The Inside Story of Pinball’s Renaissance
Editor's note: This feature was originally produced back in 2015, and has since been updated.
Before mobile phones, home consoles, and arcade cabinets, there was pinball. With flashing lights metallic dings, and a satisfying physicality, these machines transfixed people across the world, creating celebrities out of the most skilled players, and spawning a massive multi-million dollar industry. For anyone interested in games, pinball was the cultural norm.
But with the turn of the century, pinball’s popularity began to fade. Machines were too expensive, and too hard to maintain. A new generation of video gamers grew up with little knowledge of the mechanical machines that preceded them. Arcades across the world moved pinball machines into storage to make room for their pixelated counterparts. Pinball came close to flatlining, and for 12 years, only one company kept the game alive, Stern Pinball, creators of The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones.
Why You Need Xbox Live Gold
Note that if you click on one of these links to buy the product, IGN may get a share of the sale. For more, read our Terms of Use.
Microsoft's Xbox Live Gold for Xbox One and Xbox 360 is a continuation of the same service started 15 years ago on the original Xbox. Sony wouldn't introduce its PlayStation Network until 4 years later, making Xbox Live the oldest of the continuously running console services.
Between its online play and free monthly games, Gold is a hugely valuable service, and if you commit to a 12-month membership, there are always deals to be had. If you're still not on-board, even after all this time, here's why you need Xbox Live in your life.
Gunvolt Dev Announces Two New Titles for Switch
This weekend at BitSummit, Inti Creates announced two new titles for Nintendo Switch, Mighty Gunvolt Burst and Azure: Striker Gunvolt: Striker Pack.
Mighty Gunvolt Burst, which features Gunvolt from Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 and Beck from Mighty No. 9, will release for both Switch and 3DS on June 15 for $10 USD. The game will include a "deep character customization system" as well as reworked pixel-style visuals that "blur the line between 8-bit and 16-bit."
Meanwhile, Azure Striker Gunvolt: Striker Pack, which bundles together Azure Striker Gunvolt and Azure Striker Gunvolt 2, will release for Switch on August 31 for a price that has yet to be announced.
The Nintendo Switch version includes a number of additional features, including a new theme song, Pro Controller support, a frame rate increase to 60 FPS, and HD rumble support. Additionally, all of the DLC from the original 3DS version comes included.
There’s an Indian Remake of Rambo in the Works
An official Indian remake of Rambo has been announced.
Siddhartha Anand, who directed the 2014 Indian action comedy Bang Bang, is on board to helm the movie, which will star Bollywood actor and martial arts expert Tiger Shroff (Baaghi, Heropanti).
Tiger Shroff
"Being a martial artist and a huge action movie buff since childhood, this all seems very surreal and I’m very grateful for this opportunity," Shroff said of his role. "By no means do I believe I can replace the legendary Sylvester Stallone, however I do feel that somehow this is something I’ve been preparing for since childhood."
Logan Almost Opened With THAT X-Men Scene
Full spoilers follow for Logan (and Old Man Logan!).
With the black and white version of Logan getting a one-night run in theaters this week to help promote its home entertainment release (the film is available now on Digital HD and will be available on Blu-ray, DVD and 4K Ultra HD on May 23), I sat down with director James Mangold to delve into the final Hugh Jackman Wolverine movie one more time. And during our chat, the filmmaker revealed that Logan originally opened on a much darker (if very familiar for comics fans) note…
One of the biggest revelations in Logan was the fact that the X-Men are dead by the time Wolverine and Professor X have gone into hiding in the film. And not just that, but it was their beloved Xavier who accidentally killed them!
Your Guide to Summer TV 2017
Spring seamlessly blends into summer these days on the television front as there's no rest for the wicked and there's rarely a break for TV lovers. Just as an entire slate of shows air season finales, a bold batch of new and returning shows start their run. But don't worry, we've got you covered!
With May comes the return of many Netflix Originals - like Sense8, House of Cards, Bloodline, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Master of None - while June hits us hard with AMC's Preacher and Fear the Walking Dead and Syfy's Dark Matter, Wynonna Earp, and Killjoys.
July, however, is where it's at as Game of Thrones makes a rare summertime splash, unleashing a shortened 7-episode Season 7 and pushing us toward what's sure to be a nail-biting endgame.
Spider-Man: Homecoming Offers New Take on Classic Theme
Spider-Man: Homecoming will offer a fresh take on the series' classic theme song, and composer Michael Giacchino has taken to social media to share an early sample for you to hear.
Check out the fully-orchestrated theme, which Giacchino posted on Twitter, below:
Who's ready for your friendly neighborhood you-know-who?@SpiderManMovie @MarvelStudios pic.twitter.com/iSHk4IvVgk
— Michael Giacchino (@m_giacchino) May 19, 2017
Darksiders 3: Ask the Developers Anything
We've been covering Darksiders 3 all month long as part of IGN First, and to close things out we'd like to offer you a chance to ask the developers at Gunfire Games your burning questions about the apocalyptic action-adventure sequel. For things we've already covered, check out our hands-on preview and everything we know about the game's protagonist, Fury.
Please leave your questions in the comments below, and we'll send the best of the bunch straight to Gunfire for their consideration. Look for the answers soon!
New Dark Tower Posters Feature Man in Black, Roland
Sony has released a new set of The Dark Tower posters, once again highlighting the film's two main characters.
Like the previous two posters that were released before the first trailer's debut, these two new images feature The Gunslinger/Roland Deschain (Idris Elba), who can be seen once again welding his two trademark six shooters, and the villain Man in Black (Matthew McConaughey). Check out the posters below.
Matthew McConaughey as the Man in Black.
Splatoon Manga Coming to the West
The Splatoon manga series, which debuted in Japan in 2015, will be getting a western release later this year.
Pokemon, Dragon Ball, and Sailor Moon publisher, VIZ Media acquired the publishing rights for the Splatoon mana and is set to launch in print form in late 2017, after the release of Splatoon 2.
The manga was created by Hinodeya Sankichi and is serialized in the Japanese magazine Corocoro Comic. Based on Nintendo's third-person ink shooter, the Splatoon manga is rated 'A' for all ages and features the tale of four Inklings involved in a turf war, much like the games.