Monthly Archives: February 2016
Explore Destiny from Conception to Now with Bungie
Bungie wants to give players an inside look into how things are done behind the scenes. In the company's new weekly show, Ride Along, employees will discuss what they do to keep Bungie's new flagship series ticking.
The first episode will debut on March 2 with Destiny senior artist Andrew Hopps and senior designer Brian Frank. They'll explore the art and design behind Oryx's "inscrutable loot-filled fortress," Dreadnaught. Bungie promises players will learn how the team builds its destinations, and how they "fill them with action worthy of heroes."
Following the launch episode, Ride Along will cover Destiny's audio team—focusing on all aspects of its creative process, from sound effects to dialogue. Another episode will look into Destiny's Clan Resolute. That episode in particular will focus on what it means to be part of an in-game clan.
This Dark Souls 3 Guide Comes With a Flask
Prima Games is offering a special edition of its Dark Souls III guidebook, and it comes with an Estus Flask.
Grab the #DarkSouls3 Estus Flask Edition from @primagames and own an undead favorite: https://t.co/L20S0oJJTN pic.twitter.com/Dex3ebCgJJ
— Dark Souls (@DarkSoulsGame) February 25, 2016
The guide itself is one of Prima's premium hardcover books, and comes with a dust jacket adorned with Dark Souls III artwork. Prima will also include a miniature Wolf Knight's Greatsword—"the Greatsword of a knight tainted by the Dark of the Abyss"—which is made of hard, shiny metal.
Ubisoft Fights a Possible Vivendi Takeover
Ubisoft is reportedly reaching out to Canadian investors to fend off a takeover from French conglomerate Vivendi.
According to the Canadian paper The Globe and Mail, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has met with the premier of Quebec to discuss investment from the Quebec government, while other Ubisoft officials are meeting up this week with "a dozen potential investors" across Montreal and Toronto.
The Assassin's Creed publisher wants to stay independent in the face of a potential takeover from Vivendi, the mass media organisation which began to purchase shares in the company late last year.
Drew Barrymore Hosting Fancy Penthouse Pokemon Party
Drew Barrymore is hosting a special, very fancy, Pokemon Afternoon Soire in Los Angeles at the Sunset Tower penthouse this Saturday, February 27.
While the chance for Barrymore to battle with her elite team of Pokemon will probably present itself, the main focus of the event is to celebrate the brand's "categorical expansion into unisex fashion."
"I'm immersed in branding and brand expansion every day with my own companies," Barrymore said, adding she believes "what Pokémon has done here is so smart and such a perfect way to expand their footprint."
This isn't like the Pokemon party your parents might have thrown you for your eighth birthday. It's a full-on, fancy Pokemon soire against the backdrop of the "breathtaking, panoramic views" of the Hollywood Hills.
Game Scoop!: Mirror’s Edge & Other Games Lucky to Get Sequels
Welcome back to Game Scoop!, IGN's weekly video game talk show. This week we're discussing Mirror's Edge, amazing-sounding video game mashups, the importance of preserving games, and more. Watch the video above or download the podcast below.
Download Game Scoop! Episode 379
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Rumor: Apple to Reveal Smaller iPad Pro Instead of iPad Air 3 at March Event
Apple is expected to announce three new products during its March 15 event, but one of those products won't be the iPad Air 3, as previously thought.
In place of a new iteration of the iPad Air, Apple will instead introduce a 9.7-inch iPad Pro, according to 9to5Mac. The current iPad Pro model is 12.9-inches, but size will be the only real difference between the two models, as the smaller iPad Pro will have the same features, specs, display, and come equipped with the A9X processor.
Walmart Ceases Selling ‘Hoverboards’ Amid Safety Concerns
The largest retailer in the United States has deemed "hoverboards" too dangerous to sell.
Walmart Stores, Inc., which is also the largest company in the world,by revenue, has pulled the devices from its website. In doing so it joins online retailer Amazon, which pulled the fire-prone devices just days earlier.
These so-called hover boards — which actually operate on two wheels planted firmly on the ground — typically run for about $300 or less on sites still selling them. They're also possibly quite dangerous, as their lithium-ion batteries have been reported as the cause of dozens of fires across the United States.
Earlier this year the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission launched an investigation into hoverboard safety.
GTA Publisher Will Be at E3 ‘In a Big Way’
Borderlands and Grand Theft Auto publisher Take-Two is bringing its big guns to E3 this year.
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick spoke in-depth about the publisher's plans with MCV. Among the many quotes given was Zelnick saying "We will be there in a big way," referring to the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo.
Take-Two has already announced or released games from several of the major studios under its belt in 2016. These include XCOM 2 from Civilizaton developer Firaxis, Battleborn from Gearbox, the makers of Borderlands, and the third entry in the open-world Mafia series.
Bones Renewed for Final Season
The crime procedural Bones will return for one more shortened season.
The final season will consist of 12 episodes instead of 22. It will bring back showrunners Jonathan Collier and Michael Peterson, who were brought on at the start of the current season.
The finale comes amid some legal drama. THR reports that last year, executive producer Barry Josephson and actors Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz filed lawsuits against Fox claiming the network hadn't given them all the profits they were owed from the series. Fox TV Group chairman Dana Walden said in January that while the show's renewal status was up in the air, the legal matter "has no impact really on our decision making."
Game of Thrones Will Never Be Able to Do This Winds of Winter Twist
George R.R. Martin has officially decided to write in the big twist he planned for his new book, The Winds of Winter. The twist on the twist? The Game of Thrones TV show won't be able to pull it off, because it's already killed off a key character involved in the storyline. Watch Martin give us the scoop in the video above.
This is just one awesome moment from our full 27-minute sit down with Martin and Colony co-creator Ryan Condal, where we talk the suggestions that changed their series completely, the sci-fi/fantasy properties that made them fans, dream casting and how to end a story. Watch it in its entirety below!
Terri Schwartz is Entertainment Editor at IGN. Talk to her on Twitter at @Terri_Schwartz.