Conan Exiles Gets Free Frozen North Expansion Soon
The first expansion for Conan Exiles, called The Frozen North, will arrive August 16 on PC and Xbox One.
The free update will bring a large new frosty landmass to the game. Developer Funcom says it'll make Conan Exiles 70 percent bigger.
The Frozen North not only offers a new climate, but a new religion, an additional crafting system with brewing, and fresh mechanics like beekeeping and cooking.
Conan Exiles creative director Joel Bylos touched on other enhancements in a press release, saying The Frozen North "brings with it significant improvements to core aspects of the game, such as combat, artificial intelligence and more.”
The game is currently available on Steam Early Access. Conan Exiles, along with The Frozen North update, will come out August 16 on Xbox One, with the full release hitting those platforms and PlayStation 4 early next year.
Death Stranding: First Graphics Demo Revealed
Kojima Productions has showcased an early look at the advanced lighting and fog system that's being developed for Death Stranding.
During a tech presentation at SIGGRAPH, a graphics demo was revealed for the game, which is being built on Guerrilla Games' Decima Engine, the same engine that powers Horizon: Zero Dawn.
Watch the demo below to see the stunning engine in action, which features the location shown in the Death Stranding trailer that debuted at PSX 2016.
NASA Seeks “Planetary Protection Officer” to Save Earth From Alien Contamination
NASA has a job opening that sounds straight out of science-fiction. The "planetary protection officer" position will ensure that Earth is not contaminated by matter brought back from space, and that humans do not contaminate planets and moons during exploration.
The Independent reports that the job oversees "the avoidance of organic-constituent and biological contamination in human and robotic space exploration.” This is part of an ongoing policy of planetary protection, applying to any space mission that could carry Earth organisms into space, or vice-versa.
Pacific Rim 2: The Kaiju “Have Grown More Intelligent”
Pacific Rim: Uprising star John Boyega told me during a phone chat this week that not only are the Jaegers "much more swift" in the forthcoming sequel, but their enemy, the Kaiju, "have grown more intelligent" in their campaign against the surface world.
Be mindful of SPOILERS ahead about the first Pacific Rim and the sequel. (And look for our full interview with John Boyega about his new drama, Detroit, tomorrow.)
"As you know, Pacific Rim 1 ended with Stacker Pentecost
dying, and Raleigh
dying as well, and they feel like they've closed the Breach, but unfortunately the enemy has grown more intelligent and has other ways of doing things, and we are met with a rogue character," Boyega explained.
Thumper Coming to Xbox One Soon
Thumper is headed to Xbox One on August 18. The self-described "rhythm violence" game from Drool first debuted on PC and PlayStation 4 on October 10, 2016.
Once it launches on Xbox One, Thumper will officially be available on all major current gen platforms, including Windows, PS4/PSVR, and Nintendo Switch.
Thumper is an on-rails rhythm game where you control a space beetle plummeting into an abyss. You earn points by "thumping" on glowing notes on the track, but must also avoid dangers like sharp turns and spike pits by nailing precise button-presses. There are nine levels, each with a mini boss and a final boss.
Check out our Thumper guide for tips and tricks on its basic controls and how to score extra points.
Divergent Series: Ascendant May Become Starz TV Show
The Divergent film franchise is reportedly making the move to TV.
Entertainment Weekly reports Starz is in the early stages of developing a TV adaptation of Ascendant, the second part of the final book Allegiant. Starz was recently acquired by Lionsgate, the studio behind the movies.
Adam Cozad (The Legend of Tarzan) will reportedly pen the show and will executive produce alongside Lee Toland Krieger (Age of Adaline). The duo were previously set to write and direct what was supposed to be a film adaptation of Ascendant instead.
It's currently unclear if the films' original cast, including Shailene Woodley, Theo James, and Ansel Elgort, will return for the show. News of The Divergent Series: Ascendent potentially becoming a TV series instead first surfaced in 2016.
Another Lost Phone: Laura’s Story Announced
Another Lost Phone: Laura's Story has been announced for desktop and mobile devices. It will hit Steam, the App Store, and Google Play late Summer, early Fall.
The upcoming story-driven mystery is set entirely within a missing person's phone. It is a spiritual successor to developer Accidental Queens' previous indie hit from early this year, A Normal Lost Phone, which followed a similar setup.
In Another Lost Phone: Laura's Story, you must learn more about Laura, the missing young woman whose phone you happen to stumble upon, by sorting through her applications, photo gallery, various social media accounts, and text messages. Sorting through Laura's phone unearths secrets and other information about her private life that may help to unravel the mystery surrounding her disappearance.
Eli Roth Guest Column: My Favorite Revenge Movies
I’ve always been a fan of revenge cinema - that primal animal drive that makes the protagonists’ sole purpose to destroy those who took everything from them. In taking on Death Wish I watched so many great action films to inspire me, many films that aren’t even classifiable as revenge films but had revenge in them, such as Sicario, Eastern Promises and Django Unchained. I even went back into the Arnold canon and watched Commando, which was really the first Arnold movie where he delivered one liners with every kill. Death Wish to many is a revered classic, and I knew my adaptation had to stand on its own in every way. In other words, if you’re you’re going to remake a classic, you had better make a new classic.
Dark Tower Series Lands Former Walking Dead Showrunner
The upcoming TV adaptation of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series has found its showrunner in Glen Mazzara.
IGN can confirm that Mazzara, who is a former showrunner on AMC's The Walking Dead, is on board as showrunner and writer for the series.
The Dark Tower TV series is being produced by Media Rights Capital and Sony Pictures Television. The show, which is independent from the upcoming move, will be based on the fourth book in King's series, Wizard in Glass, and will center around a younger Roland and his story of becoming a gunslinger.
"The format of television allows us to get deeper into groups of stories and tales and offshoots that the film doesn't allow time or space," Idris Elba said of the TV series in an interview with IGN. "So, I think that if the Man in Black and Roland appear in a TV show, I think it will be a much layered and deeper version or time that we might use to plug for the next movie if this is successful."
Best Digital Comics From the Marvel Generations Sale
Marvel’s gearing up for their big Marvel Legacy relaunch, which promises to bring a bit of cohesion to the Marvel Universe, and recenter the House of Ideas’ focus back on its core characters like Iron Man, Captain Marvel and Captain America. Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic will kick the initiative off in September with Marvel Legacy #1. But before that hits, we'll be treated to Generations, a series of time-bending, one-shot stories that see classic characters meet those who will eventually take up their mantles.
Comixology is offering a hugely discounted price on some digital titles featuring the characters that will be most prominently affected by Generations and Marvel Legacy. In short, if you want to be up to snuff on Marvel’s next big move, you should be taking advantage of this sale.