Foxtel Play launches on PlayStation 3 in Australia

Sony Computer Entertainment Australia has today announced the launch of Foxtel Play on PS3, and confirmed the service will also be coming to PS4 soon.

Foxtel Play is a streaming service that allows customers to consume Foxtel content via devices like selected LG and Samsung ‘Smart TVs’ and gaming consoles like Xbox 360 (and now PS3).

“We’re thrilled to continue our drive to expand availability of Foxtel Play for Australian subscribers,” said Foxtel’s chief operating officer Rohan Lund in a statement. “With the addition of PS3, that expansion just got a massive boost for the 2 million Australians already enjoying great digital experiences on their PlayStation 3 consoles. Today that experience gets even better.”

Continue reading…

Might and Delight Announces Sequel to Shelter

Swedish developer Might and Delight has announced that it is working on Shelter 2, a spiritual sequel to last year's artistic adventure game Shelter.

While Shelter followed the story of a mother badger and her cubs, Shelter 2 this time places players in the role of a lynx, resulting in a more "forceful" experience, with hunting for prey taking on a much more prominent role.

Continue reading…

Captain America: The Winter Soldier International Differences

Cap may be as American as apple pie and baseball, but that doesn't mean his pop culture interests don't extend overseas.

There's an early scene in The Winter Soldier where we see Captain America's list of important cultural touchstones he's missed since his World War II deep freeze.

Images via Screen Crush.

He needs to catch up on his classic television, history, music and try some foreign cuisine. Overall, it's an amusing and straightforward to-do list. However, despite the worldwide proliferation of American culture, the filmmakers seem to have wanted to make Cap's interests relevant to people living outside the US, as well.

Continue reading…

Six Mega Man Games Coming to 3DS Virtual Console

Capcom has revealed when it will be releasing six Mega Man games for the 3DS Virtual Console. Mega Man II to Mega Man V for the Game Boy and Mega Man Xtreme and Xtreme 2 for Game Boy Color will begin arriving in the eShop starting May 1.

The games are headed to North America for now and will join Game Boy title Mega Man: Dr Wily's Revenge and the half-dozen NES Mega Man games already available on the service.

50 Shades of Mega Man.

Continue reading…

Valve Announces Dates, Location, and Ticket Prices for The International 2014

Valve has revealed the dates, locations, and ticket prices for The International 2014, its next annual championship event for Dota 2 players.

The International this year moves to Seattle's KeyArena, with the festivities lasting from July 18 to 21.

Tickets go on sale at 3pm PDT this Friday, April 4 via Ticketmaster. (Valve has done some timezone math over at the Dota 2 blog, for those outside the PDT timezone who might be eager to buy tickets the second they go on sale.)

There are three pricing tiers to select from; general admission is $99, while floor seats will run you $199. The VIP package, meanwhile, is a hefty $499 ticket that includes floor seating, meet-and-greets with VIPs, invitation to the after party, and access to the six days of playoffs that take place on July 8, before the Championships Event itself.

Continue reading…

European DDoS Attacks Affecting Blizzard Games

Diablo, World of Warcraft, StarCraft, and Hearthstone players in European regions may be impacted with latency problems and unwanted disconnections due to a series of DDoS attacks on “certain European online services,” Blizzard has warned.

“Although Blizzard’s infrastructure isn’t targeted, the disruption effects rippled and have been felt by a portion of our players’ population,” reads a statement published on Blizzard’s battle.net.

“While we are closely monitoring the situation we wanted to thank you for your patience and apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”

Blizzard suggests affected players check the company’s European English language customer support Twitter feed for updates on the situation.

Continue reading…

Shoot Everything Ever in Zombies Monsters Robots

Zombies Monsters Robots is a third-person shooter born from the "everything but the kitchen sink" school of design.

The enemy list alone reads like a bestiary for all of video gaming. Along with the three foes listed in the title, you'll blast dinosaurs, oversized bugs, and ancient Pharaohs. One level even features a hidden underground lake, complete with a sea creature. If it can be shot, you will probably have a chance to shoot it.

Though players can battle against each other in ZMR, the focus is on teaming up to take out waves of enemies together and earn high scores. This is what I did during my GDC demo. Prisoners from an ancient dungeon rose from the dead, and, as usual, the undead must die.

Continue reading…

We're Hosting IGN Trivia Night: Round 4 on April 23rd

Yes, it's happening on a Wednesday.

We will be hosting our fourth trivia night on April 23rd at Pedro's Cantina in San Francisco! Because we cover a range of subjects here at IGN, trivia night is going to be a free-for-all. If you're knowledgeable about movies, comics, video games, or TV, this night is for you.

Take our IGN Trivia Night Quiz from last month's event

Continue reading…

Storm Shadow vs. Terminator?!

The Terminator: Genesis casting continues, with Byung-hun Lee (a.k.a. G.I. Joe’s Storm Shadow) joining the film.

Michael Gladis (Kinsey from Mad Men) and Sandrine Holt (Gillian Cole from House of Cards) have also been added to the cast, according to The Hollywood Reporter. They join the previously cast Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, Jason Clarke, and, yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger. In recent days, J.K. Simmons and Dayo Okeniyi have also been put on the roster. Alan Taylor of Thor: The Dark World success will direct.

Continue reading…

Dead Body Found on Avengers 2 Set

The production of Marvel's The Avengers: Age of Ultron set up shop in Seoul, South Korea, this past weekend during which time a dead boy was found on the grounds of the set.

Naver says Avengers 2 was shooting at Mapo Bridge -- the first time the bridge had ever been closed for the filming of a movie, prompting director Joss Whedon to publicly apologize to the citizens for causing traffic delays -- during which time a security guard reportedly found a dead body floating in the water under the bridge.

Continue reading…

Sinestro Takes the Spotlight in Injustice: Year Two

If you've been following DC's Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Two series, you'll know that writer Tom Taylor is building towards a major confrontation between Superman's new world order and the Green Lantern Corps. Green Lantern uber-villain Sinestro is smack dab in the middle of that conflict, having recently thrown his lot in with Superman.

DC will be releasing the seventh digital chapter Injustice this Tuesday, April 1. This standalone story is written by Taylor and illustrated by Mike Miller, and it focuses squarely on Sinestro's past and his role in the current conflict. Those who prefer the print version of Injustice: Year Two can look forward to Chapters 7 and 8 being collected in Injustice: Year Two #4 later this month.

Continue reading…

The Elder Scrolls Online: Review in Progress

Editor's Note: Reviewing an MMORPG is a big job that can take weeks to complete. Our final score will be awarded at that time, once we've put in enough time to get a sense of The Elder Scrolls Online's true strengths and weaknesses. In the meantime, our intrepid reviewer Leif Johnson will update you regularly on his progress, giving impressions on various aspects and events along the way.

March 30: Early Access Day One Impressions

During the earliest hours of Sunday's preorder-exclusive access, when thousands of would-be emperors huddled into the major starting cities like Morrowind's Davon's Watch, The Elder Scrolls Online performed as though it'd been out since 2012. Aside from a midday connection drop that was probably my provider's fault, I didn't even encounter significant lag during my 16-hour marathon. Even better, log-in queues, long a staple of highly anticipated massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) launches, were missing in action here thanks to the effectiveness of developer ZeniMax Online's so-called "megaserver." True, the main floodgates won't open until ESO officially goes live on April 4, but Tamriel was crowded enough during Early Access to demonstrate that ZeniMax might be able to handle it. If this keeps up, we could be looking at the smoothest MMO launch in years. Which is good, because there’s work to do hammering out bugs elsewhere.

Continue reading…

SHIELD: Big Things Promised for Final Episodes of Season 1

Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD returns Tuesday night with what will be an uninterrupted run of seven episodes until the season finale, with no more breaks in the schedule. So what’s in store in the eventful episode, “End of the Beginning”, and beyond? The cast and producers gave us hints on what to expect.

If you’ve seen the previews for Captain America: The Winter Soldier, you know that film heavily involves SHIELD as an organization and suffice to say, some big things occur in that movie that will have repercussions on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, specifically where Agents of SHIELD is concerned. When I asked Jeffrey Bell how the film might affect the show, he replied, “Well, I would say episode 16 airs the Tuesday before the movie opens. Episode 17 airs right after it opens. So I would suspect that if there were anything to reverberate, it might happen in that window.”

Continue reading…

Peter David Reunites With Spider-Man 2099

Over 20 years ago, Marvel launched the 2099 line, offering readers a glimpse into the Marvel Universe 100 years into the future. The flagship title of the 2099 line was Spider-Man 2099, launched by writer Peter David and artist Rick Leonardi. That series chronicled the exploits of Miguel O'Hara, brilliant geneticist and heir to the mantle of Spider-Man. The series developed a pretty impressive following, at least until the shrinking market caused the entire 2099 line to fade away.

Luckily, things are looking up for Miguel again. He became a recurring player in Dan Slott's Superior Spider-Man saga last summer after becoming stranded in the present. And now Marvel has announced a new Spider-Man 2099 series. Better yet, David will be returning to write the character he created all those years before.. We recently had the chance to talk with David and find out his thoughts on returning to the 2099 franchise an what will change for Miguel as he continues to adjust to life in the past.

Continue reading…

Seagal Supports Putin, May Become a Russian

Action icon Steven Seagal has never been shy about expressing his politics, whether it's mulling a run for governor of Arizona or supporting controversial Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Now, according to the state-run Rossiskaya Gazeta, Seagal has declared his affection for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Seagal reportedly called Putin "one of the great living world leaders" and that he "would like to consider him as a brother."

Seagal -- who is currently filming a movie in Romania -- came out in defense of Putin's seizure of Crimea. The actor said Putin's widely denounced actions reflected his "desire to protect the Russian-speaking people of Crimea, his assets, and the Russian Black Sea military base in Sevastopol …

Continue reading…

Which Batman Actor Got Paid the Most?

Let's be honest, Batman wouldn't be half the man-bat he is today without Bruce Wayne's oodles of cash -- well, that and the Bat-credit card, of course. (Never leave the cave without it.) But what about the real-life Batmen, the movie stars behind the mask? How much green did each of them earn for playing the Dark Knight? More importantly, which Batman actor got the biggest paycheck?

1966 Batman Creator Lorenzo Semple Jr. Has Died

Continue reading…

Once Upon a Time: "Quiet Minds" Review

Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow. Apologies that this review is up a bit late; I was visiting with different kinds of witches on the set of Salem.

It's such a relief that the Storybrooke residents have learned that Zelena is the Wicked Witch. Since the Peter Pan part of season went on and on, I was worried they would leave the witch's identity a secret for a couple more episodes. They're moving it along at the right pace to keep it from getting boring, and I like that the reveal was on Zelena's terms. She seems more calculating and more powerful than Regina – so much so that it's not clear who would win in a fight.

Hook and Neal got the winning scene of the episode. So much has happened that it's easy to forget Hook watched over Neal for a bit when he was a kid. Hook's call back to that time was confusing at first and then incredibly touching. It was a moment between those two I didn't know I needed, and I appreciated the reminder of their relationship. Especially considering the ending.

Continue reading…

Out This Week: March 31, 2014

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.

Continue reading…

Mobile Hit Jet Car Stunts Coming to PS3, PS4, PS Vita

The 2009 mobile racer, Jet Car Stunts, is coming to PS3, PS4, and PlayStation Vita with improved graphics.

Developer Grip Games announced today that its 2009 mobile hit will be entirely remade to match the visual quality of the consoles, and will include new cars, game modes, cross-save, and multiplayer.

Jet Car Stunts is a racing platfomer that gives players control of a race car fused with a jet. IGN found it to be reminiscent of San Francisco Rush and gave it an 9 along with an Editors' Choice. Jet Car Stunts does not yet have a release date, but it will release simultaneously for PS3 and PlayStation Vita while the PS4 version will come at a later date.

Continue reading…

Mickey Edition 3DS XL Coming Out Next Month

Nintendo will release a Mickey Mouse edition 3DS XL next month, sold exclusively at Walmart and the Nintendo World Store.

The new Disney-themed 3DS XL will go on sale April 11 along with Disney Magical World, a game that features more than 60 Disney characters and lets players dress their avatars in Disney outfits. Namco Bandai published the 3DS title in Japan, but Nintendo is handling publishing duties in North America.

The Mickey 3DS XL is the second special edition handheld to promote Disney Magical World in North America. Last week, GameStop and Nintendo announced a Disney-themed Peach Pink 2DS system, which comes with a Disney Magical World carry case for the handheld.

Continue reading…

Apple's iPhone 6 in Newly Leaked Pics

Surprise, surprise--more allegedly leaked photos of Apple's next smartphone, the iPhone 6. Last month, pictures of the handset's supposedly thinner body found their way to the internet. But today, G for Games has discovered a few mysterious images on Chinese social-hub Weibo.

Image Source: Weibo/G For Games

Continue reading…

Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery Review

To answer your first (and possibly only) question: Yes, we are reviewing the Scooby-Doo/WWE mashup movie. Because it's a thing that exists. A bizarre thing, no less, featuring two giant entertainment properties merging for the first time.

Or "because reasons," if that suits your needs.

And yes, I am aware that, even as a WWE fan, this movie isn't made for me. It's a kids movie. One that hopes to convert Scooby-Doo fans to the WWE, or convert WWE fans to Scooby-Doo, or reward those children who are already fans of both. It also harkens back to The New Scooby-Doo Movies of the early 70s which featured guests stars such as the Three Stooges, Batman and Robin, Sonny and Cher, and Jerry Reed (though the franchise never truly quit having guest stars as part of its DNA).

Continue reading…

Microsoft Spends Up To $150 Million on Wearable Computing

A cursory glance around the tech blogosphere should make one point incredibly clear: virtual reality and wearable computing are showing up everywhere. Recent reports have Microsoft joining in on the hype with its own rumored VR headset for Xbox One, but TechCrunch has evidence the company is setting its sights even higher.

Ralph Osterhout, the founder of Osterhout Design Group, has confirmed Microsoft acquired some wearable computing tech from ODG in a recent deal. Another unnamed source claims the transaction was valued somewhere between $100 million and $150 million.

Continue reading…

Games With Gold for April 2014 Announced

Hitman: Absolution and Deadlight are the two free games in April for Xbox Live Gold members, Microsoft announced today.

Beginning April 1, Hitman: Absolution will become free — knocked down from its $20 USD price tag — until April 15. Hitman: Absolution is a Square Enix-published game from 2012, and IGN praised the title for requiring improvisation, giving it a score of 9.0.

Starting April 16, Deadlight will take the place of Hitman: Absolution, dropping from $15 USD and staying free through April 30. Deadlight launched in 2012 for Xbox Live Arcade and was one of the finest titles of the year on the platform. IGN thought Deadlight was great with a score of 8.5, enjoying the game's exploration and art direction.

Continue reading…

What's Next for Swamp Thing?

Last issue, Swamp Thing was introduced to the Sureen, a cult of humans who have worshiped the various Swamp Things throughout the ages. Their main purpose is to let a Swamp Thing be human for a brief time by allowing him to temporarily taking over one of their bodies.

Alec Holland decides to go on a humancation and, wouldn't you know it, it was all a trap! As soon as Alec made the switch, those claiming to be the Sureen took off their disguises, packed up the Swamp Thing body, and split. Meanwhile, the ceremonial brew the human drank turned out to be poison, leaving Alec in a dying body and without his awesome plant powers.

Needless to say, this has been an awesome yet harrowing chapter in Swamp Thing's life, which is why we can't wait to see what happens next!

Continue reading…

Infamous: Second Son Spoilercast

PlayStation. Does the word send a chill down your spine? Does it caress your senses with wave upon wave of irresistible pleasure? No? Do you like PlayStation? Then you're certainly in the right place. Welcome to Podcast Beyond, your link to the IGN crew that pushes news, opinions and utter hilarity straight to your ears (and subsequently, your brain).

Have you beaten Infamous: Second Son? If the answer is yes, join Greg, Colin, and Altano as they have a SPOILER-FILLED discussion about Sucker Punch's latest PlayStation adventure.

Continue reading…

Splinter Cell: Blacklist Director Goes to WB Montreal

Patrick Redding, director of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist, has left Ubisoft Toronto for Warner Bros. Montreal.

The job change is listed on Redding's LinkedIn profile (spotted by Kotaku columnist and Internet sleuth Superannuation), where the game designer notes that he was working on an unannounced title for Ubisoft Toronto before leaving this month for Warner Bros. Montreal. Redding is the creative director of an unannounced title at his new job.

Before serving as director for Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Redding directed Splinter Cell: Conviction and worked on the Far Cry franchise. He spent close to 10 years at Ubisoft, employed at Ubisoft Montreal before going to Ubisoft Toronto.

Continue reading…

'Completely New Type of Multiplayer' Coming to Trials Fusion

Trials Fusion will not include head-to-head online multiplayer when it releases on April 16. Instead, "a completely new type of online multiplayer mode" will be added in as a free update soon afterwards. IGN spoke with Trials Fusion creative director Antii Ilvessuo about this decision, as well as developer RedLynx's other big plans for the imminent new version of the physics-based racing/puzzle game.

"Local multiplayer will be part of Trials Fusion at launch, as we know our fans love that game mode: four buddies on one couch," Ilvessuo told IGN. "However, synchronous online multiplayer did not work as we would have hoped. We know by reviewing the metrics from Trials Evolution that the vast majority of players tried the mode, didn’t return to it and decided to focus their time on other parts of Trials. We even further polished that mode for the PC version, Trials Evolution: Gold Edition, but players still did not engage that feature and online multiplayer was less popular among all players.

Continue reading…

Microsoft 'Trying to Match What Consumers Want' for Xbox One Games With Gold

In an interview with IGN during the Game Developers Conference last week in San Francisco, Microsoft Game Studios Vice President Phil Spencer acknowledged the importance of launching the Games With Gold program on Xbox One, saying that they're "trying to match what customers want" while also stating that "it might not look exactly the way things have looked in the past" on Xbox 360.

"The Games With Gold program on Xbox 360 has been successful for us," Spencer said. "It’s been part of the value people see in

Gold, something we recognize that isn’t on Xbox One that isn’t there today. We haven’t announced a plan, but people should understand that we understand the expectation that people have around what the value on Xbox One Gold should be. It might not look exactly the way things have looked in the past, but the recognition that that form of content and that perk for being a Gold subscriber is important to people, something we definitely hear."

Continue reading…

The 10 Most Patriotic Superheroes

Saluting in cinemas is expected to rise 6000% this weekend as Captain America makes his way back to the Marvel fold in sequel The Winter Soldier. As a former soldier himself, Cap's whole deal is that he fights for justice in the name of the USA, but he's not the only superhero who is proud to wear his nation's colours. Join us as we round up the most patriotic, flag-waving-est comic-book heroes in history – cut them and they bleed, er... whatever colours are on their flags.

Steve Rogers is a gosh darn true blue American hero who represents everything his country stands for (truth and justice, yes, but don't mention the steroids thing). Cap's origins stretch all the way back to the Second World War, when wimpy wannabe soldier Steve was injected with a super-serum which inflated him like a balloon into the peak of human perfection. Making light work of the Nazis, Captain America has continued to wear the stars and stripes ever since; he always upholds the honourable qualities on which his homeland was founded, but in the modern Marvel Cinematic Universe, Chris Evans' iteration of Cap sees him slightly skeptical of America's peace-keeping efforts. Still, he's red, white and blue through and through – right down to the underpants, we'd wager.

Continue reading…

Top Gun 2 to Tackle Drones

Jerry Bruckheimer has been talking about his plans for a potential Top Gun sequel, stating that the proposed film will tackle the issue of drones, while star Tom Cruise has said that the film is edging closer to becoming a reality.

Speaking to the HuffingtonPost, Bruckheimer said “The concept is, basically, are the pilots obsolete because of drones? Cruise is going to show them that they’re not obsolete. They’re here to stay.”

Tom Cruise in the original Top Gun.

Continue reading…

EA Origin Ditching Disc Support This Week

EA has announced its Origin platform will be going all-digital on April 4.

A blog post explains this means that only digital downloads will be offered for both PC and Mac platforms in future.

"What does this mean for you? If you're among 99 percent of our users, absolutely nothing," it reads. "Your shopping experience hasn't changed one single bit.

"But if you're that 1 percent who still desires a physical collection, we want to let you know that Origin won't be able to fulfill that need beginning April 4th. We’ll still be here when you transition your gaming habits to the wonders of digital downloads.

Continue reading…

6 Hot Comics You Can't Miss This Week

One thing we all have in common is that we want the best of the best. So let us point out the hottest comics and collectibles released each week. We spotlight our favorite comics that we know are money-well-spent, new books that look cool, and any toys and games we can't wait to play with.

Check out our picks, then take to the comments to let us know what looks good to you!

By Terry Moore | Abstract Studios

Continue reading…

Chiklis Joins American Horror Story: Freak Show

Actor Michael Chiklis' return to television is sure to make No Ordinary Family look pretty darn normal.

The Shield and Fantastic Four star has been cast in American Horror Story: Freak Show. The PaleyFest American Horror Story: Coven panel revealed that Chiklis will join returning cast members Kathy Bates, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Basset, Frances Conroy and fan-favorite Jessica Lange -- who previously announced that this will be her final season.

Michael Chiklis as Detective Vic Mackey in The Shield.

Continue reading…

Copyright Hurdles Mean No Custom Fighter Share for EA Sports UFC

EA Sports UFC will feature a Create-A-Fighter system, but players will not be able to share them online due to potential copyright issues.

In an interview with MMAjunkie EA Sports UFC creative director Brian Hayes conceded the fighter share option from EA Sports MMA was something the team loved, but they had to put the kibosh on it “for a number of reasons.”

“One of the big things people did on a game like “Fight Night” is making Rocky Balboa, or Floyd Mayweather or whatever,” said Hayes. “But nowadays when people can make YouTube clips and share them, there’s this whole grey area where if our game allows users to make a Rocky character that’s the intellectual property of somebody else, it causes a ton of problems.”

Continue reading…

Dinklage in Talks to Join Sandler in Pixels

Actor Peter Dinklage is about to join a different kind of "game."

The Game of Thrones star is reportedly near a deal to star in director Chris Columbus' Pixels. TheWrap cites inside sources who claim that Dinklage is in final negotiations to join Adam Sandler, Kevin James and Josh Gad (Frozen) as the film's fourth male lead.

Pixels is based on a 2010 Patrick Jean short film about '80s video game icons laying pixelated siege to New York City. Sandler's Happy Madison adaptation will build upon the same premise, with the four leads playing video game experts recruited by the government to help solve the crisis.

Continue reading…

John Carmack Lends Support to Facebook’s Acquisition of Oculus VR

Veteran game developer and Oculus chief technology officer John Carmack has weighed in on Facebook’s acquisition of the company he joined late last year.

Responding to a blog post (via The Verge) on the purchase by musician Peter Berkman, of US chiptune rock band Anamanaguchi, Carmack conceded the Facebook acquisition happened without his direct involvement.

“I wasn’t personally involved in any of the negotiations,” he wrote. “I spent an afternoon talking technology with Mark Zuckerberg, and the next week I find out that he bought Oculus.”

Continue reading…

What Did You Think of The Walking Dead Season Finale?

We'll have a review of The Walking Dead: Season 4 finale as soon as we can after it airs on the West Coast tonight. In the interim, let us know what you thought in the comments below!

Pressing Start and the Games That Never Stop

How long has it been since a new game asked you to ‘press start to play’?

Putting aside the fact that ‘playing’ is rarely the first thing you do when starting up a game these days (and ‘press start to install updates’, ‘press start to begin setup’ or ‘press start to begin matchmaking’ doesn’t quite have the same ring to it), if you’re prompted to press a button at all on Sony or Microsoft’s latest platform it isn’t start.

Of course the removal of a button isn’t the same as the removal of functionality. It’s obvious that the primary functions of the start button – beginning a game and pausing it – can be achieved with any input, and one could mount an argument that the change from start to ‘options’ on PS4 and ‘menu’ on Xbox One is nothing more than a change in name.

Continue reading…

Noah Sinks Divergent, Sabotage at Box Office

Moviegoers flooded theaters this weekend to see director Darren Aronofsky's Biblical disaster epic Noah, which debuted atop the box office with an estimated $44 million after a strong bow in certain overseas markets.

Previous champ, Divergent, dropped to second place with $26.5 million. It's grossed $95.3 million domestically to date.

Arnold Schwarzenegger suffered another sting at the box office with Sabotage flopping in seventh place with $5.3 million. In limited release, Cesar Chavez opened in 12th place with $3 million, while The Raid 2 made $177,000 from just seven screens.

Continue reading…

Poll: Who's Dying in Tonight's Walking Dead Finale?

The Walking Dead: Season 4 finale is airing tonight on AMC and if this show's history is any indication, at least one character won't be making it out alive. As all our characters are finally coming back together, tragedy just has to be around the corner again, right? So who's it going to be? One of the new introductions, like Abraham, Rosita or Eugene? A mainstay from the show's earliest days like Glenn or Carol? Or will our heroes get through this one relatively unscathed and Joe and his gang will meet their likely inevitable end?

Let us know and look for our review of the finale later tonight, after we've seen the west coast airing of the show.

Continue reading…

Harry Potter Spinoff Series Will Be A Trilogy

When Warner Bros. made the announcement last year that J.K. Rowling was writing the screenplay for a Harry Potter spinoff movie called Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, they pointedly said Rowling would write "the first film", indicating it would be a larger series.

We now have a better idea of what the full plan is, as the New York Times has revealed that the Fantastic Beasts series is currently planned as a trilogy, specifically stating "Three megamovies are planned." The information came in a Times profile of Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara, noting how one of his big successes in his short time in his position so far was convincing Rowling to expand the Potter universe into more films, something considered a very hard sell.

Continue reading…

Da Vinci's Demons: "The Blood of Brothers" Review

Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow.

“The Blood of Brothers” is an episode divided. The first half deals with the direct impact of last week’s cliffhanger and concludes the Pazzi conspiracy story arc. It doesn’t quite maintain the same pace that “The Blood of Man” had but it does deliver the bulk of the action. The second half does a good job of switching gears and allowing the series to get its bearings for the season ahead. Da Vinci and Lorenzo find themselves headed down two very separate paths.

Lorenzo’s mad dash to end da Vinci’s life is diffused relatively quickly by the discovery that Giuliano is dead. That and the fact that he has three pints of da Vinci in him cooled the situation down fast. Lorenzo’s anger transforms into sadness as he discovers his brother is dead and his city is in chaos. This is where all the relationship building between da Vinci and Lorenzo really pays off as the two work together to take back the city.

Continue reading…

5 SEGA Classics That Need to be on 3DS

To celebrate its 30th anniversary, SEGA kicked off its 3D Classics series on the Nintendo 3DS eShop last year. Developed by M2, these revamped video games are an impressive showcase of the handheld console’s stereoscopic 3D and the graphical wizardry of SEGA’s past. This relationship is best illustrated by the “Super Scaler” games of the 80s: Space Harrier, After Burner II, and Galaxy Force II. These games were made to appear three-dimensional – now that they actually are, they’re amazing.

Last October, Sega CS3’s producer, Yosuke Okunari asked fans to let them know what they would like to see next. “The things staff members wanted to express in the past but couldn’t,” Okunari said, “are now possible with today’s technology. And we’d like to share that joy. For our next line-up, it will depend on all of your voices, so please continue to support us.”

Continue reading…

Helix: Season Finale Review

Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow.

Helix began its season finale by flashing forward some 200 days to show Alan beating the crap out of an Immortal, promising to make his life a living hell unless he tells him where "she" is. Then we get to the "Day 13" part of the episode, where the heavy-handed script has Alan insisting that torture is never justified and how they can't sink to the level of the Scythe. I mean, the very next scene, Alan is saying this. You don't have to hit us over the head, Helix. We don't know where Julia is either. Except we do, because Alan tracks her down to a big Ilaria office building. I guess she was hiding in plain sight.

Helix Renewed for Season 2

Continue reading…

Hannibal: "Mukozuke" Review

Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow.

Wow. There was very little chance that Beverly was coming out of her encounter with Hannibal alive, but leave it to this show to reveal her fate in such a stunning, visceral, unsettling and, yes, imaginative way. Hannibal, you are one sick, sick bastard. And seeing Beverly dissected in that manner was just unbelievable and wrenching. We’ve had a couple of Hannibal victims like Miriam and Abigail whose fates have been at least slightly ambiguous - we’ve seen parts of both show up, but haven’t witnessed definitive proof Hannibal killed them. But that wasn’t the case for poor Beverly.

Hannibal has been great from the start, but they are truly delivering phenomenal TV right now. Why are more people not watching this amazing series?! This was another riveting episode, that showed the fallout from Beverly’s horrific death, which in turn caused a vengeful Will to go even further in his quest to stop Hannibal at all costs.

Continue reading…

Batman ’66 Creator Lorenzo Semple Jr. Has Died

Lorenzo Semple Jr. -- best-known as the creator of the 1960s Batman TV series -- has died at the age of 91.

Maria Semple, the late screewriter’s daughter, told The Hollywood Reporter of her father's passing. Semple died in his Los Angeles home.

The creator is responsible for introducing a generation of fans to Batman, with the Adam West incarnation of the character. Responsible for the show’s groovy, pop art style, Semple showed audiences the brighter side of the caped crusader (to much ratings success at the start of the series).

THR mentions that Semple only wrote the show’s first four episodes, but served as a story consultant and developed the show’s “bible” for the writing staff, which noted, “One rule: Batman should never break the law, not even to park in a no-parking zone during a crime-fighting emergency."

Continue reading…

The Most Exciting Aspect of Elder Scrolls Online May Be Its Crafting

I'd forgotten crafting in an MMORPG could be fun. The past few years have seen MMOs like World of Warcraft place heavier emphasis on combat perks associated with professions rather than crafting items themselves, and "crafting" itself usually involves little more than selecting items on a list the size of Bilbo's contract and waiting while 30 potions crank out on automated assembly lines. But the first time I created a potion boosting my critical percentages in Elder Scrolls Online, experimenting at my little workbench with weeds I picked up on my travels, I treasured it. For me, it represented powerful magic; the kind of thing I'd prefer to use on a boss. Such a small event, but it was the first time I knew I might have fun doing something in ESO I hated elsewhere.

Continue reading…

Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls Review

As someone who was there, Hot Pockets in hand for all the midnight server issues, and other heartbreaks of Diablo 3’s PC launch, it’s difficult to imagine a larger turnaround than Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls. Not only has the game it’s built upon been markedly improved by the recent Loot 2.0 patch, but the excellent new content in this expansion is exactly in line with what I wanted for the series. Its world is darker and more dangerous-feeling, its bestiary more varied, and its brilliant new adventure mode gives Reaper of Souls the sense of long-lasting reward that Diablo 3 sorely lacked.

While the saturated colors and occasional rainbows that punctuated Diablo 3’s rendition of Sanctuary were pretty to look at, Reaper of Souls tosses all of it aside and splashes the canvas with charcoal shades, and deliciously dreary landscapes that harken back to the Diablo of old.

Continue reading…

Terminator: Genesis Casts Miles Dyson's Son

Dayo Okeniyi may currently be best known for playing Thresh, the tribute from District 11, in The Hunger Games, but his new role in Terminator: Genesis might overtake that. Variety reports he's set to play Danny Dyson, Mile Dyson's son, in the new installment of Terminator. His role is reportedly the last lead role to be cast, and he's joining Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke, and Jai Courtney.

Dayo Okeniyi | Photo by: Cherie Roberts

Continue reading…

What's the Best Game of the Week?

This week, we saw the release of the final DLC episode for BioShock Infinite, World of Tanks roll over Xbox 360, and the showdown of Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright (in Europe and Australia). Check out all this week's game reviews below.

Read the Review

Read the Review

Read the Review

Read the Review

Continue reading…

Syfy Sets Premiere Dates for Dominion and Defiance

Syfy has a new Thursday night line-up starting on June 19, and it's all about the letter "D." Defiance will return with its Season 2 premiere at 8pm EST, and it will be followed by the 90 minute series premiere of Dominion. Both series are original dramas, which haven't traditionally aired on Thursday nights for the cable channel, and Syfy is setting the tone for the summer with this commitment to "premium scripted programming."

Continue reading…

Syfy Gives Helix a Second Season

Just ahead of Helix's Season 1 finale Friday night, Syfy's executive vice president of original content Bill McGoldrick announced the series will return for a second season. It will have 13 episodes, just like season 1, and production will begin later this year. They're planning to premiere Season 2 in early 2015.

Billy Campbell in Helix

McGoldrick had the following to say about the scary sci-fi series: "Helix has built one of our most loyal and consistent audiences in its first season on Syfy. The incredibly talented writing and producing team have crafted a thriller that consistently delivered suspense, twists and high quality drama. We look forward to growing this passionate audience in what promises to be an even more memorable second season.”

Continue reading…

DayZ Survival Update Adds Cooking, Weapons

On its Tumblr, the DayZ development team outlined new additions to the title arriving with the next update, including a cooking system, new towns, and additional weapons.

The cooking system is part of the game's survival focus and is described as a "key area." The development team said that "players will be able to make normal fireplaces, as well as upgrade them to makeshift ovens." The team has created a texture system for the fire "dealing with 'emissive' textures," and say that coupled with a heat haze effect, it produces "some excellent results."

In addition to the the cooking system and new areas, new weapons are also highlighted, including an improved AKM weapons model.

Continue reading…

Ubisoft Would be 'Very Stupid' Not to Make Yearly Assassin's Creeds

In a recent interview with Edge, Ubisoft's vice president of creative Lionel Raynaud discussed the future of Assassin's Creed and the company's decision to continue supporting last-gen consoles.

"We will have games for PS3 and 360 for this year and probably the years after," Raynaud said. "We want to be able to provide games to people who are playing on these consoles."

This makes plenty of sense, of course, as there are around 160 million combined PS3s and Xbox 360s already in consumers' hands. That install base dwarfs the Xbox One's and PlayStation 4's numbers, though they've only been out since late 2013.

Continue reading…

It's Time For Another PlayStation 'Flash Sale' on PSN

It's time for another surprise, out-of-nowhere Flash Sale on the PlayStation Network! You may recognize this, as Sony has done it twice before, once in January, and again for Valentine's Day.

The first Flash Sale, back in January, didn't have much of a theme. The second one did, though, and so too does this one. The theme of this Flash Sale? Every discounted game comes from Electronic Arts.

Continue reading…

Forza 5 Update Makes DLC Cars Available Right Away

Forza Motorsport 5 has gotten a content update today, aimed squarely at reversing course on the way DLC cars are handled after purchasing.

A letter from Turn 10 creative director Dan Greenwalt explains that with today's update, DLC cars will be added to your garage immediately, without the need to purchase them separately. This update is both retroactive and will apply going forward, so any future purchases of season passes, car packs, or single-serving DLC cars will be added to your garage as well. The update also makes all of the initial cars included in the game available as rentals.

Previously, cars would be purchased with real money, which would then make them available to unlock with in-game currency. Sets like the recent Alpinestars Pack would usually include one car unlocked from the start, with the other nine available to unlock using the currency. Some fans initially expressed dissatisfaction with purchasing the car twice. Turn 10 subsequently softened the blow with an update in December that increased in-game funds and dropped prices in general, but kept the two-tiered DLC system intact. Today's update finally changes it to a more traditional a la carte model.

Continue reading…

Threes Developer Discusses Copycats and Clones

The story of the iOS game Threes, where players add number cards together through swipes, matching numbers to build their score higher and higher, is one of unexpected success. It's also a story of unexpected copy-cat apps.

"It’s still hard to address the world’s response with something beyond a wide-eyed daze but essentially we couldn’t be more thrilled," said the game's developer Asher Vollmer on his website. "But there’s another side of that daze that we wish to talk about. The rip-offs."

Continue reading…

Once Upon a Time in Wonderland Has Been Canceled

Sorry Alice, it's time to leave Wonderland. ABC ran a promo for the next episode Once Upon a Time in Wonderland last night and pointedly called the 13th episode the "series finale." Not season, series. The Once Upon a Time spinoff has been struggling with ratings, so it's not the most surprising news.

Sophie Lowe as Alice

Putting the series in the 8pm Thursday timeslot may have sealed its fate. ABC hasn't had any success in recent years in that timeslot - and it wasn't the initial plan for Wonderland. The 13 episode series was initially meant to take the place of Once Upon a Time during the break between the show's fall and spring runs. It would have aired in Once Upon a Time's Sunday night slot and probably better benefited from that series' existing audience.

Continue reading…

Hands On with PvZ 2's New Plants, Levels, and Enemies

Plants vs. Zombies 2 has taken us back to plenty of cool locations, including Ancient Egypt and the Pirate Seas, but not until the latest update, Far Future, has it sent us forward in time

Far Future is a new world that adds 25 levels, eight plants, 10 new zombies, and, most importantly, a reworked Zen Garden that offers new ways to earn resources and power-ups.

The Zen Garden returns with more improvements since you've seen it last in PvZ 1. PopCap said it wanted to make the garden more "integral" to gameplay, rather than more of a side activity. As you destroy zombies when you play, you'll pick up sprouts that can be planted in the Zen garden. After watering them (based on a timing system), they'll pop out currency and, eventually, a boost power-up, which lets you use a plant's special ability immediately when you play it, all without plant food. It's smart and satisfying to save these boosted plants for intense moments when a quick attack will save your game.

Continue reading…

Wil Community Get Six Seasons and a Movie?

When Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi) did all he could to save The Cape in Season 2 of Community, no one could have known that one line he had — “Six seasons and a movie!” — would turn into a rallying cry for Community itself as the show moved forward. Yet here we are with Community, against the odds, in the home stretch of its fifth season and fans are anxious to find out... will the show get that sixth season? And could a movie, in some form, actually be possible?

Earlier this week, TV Guide reported that not only are insiders at Sony (who produce the series) and NBC optimistic about a Season 6, but that there has been some talk of a movie - and even a possible director. That director is Justin Lin, who did the third through sixth Fast and the Furious movies and has directed several Community episodes, including the first paintball episode in Season 1. TV Guide also notes that these days “a movie” could mean many different things, from a TV movie to something released via video on demand, such as the recent Veronica Mars film (which also had a small theatrical release).

Continue reading…

Why Is Harley Quinn So Popular?

Harley Quinn is an interesting character in that she's among the last of the truly great, iconic Batman villains to be added to the rogues gallery. Most of Batman's core group of villains were conceived pretty early on. Joker, Riddler, Catwoman, Two-Face, Scarecrow and Penguin were all firmly established by the early 1940s. There was a second wave of now-iconic villains in the late '60s and '70s as the Batman comics returned to their darker roots in the aftermath of the Adam West TV series - Poison Ivy, Ra's al Ghul, Man-Bat, etc. There have been plenty of memorable smaller villains to debut over the years, but the only two characters in the past few decades who have manage to rise to A-List status are Harley and Bane. And Bane's popularity is often in spite of the quality of his stories rather than because of it.

Continue reading…

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Trademarked

Square Enix filed a trademark yesterday for Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, possibly unveiling the title of the next game in the popular series.

Spotted by NeoGAF, the Deus Ex: Mankind Divided filing popped up on the Office on Harmonization in the Internal Market website (sort of the European Union equivalent to the U.S. Patent and Trademark office). No description was given for the Square Enix application, but it was registered under computer game software, printed matter and entertainment services, among other listings.

Continue reading…

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - "Voices" Review

Note: I’ve already posted a spoiler-free overall review of The Clone Wars: Season 6, but for these individual episode reviews, full spoilers are included.

Click Here for More Clone Wars: Season 6 Episode Reviews

I mentioned in my review of “The Lost One” that they basically abandoned the Sifo-Dyas plot line in the final three episodes, and I should clarify that yes, “Voices” does have the narrator mention him at the start - but it’s not really a notable part of what follows. Of course, this episode does deal in more general terms with the overall unease the Jedi are in as we near the end of the Clone Wars. The prequels mentioned that their ability to access the Force was diminished and that the cloud of the Dark Side was growing, and this episode illustrates that and the idea of these very powerful beings feelings out of sorts.

Continue reading…

Firemen Sing 'Let It Go' While Rescuing Scared Girl

This Frozen story will melt your heart. (Every pun intended.)

Boston-area firefighters burst into Frozen's Oscar-winning song "Let It Go" in order to calm a scared, four-year-old girl who they were trying to rescue from a stuck elevator. Watch the news video below for the human interest story that every local news outlet lives for:

Via THR.com

Continue reading…

Titanfall - Top 25 Kills of the Month

Each week this month we've showcased the best user-submitted Titanfall kills.

Check out our Titanfall review

It's the end of the month and we have a ton of awesome footage. We decided to put every Top 5 Kill of the Week video in one easy and convenient location.

Eriq Martin is IGN's Community Manager. He beat Dark Souls 2 last night and feels like a king! You can talk to him on his Twitter.

Continue reading…

New Cree Superhero Joins Justice League United

Writer Jeff Lemire has been teasing a new teenage Cree superhero that will appear in his upcoming Justice League United series with artist Mike McKone, and now she has been revealed.

Her name is Equinox, and as that alias alludes, she has powers connected to the Earth that change with the seasons. When she’s not busy being a superhero, she is Miiyahbin of Moose Factory, Ontario. Lemire himself is from Canada, and has said he is excited to create a hero from his home country.

Continue reading…

Nintendo Voice Chat: The Question Block

Download Nintendo Voice Chat Here

Brian Altano can't handle all the cute animals in this awesome art by Pandamusk.

Download Nintendo Voice Chat Here

Continue reading…

Valve's Michael Abrash Joins Oculus as Chief Scientist

Michael Abrash, a programmer, former id Software employee, and ex-Valve developer, has joined Oculus as its chief scientist, where he will once again work alongside John Carmack.

In a blog post on the Oculus website, Abrash shared his thoughts on the future of VR and Oculus following the Facebook buyout earlier this week.

"We're on the cusp of what I think is not The Next Big Platform, but rather simply The Final Platform – the platform to end all platforms – and the path here has been so improbable that I can only shake my head," Abrash wrote. He continued, "A lot of what it will take to make VR great is well understood at this point, so it's engineering, not research; hard engineering, to be sure, but clearly within reach. For example, there are half a dozen things that could be done to display panels that would make them better for VR, none of them pie in the sky."

Continue reading…

New AMC TV Show Releases Free Digital Comic

AMC’s upcoming TV show Turn is a spy thriller set in the time of the American Revolutionary War. It features four people -- a farmer, a tavern owner, a whaleboatman, and a rebel soldier -- creating the secretive Culper Ring to help fight the war from the shadows. A new digital comic book called Turn: Origins will detail just how those four revolutionaries came to be the freedom fighters they are when the show starts.

Continue reading…

1,000+ Devs Licensed to Publish on PlayStation 4

It was just a couple of days ago that Sony revealed that over 100 games are still coming to PS4 in 2014. A vast majority of those games are indie titles that are being self-published by small studios and teams from around the world.

Indeed, over 1,000 developers are licensed to self-publish on PlayStation 4, according to Sony. That's a staggering number of developers ready, eager, and willing to bring their content to the PS4, a console that's selling at historic rates and is still difficult to find.

Continue reading…

DC Announces the Next Earth One Graphic Novel

You might think DC has no more need for the Earth One line of graphic novels now that the New 52 is around. But if anything, they're expanding their focus on this series of streamlined, new reader-friendly books in the coming months. Geoff Johns and Gary Frank are collaborating again on Batman: Earth One Vol. 2, and Grant Morrison and Yannick Paquette are hard at work with Wonder Woman: Earth One.

And today CBR revealed the next entry in the growing Earth One line - Teen Titans: Earth One. This book will be written by Jeff Lemire and illustrated by Terry and Rachel Dodson.

Continue reading…

15 Reasons Why Futurama is Still Awesome

15 years ago today, Philip J. Fry made a false pizza delivery that changed his life forever, as he was cryogenically frozen and later reanimated in the year 3000. Yep, it's almost hard to believe, but March 28th marks the 15th Anniversary of Futurama's 1999 debut on FOX.

The Top 25 Futurama Episodes

It's also been seven months since the beloved animated series came to an end yet again. Nevertheless, the show is still fresh on everybody's minds and has maintained a strong presence online, a loyal following in syndication and steady viewership on Netflix and DVD.

Continue reading…

Microsoft Gives Update on Minecraft for Xbox One

Microsoft Game Studios Vice President Phil Spencer told IGN that Minecraft for Xbox One is "really close" to being ready for release during a conversation during the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco last week. But he also said that the release date will ultimately be decided by developers Mojang and 4J Studios.

"I talked to

last night," Spencer said. "They feel really good about the progress that they’re making. It’s their game, and it’d be Mojang’s game. We graciously host it on our platform.

"But unlike on 360 where they had never been on console before and the developer relationship, I’ll say, was very tight from the beginning, this is something that’s really in their hands now," Spencer continued. "They’re a full-fledged developer in every sense. They control the

Continue reading…

Mind Games Cancelled by ABC After Five Episodes

ABC announced this week that Celebrity Wife Swap is kicking off its third season on Tuesday, April 15 at 10 PM ET/PT. The season debut will see Daniel Baldwin and Jermaine Jackson swap their significant others, who will have to live with each other's family for a week and confront habits and values conflicting with their own.

What makes this announcement notable is that Celebrity Wife Swap's time slot is currently held by Mind Games, created by Kyle Killen and starring Christian Slater and Steve Zahn. Only five episodes have aired so far, which means that this announcement doubles as a Mind Games cancellation.

Considering the abysmal ratings Mind Games has struggled to improve since it debuted five weeks ago, this news comes as no surprise. However, it's yet another disappointment for Killen and Slater.

Continue reading…

Batman: Arkham City, Five Other Games Coming to PS+

If you have PlayStation Plus, it’s likely that you’re used to getting a lot of free games. The Instant Game Collection is PS+’s cornerstone, and as usual, a new month will bring with it a partial refresh of the free content that will be available.

If you’re a North American subscriber, you can look forward to the following free games in April, 2014. PS4 will get one free game, PS Vita will get two free games, and PS3 will get three free games.

• Batman: Arkham City (PS3) | IGN Score: 9.5


• Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse (PS3) | IGN Score: 6.7


• 
  

  Continue reading…

  
  
  
  
  

Marvel Puzzle Quest: Dark Reign Reaches Milestone

Marvel is celebrating over two million downloads of Marvel Puzzle Quest: Dark Reign by giving players an opportunity to save some money on in-game currency the company announced today.

The comics publisher also announced Human Torch and a new form of Daken as new characters, and also mentioned that episode 4.5 "will be launching soon with new features."

Iso-8, used to level up characters and to purchase comics, and Hero Points, used to strengthen characters as well as purchase comics, will see in an increase in quantity as part of the sale.

For Hero Points:

• $2 pack – no increase


• $5 pack – 10% increase


• $20 packs – 15% increase


• 
  

  Continue reading…

  
  
  
  
  

IGN UK Podcast #224: An American Bear-hug in London

What on earth is THAT?! Be warned, that might be your initial response upon listening to the IGN UK Podcast this week, but it's nothing to fear - it's just an American. No ordinary American though, but none other than Steve Butts, IGN's very own Editor-in-Chief all the way from the US of A. Steve loves to hug anything and everything, but he also likes talking about games and movies so joins Alex, Chris and Krupa to tackle the week's hottest headlines, taking a moment to discuss whether Facebook's $2bn buyout of Oculus Rift really is the end of days for virtual reality or whether there's a bright future we just haven't considered yet.

Krupa also discusses his thoughts on Arkham Knight after spending time with Batman this week, plus we trawl through the mailbag and read out the very best of your feedback.

Continue reading…

First Phase of PlanetSide 2's Missions System is Live

Sony Online Entertainment has revealed that the first phase of free-to-play MMO PlanetSide 2's new Missions System has gone live in-game.

The Missions System is designed to streamline player objectives, acting as a player guide for finding offensive or defensive objectives. Missions are automatically created and assigned to players based on their proximity to capturable or contested facilities. Don't like your current mission? Head to another region to be assigned a new mission.

You'll find that you will always have a mission to complete, so you'll never be lost for anything to do in PlanetSide 2. Though there are currently no rewards in place for completing missions, players who complete a mission with a squad are eligible for a 15% experience bonus.

Continue reading…

Enemy Front Gets a Release Date

City Interactive’s Enemy Front will arrive in the US on June 10, Australia on June 12, and Europe on June 13, the developer has announced.

The CryEngine 3-powered Enemy Front was announced way back in 2011 with Stuart Black (co-creator of cult-favourite Criterion shooter Black) as chief designer. Black left the project in 2012. At the time the game was said to feature a “hardened soldier dropped behind Nazi lines to engage in dynamic, diversified missions ranging from quick skirmishes, espionage assignments, and sabotage activities” although it seems to have evolved somewhat. Instead players will assume the role of American war correspondent Robert Hawkins as he teams up with resistance fighters opposing the Nazi regime.

Continue reading…

Respawn Details Titanfall Matchmaking Improvements

Respawn Entertainment is massaging Titanfall’s matchmaking system to separate teams periodically and spend more time looking for players who are a good skill level match, the developer has revealed on the game’s website.

“We have been watching the game performance and we know that there has been a problem of a lack of variety in the teams,” reads the post.

Titanfall has a skill system that functions behind the scenes and links you with teammates and opponents based on your skill data. After several matches it’s usually clear which team is superior, but Respawn concedes it was not “taking full advantage of this new information” and, as such, has made some changes.

Continue reading…

Microsoft Office Comes to iPad

Microsoft has today unveiled Microsoft Office for iPad, with Word, PowerPoint, and Excel having been redesigned "from the ground up" for the touchscreen tablet experience.

"This isn’t simply Office on another device," Microsoft said in their announcement. "We thought a lot about what people want to do when they’re on their tablet, iPad functionality, and touch-first when we were building Office for iPad."

No keyboard or mouse will be needed to use Office for iPad.

Content and formatting of Office documents will be maintained whether you access them via computer, tablet, or phone. Documents can also be retrieved and accessed easily through Microsoft's cloud service OneDrive.

Continue reading…

FTL: Faster Than Light Advanced Edition Gets a Release Date

Subset Games has announced that both the FTL: Faster Than Light Advanced Edition expansion and the new FTL for iPad will be released on April 3.

FTL: Advanced Edition is a free content expansion for the iPad. Closer to its release date, Subset will provide details on how to get the update from whichever digital vendor you may have originally purchased it from.

"All current (and future) customers will receive this update regardless of where they purchased it," Subset assures fans on their blog.

The iPad port of FTL, meanwhile, is the first time the indie RTSwill be playable on a mobile device. It requires an iPad version 2 or higher and will cost $10, the same as the PC version. The reason for this pricing is that the iPad port is a "true equivalent to the PC in the experience in provides."

Continue reading…

Toukiden: The Age of Demons Receives Free Soul Sacrifice DLC

Tecmo Koei has announced that, starting today, owners of Toukiden: The Age of Demons will be able to download new multiplayer missions and themed armor from the Soul Sacrifice universe free of charge.

In the new missions, titled "Hell's Guard Dog" and "Dogs of War", players will be able to fight the three-headed dog, Cerberus.

The new missions are described as extremely difficult and Tecmo Koei recommends that only high-level groups of players with heavily upgraded equipment take them on. Also available is the Noble Raiment armor.

IGN liked Toukiden's good, flexible combat, but we weren't so fond of its generic storyline.

Continue reading…

Hand of Fate Announced for PS4, Vita

Defiant Development has announced its Kickstarter-funded “tabletop roguelike deck builder” Hand of Fate is headed to PS4 and Vita.

“Hand of Fate is lovingly made by a talented team of board game, RPG, and roguelike game enthusiasts,” wrote Defiant Development’s Kim Allom on the PlayStation Blog. “So it’s a real treat to see our passion being brought to a new audience thanks to PlayStation.”

“Being a roguelike, Hand of Fate’s strength is its nearly endless combination of cards and ways to play. The deck builder lets you determine a mix of combat, chance, and equipment cards for your deck before you set out on your quest.

Continue reading…

Sabotage Review

This is as close as Arnold Schwarzenegger will ever get to being in an Agatha Christie movie.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's latest release, Sabotage, is the best movie he's done in years. Patterned after Agatha Christie's classic "And Then There Were None," Sabotage follows an elite DEA special ops team led by Arnold who start getting picked off one by one after their $10 million in stolen drug cartel money goes missing. Is this the revenge of the cartel or is their a traitor in their midst?

The trailers have sold Sabotage as a hell's bells action movie, whereas it's really a mystery thriller. And a character-driven one at that. Every character is shady; not even Arnold's protagonist "Breacher" is a full-on hero. Some of these DEA agents are drug addicts themselves, they will flat-out kill bad guys rather than arrest them, and they are all guilty of stealing drug money.

Continue reading…

Tech Fetish Podcast: Facebook's Rift

Tune in for the new episode of the Tech Fetish Podcast with hosts Scott Lowe (@ScottLowe), Justin Davis (@ErrorJustin), and Mark Ryan Sallee (@MRSallee). This week, the crew discusses Facebook's unexpected acquisition of Oculus VR — makers of the Rift virtual reality headset. What does it mean for gaming? What does Facebook have planned for VR? Is it good or bad for the concept? We weigh in.

Continue reading…

Splatter Pedestrians Again in Carmageddon: Reincarnation

Long before Grand Theft Auto III made it socially tolerable (I won’t go so far as to say “acceptable”) to run over video game bystanders in a vehicle, Carmageddon was pounding peds into the pavement for points and laughs. The 1997 original turned the racing genre on its ear by letting you actually turn the citizens of its fictional world on their ears, while the 1998 sequel, Carmageddon 2: Carpocalypse Now, took the vehicular manslaughter into an open world. Both games were banned or censored in half of Europe in the process.

And then original developer Stainless Games had the series taken away from them by their publisher, after which an unspoken-of sequel and years of cobwebs took their toll…

Continue reading…

Sony Touts Spidey, Jump Street Sequels

Sony Pictures presented CinemaCon attendees on Wednesday with an extended look at their upcoming slate of releases, most notably The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and 22 Jump Street.

The studio began and ended their presentation with their slate's strongest-looking entries. They showed roughly 10 minutes of footage from 22 Jump Street, which sees Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum's cops going undercover to bust a college drug ring. The footage began with the duo seeing a counselor to work on their relationship's issues, and closed with a revelatory gag that comes at Hill and Ice Cube's (back as their foul-mouthed lieutenant) expense.

Eric Bana stars in the Screen Gems supernatural thriller Deliver Us From Evil, which comes from director Scott Derrickson (Sinister, The Exorcism of Emily Rose) and purports to be based on real events. Cameron Diaz stars in two upcoming Sony releases, Sex Tape and Annie. The former sees Diaz and her husband played by Jason Segel trying to spice up their hum drum life by making a sex tape, which is then unintentionally synced to all the iPads they'd given their friends and relatives as gifts. In Annie, Diaz plays the nasty Miss Hannigan, who makes Annie's life a hard-knock one.

Continue reading…

X-Men: Days of Future Past Opening Sequence Revealed

20th Century Fox unveiled their upcoming 2014 slate at CinemaCon today, and to say that it looks to be a good year for the studio is a sizable understatement. We can’t be certain how the box-office will ultimately shake-out, but as far as the content itself is concerned, this was the strongest showing we’ve seen from a studio at the event (though we do have Warner Bros. ahead this afternoon.) In addition to teases of David Fincher’s Gone Girl, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and more, Fox unveiled the first six minutes for Bryan Singer’s X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Now, we’re going to go into some spoiler territory here, so if you don’t want to know anything ahead of the film’s open, best to check out now and look out for our review and continued coverage when Days of Future Past opens in May.

Continue reading…

Surviving Jack Review

Advance Review: If you take a quick scan of this past year's TV comedy landscape, narrated coming-of-age comedies seemed to be all the rage. And as ABC's The Goldbergs and NBC's Growing Up Fisher taught us, an eccentric dad is a must. Well, now it's time for FOX to get in on the unorthodox dad game with Surviving Jack, starring Law & Order: SVU's Christopher Meloni as the titular pop.

From the life of a man who's made a modern career on his own dad's absurd gruffness, Justin Halpern (S*** My Dad Says, both the blog and TV series incarnations), comes the story of Jack - a crudely dismissive father who begins spending more time with his two teens after the mom of the house (Rachael Harris) begins law school. There's no mention of how Jack's been able to survive as part of the family for the entire time leading up to the start of this story (we assume he wasn't around much, but there's no denying he's aways been a tough-love a-hole), but it's clear that his demeanor is only seen as a problem/source-of-comedy now that he's the one driving the kids to school.

Continue reading…

Xbox Boss: A Halo 2 Remake Would Have to 'Nail' Multiplayer

Speaking to IGN during the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco last week, Microsoft Game Studios boss Phil Spencer described what would be the most important feature to him in a hypothetical Halo 2 Anniversary release.

"In this fictitious world where that game existed," he began, smiling, "it’s an easy answer: it has to be just the multiplayer experience that we all found in that first Halo 2 game. If you think about what happened in the franchise and what were the hallmark moments – when did duel wielding come in, when did another playable character that wasn’t Master Chief come in?

"All the things that you and I know about the evolution of the franchise, if you’re going to say one thing about Halo 2, you’re going to talk about real multiplayer. I think you just have to nail that in just such a fundamentally core way. Frankly

Continue reading…

Amazon Video Event Set for Next Week

Amazon appears ready to finally unveil its long rumored set-top box/games console next week, announcing a video-focused event for April 2.

Amazon issued press invites this morning, which promise an "update on our video business from Peter Larsen," who is vice president of Kindle. Just last week, reports suggested Amazon's set-top box wasn't a box at all, but instead a Chromecast-like dongle that's capable of streaming PC games.

A few days before that, pictures were uncovered of what looks like an Amazon games controller, featuring dual sticks, face buttons and triggers. Earlier this year, reports said that Amazon's set-top box/games console would cost less than $300, though there is some now conflicting information in that rumor. For one, the device was physically compared to a gray PSOne, with sharp edges, which differs with the HDMI dongle report.

Continue reading…

Dead Space is Free on Origin

As of this writing, the original Dead Space is free for download on Origin.

This deal will be available for a limited time, according to Origin, as these specials can "appear or disappear at any time." The On the House program gives away PC games, expansions and downloads for free, without any additional costs. Once downloaded, these games and DLC are permanently available, and not part of an instant game collection.

In IGN's 2008 Dead Space review, we mentioned the game's "engaging story" and "atmoshperic qualities that will get under your skin and make you jump." Check out the full review here.

Continue reading…

Watch Dogs Hacks, Vehicles and Weather Discussed

Ubisoft has released a new trailer for Watch Dogs, and also revealed some information on the vehicles, available hacks, and the weather.

The trailer, which you can see below, offers a look at the game's version of Chicago, while the accompanying text reveals that it'll be populated by a huge variety of different NPCs. There are over 3,000 character kits in the game that can be combined in different ways to create new looks, and every single NPC can be hacked in some way.

There'll be a day and night cycle in the game, which won't be scripted. This in turn will impact how many NPCs you'll encounter around the city, with downtown naturally being the busiest at all times of the day, though all six of the in-game districts will be populated accordingly.

Continue reading…

OlliOlli Developer Reveals Not a Hero

Roll7, the studio behind the PSVita game OlliOlli, has just revealed its newest title, Not a Hero. The game is a 2D cover-shooter that's being developed for PC and next-gen consoles. We've contacted Devolver Digital for specific platform details.

Here's a quick summary of what Not a Hero is all about:

"When an anthropomorphic rabbit/mayoral candidate from the future named BunnyLord needs a murderous loner to clean up the city during the election, Steve heroically offers up his dubious skills with a gun and lack of self-preservation instinct to this mysterious stranger from beyond."

Not a Hero is powered by ISO-Slant, a technology that allows the traditional two dimensional to be shifted slightly for added depth with minimal effort, giving it a pseudo-3D visual style, which you can see below.

Continue reading…

Madonna Wants to Direct - Again!

It seems as though Madonna is a jack-of-all-trades -- musician, children’s book author, actress -- and more recently, film director. And now she's set to direct a new film, an adaptation of Ade: A Love Story, the debut novel by Rebecca Walker.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Silver Linings Playbook’s Bruce Cohen and Jessica Leventhal will produce the picture. Cohen is also adapting the graphic novel The Fifth Beatle (which IGN’s Benjamin Bailey reviewed rather favorably).

Ade: A Love Story follows a 19-year-old American student who falls in love with a Muslim man from an island off the coast of Kenya. A screenwriter has not yet been chosen to adapt the book. The film is slated for a 2016 release.

Continue reading…

Dark Souls II Diary Final Day: Facing Nashandra

Over the next two weeks, Dark Souls veteran Rich Stanton will be documenting his thoughts and experiences as he plays through the game. Join him as he enters Drangleic for the first time...

DAY 14: THE LAST - AND LONGEST - DAY

King Vendrick doesn't react to my first blow, or the second. But after the third hits home he suddenly swings his blade in a great sweeping arc that almost removes my head. We're go. And the Black Knight Halberd +5, the pride and joy of my Drangleic adventures, suddenly feels like a toothpick – it's doing almost no damage.

I dodge around, game for anything, but it's not too long before Vendrick catches me out and takes my health down to nearly nothing. I survive for about a minute before the hollowed-out King claims another undead. The damage I was doing though... either I'm missing an item or a weapon, or this is a half-hour boss fight that has to be executed perfectly.

Continue reading…

Ranking the Raiders of the Lost Ark Rip-Offs

Raiders of the Lost changed the landscape of film when it hit screens back in 1981. The heady mix of action, adventure and comedy was a throwback to the movie serials of the 1930s and '40s, but the budget was big, the Steven Spielberg direction expert, and in Harrison Ford the film had a bona fide movie star in the lead.

The success of Raiders prompted countless other filmmakers to try to follow in its footsteps, with varying degrees of success. So while we’re waiting for Indy 5 to get the green-light, we’ve ranked the pretenders to Raiders’ crown, kicking off with the best, and working out way towards the very worst.

Indiana Jones-a-Like: Michael Douglas as Jack T. Colton

Continue reading…

Batman Arkham Knight: What You Need To Know

A year has passed since the events of Arkham City, and Gotham has begun to show signs of recovery. The death of the Joker ushered in a period of relative stability for Gotham – there were even signs of regeneration, perhaps redemption. In truth the villains haven't disappeared, but without the Joker's culture of chaos it's been more difficult for them to destroy the lives of Gotham's honest citizens.

This isn't the salvation Batman has been fighting towards, though. It's a moment of respite. The Joker's absence created a power vacuum in Gotham, and the Scarecrow – arguably Rocksteady's most original take on a Batman villain – has returned to seize control. He's threatening Gotham with a large-scale chemical attack, forcing the authorities to issue a city-wide evacuation. This is how Arkham Knight begins.

Continue reading…

This Week's Comic Book Reviews

All-New Ghost Rider was bumped back to this week, but it looks like it was worth the wait. We also got the long-awaited Silver Surfer solo series and the first issue didn't disappoint. Uncanny Avengers has to be the book that consistently leaves us flabbergasted, and it looks like it's going to do that again with the way its new "Avenge the Earth" arc started. Also, the penultimate issue of Superior Spider-Man earned the highest score of the week -- a dazzling 9.4 -- showing that it is superior after all.

On the DC side of things, we got a great one-shot about Amanda "The Wall" Waller, as well as another mind-blowing installment of the gem of the Vertigo line, The Wake. This seems to be a week of getting comics we've been waiting a long time for, as yet another long-delayed book, Sandman: Overture, finally hit the stands and made a better showing than the first issue. We also got the end of the huge Forever Evil: Blight crossover in Justice League Dark, although instead of dying to know what happens, we were just dying for it to end.

Continue reading…

The Avengers #27 Review

At this point, I'm really thankful for Avengers World, because Avengers and New Avengers are both growing increasingly frustrating to read. Both books have really started to drag their heels since Infinity wrapped up. This current Avengers arc started out promisingly enough in issue #25, but the sense of excitement faded quickly amid the plodding face and over-emphasis on the alternate universe Avengers. Issue #27 makes no real improvements on either front.

Continue reading…

Justice League Dark #29 Review

With the entire Forever Evil: Blight crossover finally wrapping up, I'm forced to return to the complaint that dominated the early reviews - why did this story need to be so long? There simply isn't enough payoff in Justice League Dark #29 to justify 18 issues of magical battles and John Constantine pining after Zatanna. The core conflict ends with more a whimper than a bang, only to be followed up by a hasty and unnecessary battle between the Justice League Dark and the Sons of Trigon. So much fat could have been trimmed from this story.

Continue reading…

Warface Enters 'Limited' Open Beta

Crytek's forthcoming free-to-play shooter Warface has today entered a "limited" open beta, available for all those currently subscribed to Xbox Live Gold.

"There will be a constant flow of new content, settings and modes that will keep the players entertained and wanting more," says Major Nelson of the kind-of-open beta. "Furthermore,

daily new missions built for beginners and experts alike."

To begin with, three versus modes will be carried over from the closed beta period, in addition to two co-op settings.

To aid players trying out Warface for the first time, Crytek has given out some tips for newbies to hold their own against more experienced players; these are also available at Major Nelson's blog.

Continue reading…

Red Lanterns #29 Review

Since Charles Soule began writing Red Lanterns, his focus has been on improvement. Soule has been working to strengthen the very foundations of this book. He has featured a Guy Gardner attempting to get his anger under control while simultaneously teaching the Red’s that they don’t have to live or act like monsters. We’ve seen Red Lantern “civilization” fundamentally change and grow throughout Soule’s run so far, and issue #29 reveals that we may start to see the same kind of growth with Supergirl. This promise is delivered in a fast-paced, but organic manner that interestingly highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the main players involved.

Continue reading…

Uncanny Avengers #18.NOW Review

It's almost strange to see Rick Remender beginning a new story arc on Uncanny Avengers, as the events of "Ragnarok Now" and the battle with the Apocalypse Twins have consumed the series for the past year. But even though issue #18.NOW is a reasonably accessible jumping-on point, this new "Avenge the Earth" arc builds very directly on what's come before. Remender is launching into the next phase of a story he's been weaving for some time now. And with Daniel Acuna back on board, this is very much business as usual for Uncanny Avengers -- and business is great.

It's been obvious for a while now that the events of "Ragnarok Now" will have to be undone sooner or later. If the uncharacteristically numerous character deaths didn't make that obvious, the complete and utter destruction of Earth in issue #17 should have made that clear. As I said then, this is a case where the journey matters more than the destination. And the hope is that, even if the death and destruction is eventually undone, hopefully there will be a lasting, permanent impact on these characters.

Continue reading…