New Customization Options Coming to PS Vita

Today, at Sony’s pre-TGS press conference in Japan, PlayStation Vita’s new firmware – update 3.30 – was briefly discussed. While we don’t know the ins-and-outs of what will be include with the entire update, we do have a glimpse into one key feature: the ability to use custom themes.

Those who have a PlayStation 3 are already familiar with themes, which allow players to customize their PS3’s XMB with specialized background imagery and icons. Vita’s custom themes are essentially identical: they’ll be able to support unified background images and icons of their own.

The update, which doesn’t have a release date as of yet and has only been discussed for the Japanese market as of now, will initially support themes for four popular Vita games: Freedom Wars, Danganronpa: Another Episode, Phantasy Star Nova, and Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines.

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Clearing Up Space Quest's 25 Year Old Mystery

2014 is the Year of Adventure here at IGN, which means that we’ve spent the year revisiting as many classic adventure games from the ‘80s and ‘90s as possible. In the most recent feature, I covered the one-two sci-fi-fuelled punches that are Space Quest III and IV, and raised a question that Space Quest fans have been curious about for years.

Were the villains in the third game – ScumSoft – named in reference to LucasArts’ famous SCUMM engine?

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I Am a Dirty Screencheater and I Regret Nothing

Back in my misspent youth, my friends and I would often gather around the halved or quartered TV screen to battle it out in classic split-screen shooters like Goldeneye 64, Doom, Time Splitters or Duke Nukem 3D. Of course, whenever someone got fed up with being killed all the time, the arguments would start in earnest.

“That’s not fair, you looked at my screen!”

“I did not!”

Only you did, didn’t you? You knew it, I knew it. We all did it, secretly.

What if there was a game in which looking at your opponent’s portion of the screen was not actually cheating, but instead a vital mechanic? Step forward Screencheat, a local and online multiplayer shooter by Australian developer Samurai Punk. In this arena-based shooter, all players are invisible to their opponents which, as the name implies, makes screencheating essential in bagging those vital kills.

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Dead or Alive 5: Last Round Heading to PS4 and Xbox One

Dead or Alive 5: Last Round is coming spring 2015 to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 platforms in Japan, Koei Tecmo Games producer Yosuke Hayashi announced during a Japan Gamer's Live event over the weekend, Famitsu reports.

While platforms and a launch window were confirmed during the video game tournament, game details and western release plans weren’t revealed for the upcoming fighting title. A brief trailer was shown alongside the surprise announcement, teasing featured fighters.

Team Ninja’s Dead or Alive 5 launched worldwide September 2012 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game was followed up with PS Vita release Dead or Alive 5 Plus and definitive version Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate for consoles last March and September, respectively.

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The Strain: "Creatures of the Night" Review

Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow.

After spending most of the first season checking in with various characters spread out around New York in each episode, tonight changes things up with a gas station siege for most of its running time. The narrow focus keeps the hour moving smoothly, and the action informs the characters far better than more monologues could. The Strain has been improving bit by bit over the last few weeks, and “Creatures of the Night” keeps that trend going.

The most satisfying moment was deceptively simple: one character asking someone in the know, point-blank, the most basic of questions. It’s something we’ve all yelled at the screen while watching other genre stories, frustrated that nobody would ever stop and ask “No, really—what’s going on?” That Vasiliy actually does this is an all-too-rare instance of someone behaving the way we’d like to think people would in this extraordinary situation. That Abraham had answers and didn’t have pull the “hey, you asked” card like he always has to with Eph was even more rewarding.

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Falling Skies: "Space Oddity" Review

Warning: Full spoilers for the episode follow.

This week’s episode, the first of a two part finale, picks up seconds after “Drawing Straws” ended with Lexi’s arrival drawing the attention of everyone near by. Saying that the reaction her arrival was mixed might be a bit disingenuous as she is met with skepticism and fear. Even Anne, the only person who seemed to have any faith in Lexi, is hesitant to trust her daughter. “Space Oddity” relies heavily on this distrust as a tense narrative develops around whether or not Lexi is still working for the Espheni.

The audience is given a unique perspective, as we already know that Lexi has turned on her Espheni masters and is trying to make amends for her mistakes. At least that’s what we think we know. As the episode progresses we’re led down a weaving path that gives us serious doubt about what Lexi’s intentions really are.

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Falling Skies: Season Finale Review

Warning: Full spoilers for the episode follow.

“Shoot the Moon” is tonally quite a bit different than the first hour. The opening scene with Dingaan was a creepy introduction to what has been happening back on Earth while Tom and Lexi have been in space. The twisted scene with Dingaan’s team being transformed into human skitters right before him definitely had a B horror film vibe and that atmosphere carries itself throughout the episode.

Falling Skies Season Finale Part 1

We quickly learn that the process of turning humans into skitters has seemingly evolved and now the Espheni are able to drop pods from the sky with slug monsters that can do the job with great efficiency. It’s kind of odd that just three episodes ago we were being show this very mechanical process in a factory of changing humans into skitters and now that process has been completely changed. I guess we’re just expected to believe they had this process in development without anyone knowing this whole time? Regardless, visually this works a whole hell of a lot better as we have slug monsters, fog and some weird slime that causes people to freeze into place. This is a lot more fun than some remote factory that is churning out hybrids.

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New to Amazon Prime for September 2014

Want to know what'll be available for streaming on Amazon Prime this September? Check it out.

While (as usual) Prime and Netflix share a few titles - like this month's All is Lost, A Simple Plan, Bad Grandpa, and more - there are a handful of cool, unique offerings that you can only catch on Amazon. Grimm Season 3 and Broad City Season 1, for example. Along with Mel Brooks' Spaceballs, the early 90s animated film Ferngully: The Last Rainforest (featuring the voices of Robin Williams, Tim Curry, and Christian Slater), and Young Sherlock Holmes from Barry Levinson and Chris Columbus.

New to Netflix for September 2014

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The Hidden History of Far Cry 3

“I said everything I wanted to say about shooters with Far Cry 3.”

Jeffrey Yohalem is still getting questions about the story he wrote for 2012’s Far Cry 3. He recently fielded an AMA on Child of Light and still the shadow of Vaas and golden tigers wavered on the walls. And someone blamed him for UPlay. Tonight I have not asked him anything yet, but instead lamented: I’m sad you were not asked back to do Far Cry 4. I’d talked to him extensively about its precursor circa 2012 and this may be cheating, but I genuinely liked what he did there, though Far Cry 3’s myriad subtexts seem to have changed their collective final form a few times since.

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Cage Fighting, Halo, and More at PAX Prime

PAX Prime 2014 is slowly coming to a close. Cosplay, weird animal fights, and loud noises filled the convention center.

To bring the craziness of PAX to the many people who didn't have the opportunity to go, we asked people to send us requests of what they wanted to see via Twitter. Below are our responses and our on the ground look at PAX Prime 2014.

We couldn't find Arkham Knight for you @Soccerzz5, but we did find Smash Bros. https://t.co/zjTeto4bfb

— IGN (@IGN) August 31, 2014

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PAX 2014: Mortal Kombat X’s Gross Fatalities Will Make You Squirm

I don’t consider myself the squeamish type, yet I couldn’t help but wince as I saw fatalities in Mortal Kombat X. The version we play at PAX is setup to showcase deadly finishing moves easily. I admit Fatalities have been my favorite part of prior MK games. They always delivered a funny dose of shock value with a trail of silliness tacked on at the same time. But this time was different. This time was gross.

When IGN editor Daemon Hatfield let the first one rip, I expected to laugh. I didn’t. In fact, for the first time ever I wondered if the developers went too far. I watched one of the new characters named Kotal Khan carve a deep cut across the chest of a bloodied Cassidy Cage’s with a blade. He then rips out her heart and holds up his new trophy before popping the juicy, still-beating muscle. The blood flows into Khan’s grotesque open mouth and drips down his lips. The visual fidelity carefully renders every second of this vicious moment.

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New to Netflix for September 2014

Back to school, back to streaming. Here's what's landing on Netflix this September.

As we enter the gateway to Fall, Netflix is taking a look back at at the late Robin Williams with Disney's remake of 1961's The Absent-Minded Professor, Flubber - along with the breakout role that nabbed the late comedian his first Oscar nomination - that of Adrian Cronauer in Barry Levinson's Good Morning, Vietnam.

Those looking to play catchup on some TV are in luck as well as Season 4 of The Walking Dead, Season 2 of Arrow, and Season 1 of The Blacklist all arrive. Comedies Parks and Recreation, New Girl, About a Boy, and Trailer Park Boys are also ready to abuse your funny bone.

Closure-wise, the final seasons of How I Met Your Mother and Revolution will be released.

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Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel to Receive Add-Ons, Season Pass

Four add-on packs will be released for Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, along with a season pass, 2K Australia announced at PAX today.

The DLC will release on unspecified dates following Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel's release, each priced at $10 USD –– alternatively, players can purchase the season pass, which includes all four packs, for $30 USD. The add-on packs will showcase new characters and missions, 2K said in a press release.

Although no other information was given regarding the content of each pack, 2K did announce the Shock Drop Slaughter Pit bonus content, which comes with any pre-orders of Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. This content will not be included with the season pass, but will be for sale at a later date.

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Guardians Tops Labor Day Box Office

As Guardians of the Galaxy topped the Labor Day weekend box office in its fifth week in release, the Marvel sci-fi action-comedy also became 2014's biggest hit domestically.

Guardians finished the three-day weekend with an estimated $16.3 million. It is now the No. 1 movie of the year domestically followed by Marvel's Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Guardians' worldwide total of $547.7 million makes it the year's 8th highest-grossing film internationally; Transformers: Age Of Extinction remains No. 1 worldwide with $1 billion.

Of the holiday weekend's new releases, the found footage film As Above/So Below fared best with an estimated haul of $8.3 million for fourth place. The Pierce Brosnan espionage film The November Man bowed in sixth place with a meek $7.7 million.

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Outlander: "The Gathering" Review

Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow.

It's time for a party. Besides presenting a chance for cameos from executive producer Ron Moore and author of the Outlander books Diana Gabaldon, the gathering of the clan gave Claire an opportunity to escape the castle. We needed to see her attempting forward progress after her declaration at the end of last week's episode, and Claire didn't disappoint. She wasn't successful, but she tried and she did so with intelligence. She thought of most everything, and it was nice to see that she's retaining her composure despite her desperation to get out. However, we didn't need the step by step voice over to get the point.

Must is a tricky word. Claire said it last week in regards to leaving Leoch and ended with it again tonight saying she must not fail in getting back to Craigh na Dun. The use of the word seems like a sure sign that she won't be successful. I understand that Claire's feeling determined, but they should dial back use of that particularly charged word.

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The Order: 1866 Seems Great, Except for One Thing…

The Order: 1886 demo I played at PAX Prime was one of the stranger slices of a game I’ve played in quite some time. It managed to reel me in from the get-go and keep my attention until the very end, despite some deep gameplay flaws. Let’s start with the positives.

I don’t need to tell you that The Order is a gorgeous video game. The characters, setting, and lighting effects are all top-notch. The world is an interesting and unique setting that straddles a nice line between Victorian horror and alternate history. The idea of a game combining werewolves and Nikola Tesla is fantastic -- I love the looking at a historical setting and playing with the idea of what it would be like with a dash of technology here and a bit of magic there. The few major events I was privy to inside of the world were equally intriguing. The voice work and banter between my team was great, and it was genuinely one of the few times where a game transitioned from a cinematic into gameplay, and I just sat there not moving because I didn’t spot the hard-cut from one to the other.

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ArcheAge Has a Release Date and it's Sooner Than You Think

Sandbox MMO ArcheAge will launch on September 16, Trion Worlds has announced.

This will be preceded by an open beta from September 4-8, before those who purchased Founder's Packs get to jump in on September 12.

For those not in the know about ArcheAge, it's highly-anticipated among Western MMO fans as it subscribes to the sandbox model of gameplay. While games like World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy XIV, Star Wars: The Old Republic and the like are branded "themepark" titles as you get on the ride and have a carefully orchestrated journey of fun, ArcheAge is similar to Eve Online in the sense it hands you the tools to make your own fun, only instead of spaceships there's the usual riffs on traditional fantasy tropes.

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The Top 10 New Hearthstone Cards

Hearthstone has been an even more exciting game to play than usual over the last month and a half. Every week during the Curse of Naxxramas expansion, new cards were being added to the pool, changing the game in interesting new ways. Now that Naxx is complete and all 30 of its cards have been out in the wild for a little over a week, I figured there’s no better time to try and rank the best of the batch.

How have I arrived at this list? Well, obviously it’s pretty subjective. After all, as the saying goes, one man’s Captain’s Parrot is another man’s Ragnaros the Firelord. (I think I might play too much Hearthstone.) The value of cards also changes as players discover new ways to utilise cards and build decks, and the shape of the meta also has a huge impact. The essential cards when players are running more aggro decks, for instance, will be pretty different than in a slower-paced, Control-heavy meta.

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Final Tracks Revealed for Fantasia: Music Evolved

Harmonix announced the final tracks in the initial lineup for Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved at Pax today.

The artists were announced during the "Music Evolved –– From 8-Bit Soundtrack to Gameplay" panel. Award-winning composer Inon Zur and recording producer Eddie Kramer were present for the panel, which went behind the scenes of music production on the upcoming game. The new tracks are listed below:

• The Flaming Lips - "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1"

• Imagine Dragons - "Radioactive"

• J.S. Bach - "Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor"

• Inon Zur - "Scout's Theme (ft. violinist Lindsay Stirling)"

• Jimi Hendrix - "Fire"

• Lady Gaga - "Applause"

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Doctor Who: "Into the Dalek" Review

Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow.

This may sound like sacrilege, but it's getting increasingly difficult to make the Daleks scary or, more importantly, interesting anymore.

Sure, if you grew up with them and have sense-memories of cowering behind the sofa in abject self-soiling childhood terror, then they'll always elicit a Pavlovian 'eep' or two. But while they're undeniably one of the Doctor's most iconic nemeses, they're also one of his most reliably beatable and singularly, predictably motivated.

Which is why 'Into the Dalek' was such a surprising success, offering the double whammy of both a new physical and surreally spiritual look into an enemy Whovians have gotten to know all too well in the 50 years since their debut.

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Firewatch Delivers a Gorgeous, Emotional, and Mysterious Trailer

Immediately following its reveal back in March, Firewatch commanded our attention. The first game from Campo Santo, a studio founded by former Telltale, Double Fine, Klei, and 2K Marin developers, Firewatch looked to be a gorgeous first-person adventure game with an emphasis on storytelling, evocative animations, and distinct art design by the fantastic Olly Moss.

We chronicled the evolution of the game, its influences, and what the team was really trying to accomplish with the project. But while that all sounded great on paper, it ultimately amounted to a lot of incredible-sounding promises. When the time came for the game to actually come together, would they be able to pull it off?

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Amazon Reviving The Tick with Patrick Warburton

SPOOOOON!

Okay, that was a Tick quote from the '90s FOX Kids animated series and this story's about FOX's live-action adaptation of The Tick. But it still felt appropriate.

Rumors started up yesterday, with People claiming to have a source, that Amazon is looking to revive the 2001 live-action Tick series (which was axed after only nine episodes), starring Patrick Warburton (Family Guy, Seinfeld) - who People's source claims has signed a new deal with Amazon and Sony to reprise the role of the blue-suited lunkheaded hero.

Patrick Warburton as The Tick.

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Star Wars: A New Dawn Review

While there’s a clear attempt to emulate the subtitle to the original Star Wars film, A New Hope, with the new book, Star Wars: A New Dawn, there’s a lot of reasons that title fits. Not just storywise – though it does tie into the themes of the book – but also because A New Dawn marks the start of a big new direction for Star Wars.

With Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm, and work underway on multiple new Star Wars movies, the decision was made to officially decree that the previous novels and other stories that fell under the “expanded universe” heading were not part of canon. However, moving forward, when it comes to new stories set in this universe, most everything, including books and comics – unless otherwise noted -- is canon, and outside of a few short stories, A New Dawn is the first major representation of the future of Star Wars.

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Super Meat Boy Forever Announced

Team Meat has announced Super Meat Boy: Forever will coming to your phones, tablets, and Steam "sometime next year."

The team said their goal was to release a Super Meat Boy game designed from the ground-up with touch interface in mind, rather than try to shoehorn touch controls onto an existing game. They hoped to bring out a game with the feel of the original Super Meat Boy "without the use of multiple buttons" or analog sticks.

Super Meat Boy: Forever won't be an endless runner, according to Team Meat, but it will feature an endless mode, along with daily run challenges and online high scores. It will also have a full story, 6 chapters, and twice as many bosses as were in the original game.

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PAX 2014: Halo: Master Chief Collection’s Lockout is Better Than You Remember It

Coming out of retirement to play Halo: The Master Chief Collection almost feels like learning how to ride a bicycle again. I could probably recall one near fatal scrape with a car about as clearly as that critical moment in Team Slayer that nearly ended in disaster. After worrying if I even remember how to do this, I humbly pick up the controller to play Lockout for the first time in almost 8 years. I’m happy to report that this classic Halo 2 map still delivers some devilish voodoo magic. In fact, it’s even better than what you remember.

Better, huh? Well, I should probably remind you that, unlike most HD re-makes, Halo: The Master Chief Collection deep dives into epicenter of a console FPS titan with absolute reverence. It comes with four mainlines Halo games. It has every multiplayer map that ever mattered in one convenient place. Bells. Whistles. Some would describe it to close personal friends as, “da works.”

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GTA 5 Getting Expanded Sountracks for New Versions

British model and host of the fictional GTA V radio station Non Stop Pop FM is back in the studio with Rockstar updating the audio for the upcoming versions of the game.

Cara Delevingne tweeted the info to her followers with a link to her Instagram account. The official Rockstar Games account then retweeted her, in a social media confirmation that would seem confusing to a time traveler from just 12 years ago, when Grand Theft Auto: Vice City's licensed music soundtrack first broke onto the scene.

The updated versions of the game, coming to PC, PS4, and Xbox One, promise to have more onscreen characters, better draw distances, and updated visuals in addition to the expanded sountracks.

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Ultimate NES Remix Coming to 3DS

Ultimate NES Remix, a new installment in the series of mashup NES-era mini-games, is coming to 3DS for $30 on December 5, Nintendo announced earlier today.

Much like its two Wii U counterparts, Ultimate NES Remix will feature rapid-fire challenges and mashups from 16 classic NES titles.

Other interesting features include regional online leaderboards and Championship Mode, in which will the player will be faced with a series of challenges from three different games.

IGN enjoyed the first NES Remix when it was released on Wii U last November. We were impressed by its crazy franchise mashups and the fact that it has over 200 challenges. NES Remix 2 turned out to be just as good when it was released last April.

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Nintendo Voice Chat: A New 3DS Emerges From Japan

Download Nintendo Voice Chat Here

Otero vs. Claiborn. A battle of wits and wisdom. Art by Pandamusk.

Download Nintendo Voice Chat Here

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Bloodborne: Come for the Combat, Stay for the Atmosphere

Since its reveal at E3 back in June, we’ve been covering Bloodborne at every chance possible. We talked about how it has managed to convert folks at IGN who weren’t the biggest Dark Souls fans, took a deep dive into how combat in Bloodborne differentiates from its spiritual predecessors, and named it one of our favorite games of Gamescom 2014.

Since the demo we played at E3, Gamescom, and now PAX Prime has featured the same slice of gameplay (although the game is now absolutely running much smoother than it did at E3), there’s no need for me to retread on what we’ve already said. Yes, the combat is focused on aggressive actions and quick decisions, but no, this doesn't make the game any less challenging than its predecessors.

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Peggle 2 Announced for PS4

Peggle 2, the puzzle game from PopCap Games, is coming to PlayStation 4 Oct. 19.

EA said it was in the final stages of a "much-anticipated new Peggle game" last month, and although it was unclear whether that project was the Peggle 2 port, any other game has yet to be announced.

As in the original Peggle, the sequel combines elements of pinball and other puzzle games, and allows players to utilize several characters throughout.

Peggle 2 originally released for Xbox One last year, and later for Xbox 360 –– in IGN's Peggle 2 review, we lauded its cheerful, vivid presentation, saying it improved on the already-proven formula, but felt that its multiplayer offerings were too thin.

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Desert Ashes is Coming to PS Vita

Desert Ashes, a free-to-play turn-based strategy game is coming to PS Vita this fall, Oyaji Games announced yesterday on the PlayStation Blog.

At launch, Desert Ashes will include three single player campaigns, online PvP multiplayer and local PvP multiplayer on the upcoming PlayStation TV.

One of the more interesting features of Desert Ashes is how its multiplayer works. "There are different timers you can set before you can declare victory on your opponent if they take too long. There will be 5 minutes, 20 minutes, 8 hours, and 24 hours. Also, with the online multiplayer you can play on your Vita while you’re out, and then continue your match exactly where you left off at home."

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What to Expect from Apple's iPhone 6 Event

Now that we know for sure that Apple’s big event is happening on September 9th, the rumor mill is churning faster than ever. It’s pretty much accepted as gospel at this point that the company is gearing up to unveil at least one new iPhone, but optimistic rumors abound about other potential product announcements, chief among them the long-awaited iWatch (for lack of a better, wittier name) and a deluxe sized iPhone. By combing through the massive heap of speculation and possibilities culled from perusal of some of Apple’s latest patents, a picture begins to form about what one might expect on Apple’s big day next week.

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Autumn 2014 Movie Preview

It seems like only yesterday we were anticipating films like Captain America: The Winter Solider, Guardians of the Galaxy, and other fine summer blockbusters, but believe it or not summer is over. Kids are heading back to school, leaves are falling from the trees, bulk Halloween candy is in the supermarket, and the air is getting colder. That’s right: it’s nearly fall.

As we usher in Labor Day weekend, we thought it was time to run our annual Autumn Movie Preview and take a quick look at some of the exciting movies that await us as we approach the end of the year.

Release Date: September 12 (US), November 21 (UK), TBD (AU)

The always awesome Idris Elba turns to the darkside in this thriller co-starring Taraki P. Henson, who plays a suburban mom that, against her better judgment, allows the affable Elba into her home. Soon, she discovers that Elba is not a charming man with car trouble, but rather an escaped convict looking to do her and her family harm.

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Doctor Who Photo Preview: "Into the Dalek"

In the Season 8 premiere of Doctor Who, the Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi) told Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman) they're venturing into darkness. They're embracing that statement with the season's second installment, "Into the Dalek." The episode marks the Twelfth Doctor's first encounter with the iconic villain, and it looks like it's going to be intense. Maybe the Daleks will even seem scary.

He and Clara come across a Dalek fleet surrounding a lone ship, and the Doctor has to make a decision that could change the Daleks forever. He must examine his conscience and answer his own question about whether he's a good man. Take a look at what's ahead in the below photo gallery.

Doctor Who: "Into the Dalek" Photo Gallery:

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BioShock iOS Review

Imagine a version of BioShock on Oculus Rift that requires you to drop your controller and press a button on the headset to heal yourself or switch a weapon, and you've got the crux of BioShock on iOS' biggest draw and flaw. While having the BioShock experience up close and personal via tablet or phone with slight but not deal-breaking audio-visual concessions is great for immersion, some perplexing touch-screen control decisions bring new frustrations to the forefront.

Whether this is your first trip to Rapture or a return visit after seven years away, BioShock's story and setting remain enthralling. While the textures aren't as detailed or the splicers movement as smooth as they are on a decent PC or the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions (read our 2007 BioShock review), the underwater dystopia is still a sight to behold and a marvel to listen to. Moments like scouring a dilapidated office for supplies with creepy posters adorning the walls while a psychopath has an creepy conversation with himself and a static-tinged 1940s tune plays in the background really cement the almost survival-horror nature of BioShock. If you're playing on an iPad with a decent set of headphones and notifications off, the immersion of the iOS version makes up for a lot, as there's precious little to distract you from Rapture's charms.

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Lichdom: Battlemage Review

Had I been playing Lichdom: Battlemage with a gamepad, I'm sure I would have flung it across the room during the first boss fight. All of the strategies and spell combinations I'd spent the last couple of hours perfecting on weaker enemies now proved no more powerful than feathers against a freight train, and I'd steeled myself for the possibility that I'd never see the second stage. But then I took a step back, studied the tooltips, and made new spells accordingly. I adjusted my strategies and, at last, I was victorious. Lichdom: Battlemage thrives on these moments, and they soothe the burns inflicted by the poorer aspects of its design.

My early troubles were appropriate for a first-person roleplaying game that follows the exploits of a mage that only learns his or her craft after a grizzled wizard slaps some magic cuffs their wrists seconds after the opening cutscene. Developer Xaviant here gives us a flimsy tale of revenge against some ruffians known as the Cult of Malthus, but the hows and whys of the simple fiction are never so meaningful as the playful relationship between the two playable characters. Choose the female, for instance, and the male alternative becomes a sidekick that flits in and out of reality and informs you of what lies ahead. Choose the male, and the roles are reversed. Further exposition reveals itself in the purple "echoes" enacting scenes from the past, but it tends to get lost among the banter and superior performances of voice actors Jennifer Hale and Troy Baker.

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What If Chris Nolan Directed The Incredibles?

The trailer mash-up du jour posits an age-old question: What if The Dark Knight and Inception director Christopher Nolan made a Pixar film? Specifically, a Pixar superhero film. You know, like The Incredibles. Watch and find out...

It's all dark and pulsating and melancholy, just as we like our Nolan... Somebody get a Kickstarter going now to get Nolan the Incredibles 2 gig.

Talk to Senior Editor Scott Collura on Twitter at @ScottIGN , on IGN at scottcollura and on Facebook .

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What's Michael Bay Producing Next?

Explosion-maestro Michael Bay has lined up another movie to produce.

Variety reports that Bay -- who has produced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and a slew of horror remakes via his Platinum Dunes company -- has come aboard to produce Cosmic Motors for Warner Bros.

Screenwriter Kyle Ward (Machete Kills, Agent 47, the long-in-development movie version of Kane & Lynch) has been hired to script.

"The project is based on Daniel Simon’s 2007 concept art book of the same name that features futuristic vehicle designs. Simon has worked in Hollywood as the lead vehicle designer on Tron: Uprising and Captain America: The First Avenger and as a concept illustrator on Oblivion," according to Variety.

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Michael Rooker/Dave Bautista Reenact Dancing Baby Groot

Guardians of the Galaxy stars Michael Rooker and Dave Bautista gave fans a treat at Wizard World Chicago when they reenacted the closing credits dancing baby Groot sequence.

Take a look below!:

You can remind yourself of the original baby Groot scene below (Rooker's not half-bad as lil' Groot!):

New Baby Groot Toy Coming From Funko

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App Store Update: August 29

Every day hundreds of new apps make their debut on the App Store, and hundreds more are updated or reduced in price. We have sifted through the noise and highlighted those select few that might be worth your attention.

Note: The prices and deals compiled below are accurate at the time we published this story, but all are subject to change.

Almightree: The Last Dreamer – ($1.99)

The world is crumbling beneath your feet in this enchanting looking puzzler/platformer. Can you make it to the mighty Almightree before falling to your doom?

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5 Things in Costume Quest 2 That Made Me Smile

It’s way too easy to get caught up in the negative aspects of the video game industry. A scary vocal minority can quickly bathe our wonderful pastime in the most awful of lights. So instead of focusing on the terrible, I want to take a break and focus on nice things. Like Costume Quest 2.

I went over the basics of Double Fine’s sequel a few months back. Recently, I got to play an opening chunk of the game. Here are five things about it that made me smile.

The original Costume Quest charmed the heck out of me with its rinky-dink costumes that would transform into awesome imaginary warriors when it came time for battle. Things are the same in the sequel, but this time around, the costumes are even weirder. Case in point: Thomas Jefferson. Evidently the precocious youngsters of the CQ universe are history buffs, as is evident in a costume featuring everyone’s favorite founding father. The costume comes equipped with deadly quills to throw at enemies, and a special attack featuring the devestating Declaration of Independence. Double Fine told me that there would be 11 new costumes in the game, but it's going to be hard to top ol' Tommy J.

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DreamWorks Teaming with Korra Animation Studio

DreamWorks Animation has inked a four-year deal with South Korea-based animation firm Studio Mir -- known for their work on Nickelodeon's The Legend of Korra -- and is planning to develop four new animated series with the company.

IGN's The Legend of Korra: Book Three Review

Variety reports that each show will be 2D-animated (same as Korra) and consist of 78 episodes. Interestingly, the two companies will co-develop and co-produce the projects, though financing and distribution are still uncertain.

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Eisenberg on Lex Luthor's Complexity

Actor Jesse Eisenberg gave a shout-out to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice screenwriter Chris Terrio in a recent interview for helping him craft a villain in Lex Luthor that has psychological depth.

"There are some indications of how the character should behave based on the script, and then an actor makes it his or her own," the actor told Total Film.

Eisenberg added, "I got to know one of the writers Chris Terrio, and we were able to discuss things at length and figure out who this person is to create a real psychology behind what is, perhaps, in a comic book, a less than totally modern psychology. I can only say I've been asked to play an interesting role. A complicated, challenging person."

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See Lockout Remaster in Action in Halo: The Master Chief Collection

343 Industries has released the first gameplay footage of the Xbox One Anniversary remaster edition of Lockout for Halo: The Master Chief Collection. In it you can see how the new coat of paint is looking (hint: sooooo good), plus a look at the new interactive element of the map: a block of ceiling-mounted icicles you can shoot down and kill players below with, a la the stalactite on fellow Halo 2 map Waterworks.

Below, meanwhile, have a look at a flythrough tour of the remade map as well as a slideshow gallery of original and new Lockout screens, as well as concept art for the new version of the map.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s Executive Editor of Previews and Xbox Guru-in-Chief. Follow him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan, on IGN, catch him on Podcast Unlocked, and drop-ship him Taylor Ham sandwiches from New Jersey whenever possible.

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A New Saints Row Is on the Way

Volition announced today at PAX Prime that a new standalone Saints Row IV expansion is coming out next year.

Developing ...

Evan Campbell is a freelance news writer who streams games on his Twitch channel, talks about Nintendo weekly on the NF Show, and chats about movies and TV series on Twitter.

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Nintendo To Cut Over 300 Jobs

Amongst the news coming out of today's Nintendo Direct presentation, Nintendo of Europe has confirmed that over 300 staff will lose their jobs by the end of the month.

The 320 lay-offs, confirmed via statement to Kotaku earlier today, are inclusive of the 130 job cuts reported in June of this year.

The additional 190 losses are believed to be based within Nintendo of Europe’s Localisation Development (ELD) department and have been attributed to “a set of measures to better enable the European business to adapt to the rapidly changing business environment.”

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Strife: Taking Lessons from League of Legends, Dota 2, and Heroes of Newerth

More than anything else, the word I heard used to describe S2 Games’ new MOBA Strife was “accessibility.” However, since accessibility is often perceived as a negative, S2 Games’ CEO Marc DeForest was quick to point out how Strife’s design foundation is not that far from soccer. Soccer requires one ball and is probably the easiest sport to start to try and play (contributing to the fact that it’s so wildly popular), but player skill varies wildly, from children bumbling around on a street corner to the pros who represent their nations in the World Cup. Like soccer, Strife aims to be easier than its competition to get into, but also have a metagame and competitive level of play that will satisfy the hardest of the hardcore.

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We’re Taking Requests at PAX Prime

PAX Prime is here! Every year gamers of every age, race, and creed descend into Seattle’s convention center. With so many things going on, it’s impossible to see every single nook and cranny of the show.

This year we want you to tell the community team what you would like to see. Whether you want us to ask Tim Schafer about his next game or you want to see someone crawl on the ground like Big Boss. We will do our best to get those requests to you.

To send in a request, you can tweet at @IGN using the hashtag #IGNatPAX.

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Xbox One's September Update Is Here

Microsoft has released an outline for their upcoming September update for the Xbox One, which highlights new party, interactive, and SmartGlass features.

Two apps - a new media player and party app - have been added to the fray, expanding the consoles formatting and social capabilities. The media player will allows users to play media from their USBs and will support a range of new formats, including MKV and animated GIFs. The new party app allows users to become the leader of their party and control things like invitations, removing other players, and checking out what other members of the party are doing.

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Dollhouse Star Joins Marvel's Agent Carter

Dollhouse's Enver Gjokaj (who you've also probably seen on Community, Dexter, The Walking Dead, and many other shows) has landed a co-starring gig on Marvel's Agent Carter, starring Hayley Atwell.

Per Deadline, Gjokaj - who actually appeared as "Young Cop" during the New York battle scene at the end of Marvel's The Avengers - will play the "sweet and honorable Agent Daniel Sousa, a true war hero who has risked his life many times – resulting once in a crippling leg injury."

Enver Gjokaj in The Walking Dead episode, "Dead Weight."

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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Producer Leaving Konami

Castlevania producer Dave Cox has announced that, after almost two decades with Konami, today is his last day.

"After seventeen years I have decided to leave Konami to explore new opportunities. Today is my final day with the company #endofanera," tweeted Cox earlier today. "I want to think Konami for the opportunity and all those people who supported me and the team on our journey."

Cox joined Konami in 1997. Since that time he has worked on some of Konami's biggest titles, including Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, and Suikoden. But his first title to manage was Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. He went on to lead the development of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, which became the best selling Castlevania game in the series and restored the reputation of the struggling franchise.

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Ultimate Spider-Man: Season 3 Premiere Review

I really want to love Ultimate Spider-Man, but the times I’ve previously watched the show, it just hasn’t fully worked for me. However, it had been awhile, and I was curious how things had progressed. Plus, there are certainly some elements about Season 3 – which boasts the subtitle Web Warriors – I’m curious about, including Peter Parker meeting various different incarnations of Spider-Man, including Miles Morales (voiced by Donald Glover!).

However, none of that begins in the two-parter, airing this Sunday, that kicks off Season 3. Instead, "The Avenging Spider-Man", not shockingly, guest stars the Avengers, as the team comes to recruit Spider-Man, giving Spidey the chance to step into the big leagues.

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Arrow Casts Supernatural Alum as Cupid

Carrie Cutter - aka the DC Comics villainess Cupid - is coming to Arrow's Season 3. And she's being played by Supernatural's Mama Winchester herself, Amy Gumenick.

EW.com broke the news that Gumenick - who played the younger version of Sam and Dean's mom, Mary, on The CW's Supernatural - will play the dangerously obsessed fan who has a lethal crush on Arrow.

Arrow executive producer Andrew Kreisberg, who actually created the Cupid character when he was writing for Green Arrow, told EW "I always loved the idea of Green Arrow having a crazed fan."

Amy Gumenick on Supernatural, DC's Cupid.

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Fargo's Allison Tolman Headed to The Mindy Project

One thing for darn tootin' certain about FX's Fargo is that it made an insta-star out of Allison Tolman, who played courageous Bemidji deputy, Molly Solverson. But with Fargo being an anthology series, and next season being set in the 70s, she can't exactly come back for an encore. So where is she headed next?

TVLine is reporting that the Emmy-nominated Tolman has landed a guest role on FOX's The Mindy Project, as a romance novelist named Abby Berman.

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Xenoblade Chronicles Coming to New 3DS

Nintendo has confirmed Xenoblade Chronicles is set to be released on the new 3DS and 3DS XL consoles announced earlier today.

The company has confirmed the upgraded hardware, particularly the CPU, means its possible for Monolith's open-world RPG to be run on the new handhelds. The older models will not be able to handle the game.

At the moment, all we know for certain is that Xenoblade Chronicles will hit New 3DS in Japan next year, but there's no word on when or if it'll head West. Seeing as the new handhelds aren't expected on these shores until next year anyway, it could be a bit of a wait before we get to take it for a spin.

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State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition Coming to Xbox One

Microsoft has announced State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition is headed to Xbox One in Spring 2015.

The ambitious open world zombie survival title debuted on Xbox 360 last June and, following a very warm reception, the company has decided to bring it over to the next-gen console.

The Year One Survival Edition of the title includes the original State of Decay with a resolution bumped up to 1080p, along with previously released add-ons Breakdown and Lifeline, as well as some completely new content. More information will be released closer to the game's release.

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Bayonetta 2 Composer Confirms "Livelier" Soundtrack

Bayonetta 2’s soundtrack will be “much livelier” than the “low-key” score of the original Bayonetta game.

Writing on the official Bayonetta blog, composer Masami Ueda states that they’ve “upped the style” and experimented with new sounds, giving upcoming Wii U title Bayonetta 2 - to be released in North America on October 24 - an altogether new and different tone.

The post goes on to confirm that, owing to the commercial success of Bayonetta’s original soundtrack, the full score of Bayonetta 2 will also be available to purchase.

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Defiance: Season 2 Finale Review

Warning: full episode spoilers follow.

Defiance has been taking advantage of the absence of Dominion these past two weeks. The show closed out its second season with another batch of two episodes as the running conflict with Irzu/the Kaziri came to a head and Defiance faced certain annihilation. As with last week, it's probably just as well Syfy doubled up on the show, as the two halves might not have been enough on their own.

I'm only focusing on the actual season finale in this review, which is actually a bit difficult since "All Things Must Pass" flowed so seamlessly into "I Almost Prayed." The finale opened on quite the dark note. Tommy died as a result of Irisa's stabbing, leaving Nolan distraught and all the more hellbent on stopping the Kaziri's destruction of the planet. And Irisa got her hands bloody in the opening moments as she guided the total obliteration of New York City. That scene certainly set the tone for the coming conflict.

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Free DLC Announced For Hyrule Warriors

Nintendo has today confirmed that Hyrule Warriors will launch with free downloadable content.

The day one release will add a new mode, weapon and the "option to select music".

Described as a mashup of Dynasty Warriors and The Legend of Zelda, the game will also be supported for “the long run” by Nintendo, with more content planned down the line.

There's no information yet on the details - or pricing - of further additional content, but the first DLC pack will be launched when the game is released (that's September 19, 20 and 26 in Europe, Australia and North America respectively). The game's already out for Japanese fans.

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Total War: Rome 2 - Emperor Edition Unveiled

SEGA has announced Total War: Rome II - Emperor Edition, which it's billing as the definitive version of the game.

The Emperor Edition brings together all the strategy game's free content to date, including revisions to gameplay and features, along with a brand new Campaign Expansion called "Imperator Augustus". Anyone who already owns Rome II will have their version automatically updated to the Emperor Edition come launch day, which is planned for sometime in September.

The new features include Twitch integration, touch controls, new factions, new units and the Mac version, alongside an improved politics system, overhauled building chains, rebalanced battles and improved visuals.

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Nintendo Amiibos Available for Pre-Order

Reserve your very own collection of interactive Nintendo figures, as Nintendo has revealed that the first series of Amiibo figures are now available for pre-order.

The first set of figures includes the following Nintendo characters, and the figures are planned to interact initially with the upcoming Super Smash Bros. for Wii U:

• Mario


• Donkey Kong


• Peach


• Yoshi


• Link


• Samus


• The Villager


• Kirby


• Fox McCloud


• Pikachu


• Marth


• Wii Fit Instructor


• 
  

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Nintendo Announces Upcoming Hardware Bundles

It seems that Nintendo is through playing games, at least when it comes to moving hardware. The company announced today that several new hardware bundles will be hitting retailers beginning next month.

Starting in mid-September, Nintendo will offer a Wii U bundle at retailers that includes not just the console, but physical copies of both Super Mario 3D World, but also a copy of the original Wii U bundled title, Nintendo Land, all for $299 USD.

The second Wii U bundle will be available exclusively at Walmart stores and will come with physical copies of the aforementioned Nintendo Land, along with Mario Kart 8, again for $299 USD.

The final bundled hardware and software set Nintendo announced is a choice between Crimson Red, Electric Blue, and Sea Green Nintendo 2DS with a download code for Mario Kart 7. The 2DS bundle will be hitting "early October" and retails for $129 USD.

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Nintendo Reveals New 3DS and 3DS XL Designs

Nintendo has revealed redesigned models of the 3DS and 3DS XL featuring an additional directional button and trigger, along with NFC support.

Referred to simply as the "New 3DS" and "New 3DS XL", the refreshed handheld models purport to feature an improved screen enabling the 3D effects to be viewed from more angles than before.

Despite the new additions, the handhelds will be the same size as the ones currently available. A new C-button grants the ability to control games with dual analogue controls, while a micro USB card slot and NFC-technology are also part of the package. Interestingly, this means the planned NFC reading device the company's talked about in relation to its new Amiibo range is likely only relevant for older models.

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Your Favourite Guardian of the Galaxy Is...

The votes are in. They’ve been counted and verified. And your favourite Guardian of the Galaxy is… Rocket Raccoon!

We recently ran a poll asking IGN readers to pick their favourite of the movie Guardian, and Rocket was the resounding winner, receiving a whopping 37% of the 32,800 votes cast.

Peter Quill – aka Star Lord – came in second with 26% while my own personal favourite, Groot, wasn’t far behind with 23%.

Drax the Destroyer is your fourth favourite Guardian with a disappointing 11%, while Gamora will doubltess be seeing green as she only managed 3%.

To celebrate Rocket’s win, here’s a video in which the the stars of the movie explain why he is so awesome…

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Decide What Outfit Makes the Sunset Overdrive DLC

Recently, we asked you, the talented IGN reader, to submit designs for an outfit to be made and feature in Sunset Overdrive's DLC.

The entries were brilliant, offbeat and wacky. The game's developer, Insomniac Games, was impressed, and has whittled down the entries to the 10 below. It's now up to YOU, once again, to pick the winning design that will appear in the game.

Check out each design, and then scroll to the bottom to vote for your favourite.

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Is Deep Silver Teasing Saints Row 5?

Deep Silver is continuing to tease a new game reveal it's planning to make at PAX this weekend.

An image, which you can see below, was released alongside the slogan "Something wicked this way comes..." as Saints Row developer Volition prepares to announce its latest project.

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Oculus Rift Melds With A Real-Life Roller Coaster Ride

Researchers have created a way to experience an Oculus Rift virtual reality ride on a real roller coaster, synchronized to the real track.

Thomas Wagner, professor in the department of Virtual Design at the University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern, conceived the project when he questioned if it would be possible to replace the real environment by a synchronized virtual ride.

German roller coaster manufacturer Mack Rides provided two roller coasters for research and testing when Wagner approached it with “the idea of extending a real roller coaster by wearing an Oculus Rift headset during the ride.”

“Then, on April 7, we actually became VR coaster pioneers – being the very first people to experience an Oculus Rift VR-ride on a real roller coaster, synchronized to the real track,” Wagner wrote on the project’s website. “On that day, we all felt that we were laying the foundation of something very big. Over the following weeks and months, we have been performing more than a hundred test rides and have been making some amazing discoveries.”

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Final Fantasy Type-0 HD: Fast, Violent, and Mature

From the 20-minutes of Final Fantasy Type-0 HD gameplay I saw at PAX Prime 2014, it seems like Square-Enix is redefining what a Final Fantasy game can be. Obviously those fortunate enough to have played the PSP game in Japanese (it never got officially translated or released overseas) know that Type-0 shakes things up, but FF fans that haven’t played it are in for a treat with this Xbox One and PlayStation 4 HD-version.

Full disclosure, I played a super small amount of an imported copy of Type-0 back in 2011. I really dug what was there mechanically, but I just couldn’t leap over the language barrier. However, a bunch of Final Fantasy fans whom I trust fully and who can actually speak Japanese told me that Type-0 was incredible and right up my alley. Turns out, they were probably right.

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Major Australian Classification Amendment Passes Senate

An new amendment to the Australian Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995 will enable fast and cost effective classification of digital and mobile games, provide exemptions for certain unclassified games to allow them to be demonstrated at special events, and potentially remove the obligation to separately classify game add-ons such as map packs and additional missions “provided that such modifications are unlikely to change the classification of the original game.”

The Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Amendment (Classification Tools and Other Measures) Bill 2014 passed the Senate late yesterday. The amendment has been welcomed by the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association of Australia, which has been lobbying the government on this matter for more than three years.

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Valve Faces Legal Action In Australia Over Its Refunds Policy

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is suing Valve over accusations that the company made false or misleading representations under the Australian Consumer Law with its refunds policy, the government body announced today.

According to the ACCC, Valve breached the Australian Consumer Law for stating that consumers were not entitled refunds and that it had “excluded, restricted or modified statutory guarantees and/or warranties that goods would be of acceptable quality.” The ACC states that Portal 2 developer absolved itself from obligation to repair, replace or provide a refund for a game.

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Speakeasy: A PS4 Fighting Game About...Prohibition?

The success of Divekick last year proved that developers can work off the standard formula of health bars and special moves when it comes to fighting games. Super Soul has found a similar way to subvert the standard brawler by boiling it down to the very basic rock-paper-scissors combat system (which is the core foundation for franchises like Dead or Alive). It's an extremely quick game where fights can end in less than a second (and never extend past 10), but if my initial hands-on time was any indication, the slight permutations to the simple formula have the potential to make this an excellent fighting-party game mashup.

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The Next Halo 2 Anniversary Map Remake Has Been Revealed

Lockout is coming to Halo: The Master Chief Collection as the fifth fully remastered multiplayer map.

"As one of the flagship Halo 2 tournament maps, Lockout was home to a wide host of game types, including Free-for-All, Oddball, King of the Hill, 1-Flag CTF, and of course, Team Slayer," a Microsoft representative told Gamespot."Get ready to return to this classic battleground as Lockdown, part of the Halo 2 Anniversary multiplayer experience in Halo: The Master Chief Collection."

Max Hoberman, the lead designer for the original Halo 2 and president of Certain Affinity - the studio assisting 343 Industries with the multiplayer development for the Halo 2: Anniversary multiplayer, said of the announcement that "Lockout was hands-down the most popular small arena-style map in Halo 2." He added that the team is paying close attention to the "details and subtleties" of the original, while making some "very calculated enhancements."

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American Horror Story: Freak Show Poster

Step right up and see the ghoulish carnival attractions from FX's upcoming American Horror Story: Freak Show.

In this new cast poster, we've got Jessica Lange, strongman Michael Chiklis, greaser Evan Peters (didn't we do that already?), tri-boobed Angela Bassett, bearded Kathy Bates, and Sarah Paulson as Siamese Twins. Also in the lineup are Denis O'Hare and Frances Conroy. Check it out...

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Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer Coming to PS Vita

Deck-building game Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer is coming to PS Vita, Playdek announced on the PlayStation Blog today.

"To put it simply, a deck-building game is a game where players take turns adding cards to their own playable decks," said a community manager from Playdek. "Players start with identical cards in their decks which places each player on an even playing field. In Ascension, you and your opponent will start with 10 cards in your deck and will use these decks to draw cards to create your hand."

A solid release window wasn't given, but in the comments, Playdek said, "Unfortunately we really don’t have a time frame just yet, however I will go out on a limb and say 2015."

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Marvel Announces "Famous Firsts" Graphic Novel Set

A couple months ago, Marvel solicited a special collection of their Marvel Masters works hardcover line aimed at celebrating the publisher's 75th Anniversary. Dubbed the "Marvel Famous Firsts: 75th Anniversary Masterworks Slipcase Set," this collection includes ten Vol. 1 hardcovers from the Marvel Masterworks series, covering classic Silver Age comics like The Avengers, Fantastic Four, Amazing Spider-Man, and The X-Men. And while most of these hardcovers are currently sold individually, one of the major selling points of this collection is that it will debut the first volume in the Marvel Masterworks: Not Brand Ecch series.

The ten hardcovers will be gathered in a specially-designed cardboard slipcase designed to look like Avengers Mansion. Also, the cover art for each book has been redesigned so that all ten spines form an interlocking image. And to round out the package, this set includes a limited edition Avengers poster illustrated by Alex Ross and signed by Stan Lee. Scroll down for a closer look at this impressive collection:

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Mighty Gunvolt Review

Presumed by some to be a piece of Azure Striker DLC, Mighty Gunvolt is actually a standalone game, albeit a tiny one, that people who purchase Azure Striker Gunvolt get free of charge. Now, the most important thing to know about Mighty Gunvolt is that it's woefully, incredibly short; roughly 20 minutes with just a little skill. However, that 20 minutes is a tantalizing throwback to an era that preceded and inspired 16-bit side-scrollers like Mega Man X. Unlike Azure Gunvolt, Mighty doesn't bring anything new to the table, but I'm pretty sure that was the idea. It's part of its charm.

If Azure Striker Gunvolt -- which we loved -- is Japanese developer Inti Create's 16-bit revival project, then Mighty Gunvolt is Azure's 8-bit icing. The original Mega Man is clearly the point of origin for Mighty Gunvolt. Everything about it -- its fluid gameplay, its simple-yet-colorful backgrounds, its soundtrack, and even its point system -- is a throwback to the Blue Bomber's original adventure. Heck, getting through its five stages takes a comparable amount of time it takes an expert to get through Mega Man's six initial stages. There are a lot of parallels old-schoolers will appreciate, which breeds welcome familiarity.

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Netflix Acquires The Blacklist for $2 Million An Episode

Starting September 6th, Season 1 of NBC's The Blacklist will be available to watch (or re-watch, for diehard fans) on Netflix. This acquisition came with a hefty price tag though. $2 million an episode is what Netflix shelled out.

As Deadline reports, Netflix just entered into what is believed to be the "biggest subscription video-on-demand deal" in history with Sony Pictures TV. This $2 million per episode price stands for Season 1 and all future seasons of the James Spader series.

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The Justice League Comic Has A New Artist

DC Comics has named Jason Fabok as the new artist of their Justice League comic book series. He replaces Ivan Reis and Joe Prado, who had previously followed up Jim Lee.

Justice League #36 cover by Jason Fabok

Fabok's first issue will be Justice League #36, written by Geoff Johns, who has been on the title since the launch of the New 52 in September 2011.

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Petz Beach and Petz Countryside Announced for 3DS

Ubisoft has announced Petz Beach and Petz Countryside, two new games in its pet-simulation series that'll be released on Nintendo 3DS.

Each game features more than 50 different types of animal to take care of. The player's village will expand as players progress, and the environments also change with the seasons.

The 3DS' facial recognition system reportedly plays a part in the bond between player and pet, and voice recognition allows players to teach their pet tricks.

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Daily Deals: Amazon PC Games Sale, 20% Off Everything ThinkGeek, Deals on Madden, NHL, and FIFA

Amazon End of Summer Games Sale

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App Store Update: August 28

Every day hundreds of new apps make their debut on the App Store, and hundreds more are updated or reduced in price. We have sifted through the noise and highlighted those select few that might be worth your attention.

Note: The prices and deals compiled below are accurate at the time we published this story, but all are subject to change.

Bioshock – ($14.99)

2007's widely praised FPS from the Xbox 360 (and later PS3), Bioshock's shocking fans for a second time by being ported over to mobile platforms – on a visual level, if nothing else. Check out this comparison we put together of the graphics in action in both the new version and the old:

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Quake Live Changes to Appeal to 'Wider Audience'

id Software is making changes to Quake Live, the browser-based shooter, in an attempt to expand the game's audience when it releases on Steam, the developer said on the Quake Live blog.

The update will introduce a plethora of changes. There are new control options for players unfamiliar with the classic layout; the heavy machinegun is being introduced, along with damage tweaks to several other weapons; and item respawn times have been unified across all game modes.

One of them ore poignant changes, though, is the introduction of weapon loadouts to select modes, giving players the ability to select a primary and secondary weapon before spawning.

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Nintendo Voice Actor Instagrams Adventures With Mario and Luigi

Charles Martinet, the voice of Mario, Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, Donkey Kong and more, is transporting the beloved Nintendo characters into real life in a bizarre way with figurines and Instagram.

Martinet is positioning the video game characters against the backdrop of real-world situations and providing voice overs as they banter within the environment. The prolific voice actor has posted at least 25 videos on Instagram as he vacations in Chile.

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A City Sleeps is Harmonix's Anime Take on Geometry Wars

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I sat down to play Harmonix’s new game, A City Sleeps, but I can safely say that it wasn’t a 2D side-scrolling, bullet-hell shooter with techno-anime art, and a confident hip-hop soundtrack. But sure enough, the next game from the house that built Frequency, Guitar Hero, and Rock Band is all of those things, and I’m kind of digging it.

Developed by a handful of folks who worked on the experimental FPS Chroma, A City Sleeps is a twin-stick shooter that doesn’t have any qualms with beating you senseless. Falling somewhere in the middle of games like Geometry Wars, R-Type, and Ikaruga, A City Sleeps is immediately accessible with its familiar base mechanics. Left stick moves you around, right stick fires projectiles in any given direction. You try to dodge enemy fire while shooting back at them. But once you get beyond the simplistic, A City Sleeps becomes its own unique and interesting beast.

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Game of Thrones: Why We're Excited for Dorne in Season 5

Here's your spoiler warning for all things Game of Thrones Seasons 1-4.

Who's ready for some Dorne? By a show of hands, who wants...

Okay, bad idea. Let's just all agree that we're super stoked to head into the land of Dorne in Game of Thrones Season 5 - a place we've only heard of thus far. Famous for its wine, women, and Oberyns.

So why haven't we seen Dorne up until now? Other than the fact that most everything, chaos and carnage-wise, was happening up in the upper regions of Westeros? Well, they keep to themselves. Once an official part of the Seven Kingdoms, Dorne maintains cordial relations with King's Landing - enough that they took in Princess Myrcella as a favor to Tyrion when it looked like Stannis was poised to conquer the Lannisters - but for the most part they enjoy living down in the desert, safe and separate from all those "games of thrones."

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How a Prolific British DJ is Promoting Indie Music in Forza Horizon 2

Robert John Gorham, or Rob da Bank, as BBC Radio 1 listeners know him, has made a career of showcasing up-and-coming musical artists. He curates British festivals, hosts a weekend radio show, founded several music labels and now, for the second time, he's compiling a video game soundtrack.

Promoting artists in a video game is a far cry from the traditional radio and live venue methods, though. The sheer number of Xbox One and 360 players that will hear the soundtrack means Rob da Bank has the chance to present new music on a much larger scale. Forza Horizon 2 will have household names like The Clash and Jane's Addiction, yes, but the DJ sees a chance to bring new names to the front.

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FX Orders New Zach Galifianakis/Louis C.K. Comedy

FX has ordered Baskets, a half-hour, single camera comedy series starring Zach Galifianakis, and co-created by Galifianakis, Louis C.K. and Jonathan Krisel (Portlandia, Saturday Night Live, Man Seeking Woman).

The initial order is for 10 episodes of Baskets, with production beginning next year and the series scheduled to launch in 2016.

The pilot episode of Baskets was co-written by Executive Producers Galifianakis, Emmy Award-winner Louis C.K., and Emmy Award-nominated Writer and Director Jonathan Krisel, who is the Showrunner on Baskets and also directed the pilot.

So what is Baskets? Well, in a world constrained by corporate interests and the homogenization of society, one man in Bakersfield, California dares to follow his dream of becoming a professional clown. But after an unsuccessful enrollment at a prestigious clowning school in Paris, the only job he can find is with the local rodeo. Baskets follows Chip Baskets’ (Zach Galifianakis) pursuit of his dream, against all odds, to be a respected clown.

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Apple Sends Out Invites for September 9 Event

Apple has just sent out invitations for an event being held on September 9 in Cupertino, CA, where the company is largely expected to reveal its next plans for its iPhone line.

As expected, the image sent along with the invitation doesn't reveal much of anything, aside from the tagline "Wish we could say more."

Even though Apple isn't hinting at much, it's more that likely that we'll see the next-generation iPhone—or iPhones—at the event. Speculation strongly suggests that the company will announce a pair of new smartphones, one with a 4.7-inch display and the other sporting a 5.5-inch screen.

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Ex-Walking Dead Showrunner Making Omen TV Show

Back in May, we learned that ex-Walking Dead showrunner Glen Mazzara was in talks to work on a Lifetime movie that served as a sequel to the 1976 horror classic The Omen.

Now Lifetime has announced that they've greenlit the project - placing a six-episode, straight-to-series order on the series, which is now called Damien.

The series follows the adult life of Damien Thorn, the mysterious child from the 1976 motion picture who has grown up, seemingly unaware of the satanic forces around him. Haunted by his past, Damien must now come to terms with his true destiny -- that he is the Antichrist, the most feared man throughout the ages.

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Assassin's Creed Unity Delayed

Ubisoft has delayed Assassin's Creed Unity by two weeks, the publisher has confirmed.

The latest entry in the franchise will now launch on PS4, Xbox One and PC on November 11 in North America and November 13 in Europe and Australasia. The delay has been attributed to the developer's desire to polish the game.

"As we got close to the finish, we realized we were near the target but still needed a bit more time to hone some of the details to make sure Assassin’s Creed Unity is exceptional,” says Vincent Pontbriand, senior producer at Ubisoft. “We sincerely appreciate players’ commitment to the game and their patience. It’s just a couple more weeks. And it’s going to be worth it.”

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Lost Soul Review

It’s been the stuff of urban movie legend for nearly 20 years… following his dismissal as director of The Island of Doctor Moreau, Richard Stanley tracked down an animal costume and returned to set as one of the beastly extras with plans to sabotage proceedings.

The story captured the imagination of film fans, buoyed by the incoherence and insanity of what ended up onscreen; the finished film a train-wreck of gargantuan proportions, paving the way for Stanley to be painted as the plucky if eccentric young artist battling the Hollywood machine.

And now director David Gregory is endeavouring to locate the truth behind the rumour, telling the tale of the madness of Moreau, in a story that proves that age-old adage that truth really is stranger than fiction, even if that fiction does feature pig-ladies.

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Samsung and LG Unveil Their Next-Generation Smartwatches

LG's G Watch and the Samsung Gear Live may have only just recently launched, but both manufacturers are already back with a new pair of smartwatches.

LG G Watch R

The LG G Watch R is the latest smartwatch to utilize Google's Android Wear operating system. Unlike the square G Watch, the new device has a more traditional round face like Motorola's Moto 360, making for a generally more aesthetically pleasing wearable. The G Watch R features a 1.3-inch circle Plastic OLED display that the company claims can be viewed under bright sunlight. Inside is a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor, 4GB of strage, 512MB of RAM, and a 410mAh battery.

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Azure Striker Gunvolt Review

Several years ago, Japanese developer Inti Creates captured the essence of the late-'80s with its spot-on entries in the classic Mega Man series, Mega Man 9 and 10. Its latest, Azure Striker Gunvolt, is an original game that represents a natural evolution of that appreciation of retro gaming, done in the style of Mega Man X. While it's in no way, shape, or form as good as X, it's certainly fun in its own right, and like Mega Man 9 and 10 before it, it provides a nostalgic trip for anyone who still finds value in games from an era gone by.

The most unique aspect of Azure Striker Gunvolt is its combat. Gunvolt's titular protagonist is armed with a pistol, but you won't be using it in typical fashion. Regardless of which gun he's equipped with -- there are several -- they simply won't do much damage. What these pistols will do is "tag" enemies when fired. Once an enemy is tagged, Gunvolt is able to unleash his true power, shocking robotic thugs with electrical pulses called Flashfields that automatically gravitate towards those who are marked. This novel style of play is decidedly more complex than Mega Man X's.

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Blizzard on Free-to-Play Prices and Hearthstone Expansions

Hearthstone hopes to be around and still releasing new content in ten years, according to the game's senior producer.

Speaking to IGN, Yong Woo talked a bit about the team's pricing strategy for the popular free-to-play card game, explaining its fairness was motivated by ambitions of longevity.

"Universally we’ve been getting feedback that our pricing is very generous," he revealed. "To us, that’s important. For us, we’re here for the long run. We’re not here to make a quick buck. I want to be playing and working on Hearthstone 10 years from now and from that end, instead of focusing on maximising immediate profit, Hearthstone is really about being able to play it how you want to. If that involves paying for content, awesome - it funds our ability to make more so, thanks - but if you wanna play the game for free we really want that to be a real possibility.

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Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire Get Steelbooks

Nintendo has announced it's releasing limited edition steelbook versions of Pokemon Omega Ruby and Pokemon Alpha Sapphire, alongside other pre-order incentives.

At the moment only announced for the UK, though we're chasing other regions, you'll get the standard game box along with the metallic cases. As you'd expect, Primal Groudon graces the front of Omega Ruby, with Primal Kyogre on the front of Alpha Sapphire. the inside artwork shows the two facing off, and you can pre-order both now at the Nintendo UK Store or GAME.

That's not all, however. Anyone who pre-orders either game will be able to receive a Legendary Figurine keyring of the 'mon bedecking the games' covers based on which you opt for.

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Geekly Weekly: Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad just cleaned up at the Emmys, and we're currently living in anticipation of Better Call Saul, which has been delayed until 2015, but is confirmed for two seasons. To celebrate all that, we've rounded up the cool merch and swag related to the misadventures of one Walter White.

We've also dipped into show creator Vince Gilligan's past, including his work on The X-Files, and some of his Hollywood screenwriting work.

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Comic Book Reviews for August 27, 2014

It's a week of big endings as DC's All-Star Western saw it's last issue and Marvel's Wolverine series concluded, although Wolverine is getting an even bigger send-off in the month long Death of Wolverine story in September.

10 Times Wolverine Has Died

As for the rest of this week's releases, Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Two and Saga earned top honors. We also saw the next chapters of Superman, Outcast, and nearly all of the 500 comics Rick Remender is currently putting out.

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Saga #22 Review

You can't say he didn't warn us. Saga returns with issue #22, creators Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples delivering another complex and riveting read.

The writing has been on the wall for a few issues now. The crack in Alana and Marko's relationship has become more noticeable with each passing page, their doubts palpable and raw. This issue sees that crack become a chasm in a fleeting but damaging encounter that gives light to a number of unspoken truths. Vaughn has done an amazing job setting up this moment, telling Marko and Alana's stories separate from one another but allowing we, the reader, to follow each. When they finally come together, all that hurt and guilt and anger that boils to the surface feels completely earned, so totally are we invested in these characters. Though it's tough to witness, it's also incredible, on a number of levels.

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Outcast #3 Review

Too often in genre comics, particularly horror books, there's an increased pressure to give the readers "what they want." There's nothing particularly wrong with adhering to that convention, but delivering to expectation can definitely limit the overall impact of the book's events. It's with that in mind that Robert Kirkman and Paul Azaceta return to the world of Outcast, delivering another quieter but no less riveting installment.

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New Hunger Games: Mockingjay Posters Spotlight Rebellion

Several new posters have debuted for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, spotlighting those fighting in the rebellion against President Snow.

While there's one familiar face from the series, Gale (Liam Hemsworth), the rest of the group are new characters introduced in this film. Game of Thrones fans will of course recognize Natalie Dormer as Cressida, in a role that called for her to shave one side of her head. Also playing rebels are Mahershala Ali (House of Cards, The 4400) as Boggs, Elden Henson (Idle Hands; Foggy Nelson in Netflix's upcoming Daredevil series) as Pollux, Evan Ross (90210) as Messalla and Wes Chatham (The Unit) as Castor.

Check out all the posters in the gallery below.

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Bob’s Burgers #1 Regular Review

It’s clear from the first page of the debut issue of the new Bob’s Burgers comic from Dynamite that the book’s creators are not even remotely close to the vicinity of holding back the show’s off-kilter humor. This is a good thing. By not being afraid to dive right into translating what makes the TV series so great into comic form, the creators of Bob’s Burgers have created a hysterical romp of a first issue that longtime fans will love.

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Underworld is Being Rebooted

Lakeshore Entertainment is rebooting their Underworld movie franchise.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the producers have hired Priest screenwriter Cory Goodman to pen a fresh start for the franchise, which has earned a $459 million worldwide since the 2003 original debuted.

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All-Star Western #34 Review

Considering how often DC's forays into non-superhero genres in the New 52 have been commercial duds, it's impressive that All-Star Western lasted as long as it did. This issue isn't just a series finale, but the final chapter in a Jonah Hex run that has spanned the better part of a decade and over 100 issues. Luckily, co-writers Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray are able to send Mr. Hex off in style. Artist Darwyn Cooke and colorist Dave Stewart stop by to ensure that the wandering bounty hunter has never looked better. And whether you've been a fan of the series from the beginning or are just stopping by for Cooke's art, you won't be disappointed.

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Amazing Spider-Man #1.4 Review

More than introducing the misguided villain Clash or adding to the lineup of Spider-Man’s supporting characters, Learning to Crawl is about exploring Peter Parker’s painful transition from super-powered show-boater to selfless superhero. As we see in this fourth issue, Peter is making decent progress. He’s adjusting to his new lot in life, making friends, doing well in school, and supporting himself and Aunt May with his photography. But he’s also on the verge of retiring Spider-Man and letting those powers go to waste. Good thing there’s always that infamous Parker Luck to kick in when things start going too smoothly for Pete.

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Harley Quinn #10 Review

Between the one-shot specials and the double-shipping, Harley Quinn has practically become a biweekly series at this point. Not that you can blame DC when this book has become one of their bestselling New 52 titles. Issue #10 offers a pretty straightforward and mostly standalone tale, as Harley reunites with her roller derby crew for a night of fun and bloodshed at Skate Club. Nothing groundbreaking, but it showcases Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti’s knack for bloody good fun.

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