Games (@hellogames) December 24, 2013
A river broke its bank nearby yesterday, and A LOT of water flooded in really quickly. A biblical amount. It was coming in the windows!
— Hello Games (@hellogames) December 25, 2013 You’d be hard-pressed to find a gamer who hasn’t heard of Night Trap. The Sega CD game was a lightning rod for controversy in the 90s, eclipsing even Mortal Kombat on the moral panic scale. But few remember Project NEMO, the interactive movie-based console that spawned it. NEMO never saw the light of day, but it attracted some of the video game industry’s brightest minds.
Minds like David Crane, who co-founded Activision, and designed and programmed Pitfall! and Little Computer People; Rob Fulop, who programmed Night Driver, Missile Command and Space Invaders for the Atari 2600; and Ken Melville, who went on to design and write some of the biggest titles in interactive full motion video games. This was a dream team of video game creators working with Hasbro, the largest toy maker in the world. So what stopped them from shipping a console? Could they have changed the course of an industry with their foray into interactive FMV?
It's been 1454 days, 43 episodes, and roughly 32 million Tumblr gifs since Matt Smith made his electrifying, offbeat and entertaining debut as the Eleventh Doctor – and finally his time on the TARDIS has come to an end.
Yet as all good Whovians know, a regeneration is never really, truly goodbye – just a new hello to a refreshed and intriguing incarnation of one of TV's most chameleonic and charismatic of characters.
So it was appropriate that 'The Time of the Doctor' was an exemplary exercise in celebrating the departure of a loved one. Sure, it had a few wonky issues (more on those later), but as a goodbye to Matt Smith it couldn't have been more heartfelt.
When a mysterious message ebbed out amongst the stars, the universe's dirtiest, and downright deadliest aliens flocked to the signal-emitting planet and towards the not-at-all-clunkily-named faux-English town of 'Christmas' (groan).
Wow. There are so many comic book movies happening these days. And not just that, but the mythologies of these films are growing more and more complex, especially in the wake of Marvel’s universe-building, Avengers-tastic success.
But as more superhero films are announced -- and along with them more characters and storylines taken directly from the original comics are revealed to be coming to the big screen -- it’s becoming increasingly difficult to know exactly what these movies will be all about. Sure, you might’ve heard of the Winter Soldier, but do you really know what his deal is? Ultron is a robot, yes, but what connects him to the Avengers? Vin Diesel is Groot? O.K. -- but who is Groot? (Whoever replied to that with “I am Groot” gets a gold star.)
The return of adventuring duo George Stobbart and Nico Collard is turning out to be one of 2013's unexpected pleasures. The first half of Broken Sword 5: The Serpent’s Curse was released on Steam and GOG.com on December 4th, with the second half scheduled for January 2014. Since both episodes are a single purchase, we’re reserving our full review and score until the second half hits, but wanted to give our early impressions of this so-far excellent fifth chapter in the long-running adventure series.
One of the biggest surprises (and possibly a decision fueled by its Kickstarter origins,) is that Broken Sword 5 is the first 2D point-and-click adventure in the series since 1997's Broken Sword II: The Smoking Mirror. A regression from 3D to 2D might normally raise concerns about its overall quality or relevance to a gaming audience that demands the newest visual hotness, yet The Serpent’s Curse is a superior experience that has all the polish that often goes missing from modern point-and-click adventures (not made by Telltale). And truth be told, as an old-school fan I'm thrilled with the switch.
It's hard to imagine now, but there was a time when Wolverine's past was still largely murky and shrouded in mystery. But motivated by the impending threat of the X-Men movies doing what the comics never did, Marvel finally greenlit Origin, the mini-series that finally revealed Wolverine's real name and the pivotal events that shaped him into the troubled ronin and killer he is today. And thanks to House of M, we've seen much more about the years between Origin and Wolverine finally joining the X-Men. Some of it has been interesting; and some of it suggests that these are stories better left untold.
Ten years later, we're finally seeing a direct sequel to Origin. Origin II picks up several years after the first left off. The man once known as James Howlett is living a peaceful, animalistic existence in the Canadian wilderness with a pack of wolves. But the recurring tragedy of Wolverine's life is that every period of reverie is eventually broken by death and hardship, and that was clearly as true in 1906 as it is in 2013.
As quickly as death can bring people together, it can split them apart. August: Osage County, the filmed adaptation of writer Tracy Letts' Pulitzer Prize-winning play, captures that fission. Letts' and director John Wells wrangle an ensemble of highly charged characters, zip them through the dramatic equivalent of the Large Hadron Collider, and roll camera on the collision.
In a way, they're playing God; though toxic families exist out there in the natural world, the Westons feel manufactured, spouts of depression, anger, regret, and torment feeling clinical and anticipated. Still, when the base elements consist of Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Chris Cooper, and Margot Martindale, a spark is inevitable. August: Osage County is a failed experiment with sporadic reactions worth witnessing.
Gone Home has been the recipient of a very warm critical reception this year. Now, with the year just about over, fans will soon have a way to play through the game in a much different manner, as one fan is remaking the game in the style of a 16-bit JRPG.
Seth Macy recently posted on Twitter about the one-man project, which he describes as a demake. A demake is essentially a reimagined version of a newer game in the style of a retro game, such as Pixel Force Halo (Halo as a side-scrolling, Contra-style shooter), Team Fortress Arcade (Team Fortress 2 as a beat-em-up with guns), and Super 3D Portals 6 (Portal as a 2D Atari 2600 game). Macy is using RPG Maker XP to create a version of Gone Home that resembles a 16-bit RPG, as can be seen in the screenshots below.
A group of ten men in China have been given prison terms of up to two years for hacking and defrauding over 11,000 World of Warcraft accounts.
According to Kotaku, the cyber culprits were essentially charged for flipping stolen WoW accounts that they purchased for around $1. After they'd acquired ownership, they emptied the accounts of all their gold and items, before reselling everything for around $3 at online auction, netting a tasty profit. By the time Chinese officials caught them, it's thought they'd earned $10,800.
Nine of Chen's accomplices were convicted, receiving sentences of two years in prison and fines of $1,000, while the mastermind got two years in prison and a fine of $8,000.
The PlayStation Plus Instant Game Collection grows by one title this week for PlayStation Vita owners. Sony has announced that Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed will be made free for North American PlayStation Plus members beginning today.
As announced last month, Transformed is one of five games that Plus members will be receiving for free in December. The others are Borderlands 2, Dyad, and GRID 2 for PlayStation 3, and Urban Trial Freestyle for Vita.
As part of today's PlayStation Store update in North America, Transformed will drop from its usual price of $29.99 right down to a free download for Plus subscribers. As is always the case with free Plus games, simply initiating the download will add it to your collection so that it can be downloaded again in the future for as long as you remain a Plus member.
Third in our interviews from the set of Community is Ken Jeong. With Season 5’s debut coming January 2nd, the busy comedic-actor spoke about Community not following the path of other shows, John Oliver coming back as Professor Duncan this year and Ben Chang’s evolving role in the series.
IGN TV: I’ve been asking everyone the obvious question to start with, which is what is it like having Dan back this season?
Ken Jeong: It's amazing. I'm sure everyone's telling you right now, it's such a great reset of the show. I think that's kind of been the operative word for the season premiere, just kind of resetting the Community/Dan Harmon universe. My favorite part is just reading the scripts. Everyone will tell you, he's genius and a visionary, and I'm saying exactly the same thing. In fact, he's one of the smartest people I've ever met just in life -- and I was a doctor.
With Sherlock's return set for next month, a new mini-episode has been released bridging the gap between Season 2 and Season 3. Check out the seven-minute short below, written by Sherlock producers Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, and focusing on Inspector Lestrade (Rupert Graves). And yes, you'll also see Watson (Martin Freeman) and even Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) too... in a way.
Sherlock: Season 3 debuts January 1st in the UK and January 19th in the US.
Warner Bros. is teasing an imminent announcement regarding the Batman: Arkham franchise, set to be revealed on New Year's Eve.
A post on Facebook reveals a "special announcement" will be made on December 31, though quite what it pertains to is unclear.
It's Christmas time and that means it's a time for peace, reflection and soul-searching. And what better way to do all those things than in a bloody novelty quiz?!
Yes, for the second year running us IGN UK folk decided to sunder ourselves into two teams and pit our wits against each other in an intense battle for dominance. Will Alex and Chris emerge victorious? Or are Krupa and Luke destined for glory? Will Stu make it through hosting duties without a drink?! Who can say, but it does get a bit Road to Damascus when the anagram round crops up.
As it's Christmas, we've decided to offer you this podcast in video form. It's the way the baby Jesus would have wanted you to enjoy it. If you're stuck in your ways though, then never fear! The standard audio link is also present.
Bethesda has revealed that The Elder Scrolls Online's version of Cyrodil will take around 30 minutes to traverse north to south.
The information comes courtesy of an Elitist Jerks Forum Q&A with lead PvP developer Brian Wheeler, who also took some time to explain how the more competitive elements of the game would work.
In case you weren't aware, Cyrodil is the main PvP (player versus player) area of the game, so the fact it'll take so long to cross means it's going to be pretty sizeable indeed. Wheeler also explained that if one of the game's Alliances is in the lead, then its players will earn fewer Campaign points for things like capturing keeps, while members of the other two Alliances that are trailing will get bonuses. Presumably this is to encourage the losing teams not to throw in the towel.
Telltale has revealed how its upcoming collaboration with Gearbox, Tales from the Borderlands, came about.
In an interview with Polygon, the studio's senior vice president of publishing Steve Allison explained it happened at the Spike VGAs last year, and alcohol was most certainly involved.
"We were backstage at the
Spike VGAs and Gearbox was sitting at table one and we were sitting at table two — we were there for The Walking Dead," he explained. "We got to talking a little bit, and I don’t remember when it became, ‘we should do this thing,’ but it happened over a few cocktails.
Using a giant marker to color your way through the puzzles of Max: The Curse of Brotherhood offers a great-looking and clever twist to the platforming genre. Well, it would if it weren’t so frustrating half the time. Once the novelty of drawing wears off, the curse we’re left with isn’t brotherhood, but awkward controls.
I generally like the idea that I can make drawings to help solve platforming puzzles, even though it’s not as freeform as the concept implies. You get the marker early on, but before you do, climbing ladders and jumping over endless gaps as Max in the beautiful 2.5D environment gives you your first taste of the floaty controls. Cruelly, our little hero is a complete platforming pansy who can't even double-jump; one long-ish fall or hit from just about anything and he'll go down faster than that kid in Limbo. And he went down a lot. This game isn't as cuddly as it appears.
Thank you, everyone, for your long-suffering loyalty. And for another year of non-relevent GIFs, Phteven wrangling, recycled jokes, and mismanaged dreams. It's been a big year for wrestling, but perhaps not as massive as 2014 is going to be with the official launch of the WWE Network. Because that's sure to make headlines!
Yes, the wrestling giant, that's held a triangle choke on the industry for the past decade plus, has decided that, like our own ever-expanding universe, too much is never enough. That eight hours of WWE a week, counting NXT and Superstars (but not counting the monthly three hour PPV), is a paltry offering at best. Why not live and breathe the over-saturation 24/7 with a non-stop channel devoted to grinding your passion into the dirt?
The scene has been building steam for a number of years now, but in 2013 the age of the independent developer truly arrived. Everywhere you turned, the indies were there. Hell, one need only look at the tussle between Sony and Microsoft – each professing their love for indies above and beyond the other – to see how important independent developers are in the modern gaming landscape.
And the best part is – they’re delivering. There were so many great indie games released this year I spent at least as much time playing them as I did games released through the traditional model. And I barely scratched the surface.
The list that follows, then, is very much a personal one. These are the indie titles I most enjoyed this year, but there are plenty of contenders I’m yet to play. Even so, I think this list is a good reflection of the breadth of experiences delivered by indie developers in 2013, and hopefully it will point you in the direction of a couple you haven’t checked out yet.