New Overwatch Map and Animated Short Coming Next Week
Blizzard is going to Gamescom next week, and will be bringing a new Overwatch map and animated short with it.
There are no concrete details on what we'll be seeing, but we know that the new map will be revealed in a preview video being shown on Monday, August 21, while the new short will arrive two days later during a livestreamed Blizzard Reveal Ceremony on Wednesday, August 23.
This will be the first new animated short (a specific term Blizzard uses for its CG, character-centric mini-movies) since last year's Sombra introduction, Infiltration. Recently director Jeff Kaplan indicated that the shorts will be returning for a 'second season', so this is hopefully just the beginning.
It Tracking to Have Biggest King Movie Opening Ever
The upcoming big screen adaptation of Stephen King's It is expected to gross over $50 million USD during its first weekend at the domestic box office, according to initial tracking data.
As Variety reports, a $50 million weekend would make It the best opening ever for a movie based on King's work, as well as the biggest September debut of all time. The month's current record holder is Hotel Transylvania 2 at $48 million.
Variety notes sources "close to the studio" believe the $50 million figure is too high—especially considering the film's R rating—and "an opening in the $40 million-range is more likely." Even then, It would nearly double 1408's current opening record for a King movie, which stands at $20.6 million, according to Box Office Mojo.
Opinion: How I’d Fix Xbox’s First-Party Problem
These days in gaming, it’s very easy for perception to become reality. All it takes is one social media or Reddit post to go viral and a label can get attached that’s nearly impossible to peel off without leaving behind sticky residue. But in the case of Xbox’s perceived first-party problem, there’s some truth to it. Scalebound? Canceled. Fable Legends? Canceled. Lionhead? Shuttered. Press Play? Closed down. Ion? Done. Granted, cancellations are a normal part of the games business, but when they’re that public and that high-profile, it reinforces the negative perception.
Supernatural Horror Fuels New Crime Comic Gasolina
Crime and horror are clashing together in Gasolina, the upcoming comic book series by writer Sean Mackiewicz and artists Niko Walter and Mat Lopes from Image Comics’ Skybound imprint. Skybound brought us The Walking Dead, and Gasolina similarly grounds the story in human drama while incorporating a supernatural element to up the horror factor.
The story follows a pair of newlyweds who face the might of a deadly new Mexican cartel, only it’s not guns and drugs they’re most worried about. There’s a creeping sense of dread throughout the story as bug-like creatures crawl into the pages of the story and leave a bloody mess in their wake. To say more would spoil the thrills and chills of the story, but suffice to say you’ll want to keep a trash bin nearby if you have a weak stomach.
Check Out the New Skyrim Fine Art Print Collection
18 pieces of concept and production art used to create The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim are now available as high-quality, limited run prints.
Showing off early takes on creatures and locations from the game, the prints are available hand-numbered, with many including a Certificate of Authenticity signed by Bethesda senior concept artist Ray Lederer.
Check out all 18 in the gallery below - if you want to own the real deal, Cook & Becker are selling the collection, with each piece running from from $90-255 unframed:
Despite being released almost 6 years ago, Skyrim is still going strong. With a Nintendo Switch version and PlayStation VR edition still due for release, another round of players may yet experience the timeworn joys of a Fus Roh Dah.
Quake Champions: Early Access Release Date Announced
Quake Champions, the latest game in id Software's beloved FPS franchise, is entering into Early Access on Steam this coming Tuesday, August 22.
Currently in closed beta, the game will be made available both through Steam and through publisher Bethesda's own launcher, with Early Access available for £20/$30 USD, a discount on the projected final retail price of £30/$40 USD. Shelling out earns you the Champions Pack, which contains all current and future Champions, as well as a new addition - the DOOM Slayer from id's other big franchise.
There's also three exclusive loot chests, an exclusive skin for Rangers and a guarantee that "at least" six new Champions will be released between now and the end of 2018.
Comic Book Reviews for August 16, 2017
It was another big week of comics. DC finally kicked off the epic Dark Nights: Metal crossover and debuted their latest digital-first series, Gotham City Garage. Marvel put Sana Starros and Lando Calrissian in the spotlight in Star Wars #34, spotlighted two Wolverines in the latest chapter of Generations and continued the Peter Parker/Miles Morales team-up in Spider-Men II. And Image had yet another strong week thanks to the debut of Mage: The Hero Denied and new issues of Curse Words, I Hate Fairyland and Southern Bastards.
Scroll down to check out our reviews for these and various other new releases, and be sure to let us know your favorite books of the week in the comments below.
Alphabetic Ninjas? Learning the ABCs of Ninja-K
The premiere ninja superhero of the Valiant Universe has a new comic book series on the way that seeks to expand his origins and explain his weird name. Turns out that Ninjak is actually “Ninja-K,” the eleventh in a line of secret agents trained as ninjas by the highly confidential Ninja Programme. That’s means there’s Ninja-A and Ninja-B and a bunch of other deadly, alphabetical ninjas out there. The story for this new comic kicks off when Ninjak learns that a mysterious villain is killing off his predecessors, forcing him to track the killer down (and take us on a tour of the Ninja Programme while he’s at it).
The 40-page Ninja-K #1 hits on November 15, so to tide you over until then, we conducted an email interview with series writer Christos Gage (Avengers Academy, The Amazing Spider-Man, Netflix’s Daredevil). He gives us a history lesson on the Ninja Programme and reveals where the idea for this alphabetic mythology came from.
Wild West Online Aims to Fill Red Dead Redemption 2’s PC Void
Wild West Online developer Stefan Bugaj headed me off at the pass, bringing up the elephant in the room (Red Dead Redemption 2) before I could.
"We were inspired by Westworld and the impending not-coming-to-PC Red Dead Redemption 2," he said with a smile. "Westerns started coming back. So we thought
would fill a fun unfulfilled gaming desire in the community."
You can see the entire demo I got from Bugaj in the four videos on this page, beginning with the one above. It's clearly still very early in development – note the total lack of any other people on the servers as of yet – but the team is cognizant of that and was happy to talk through their goals and intentions for WWO with me this week.
UK Daily Deals: Exclusive Glacier White PS4 Pro Destiny 2 Game and Expansion Pass Bundle for Under £350
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Preorder the Glacier White PS4 Pro Destiny 2 Game and Expansion Pass Bundle for Under £350
The most powerful PlayStation ever made is now availble in Glacier White. This bundle was £399.99 as recently as yesterday.
Bundle is released on 6th September, 2017. Bundle includes a copy of Destiny 2 on Blu-ray Disc and the new Glacier White PS4 Pro with matching DualShock 4 V2 Wireless Controller. Also included is a voucher for a digital content pack that’ll give you access to the Destiny 2 expansion pass and premium digital content.