This Anime Malware Forces You to Play a Game
An undergraduate student based in Korea has developed anime malware that demands the infected play a game to regain access to their files.
The malware is a kind of ransomware, which will usually instruct the user to hand over money in order for the program to be removed. In this case, it was rensenware, a pun on the on the game Touhou Seirensen (Undefined Fantastic Object) in which users must score over 200 million points on Lunatic difficulty to be free of the program.
When asked by Kotaku about his creation, the student explained that he had made it as a joke for other fans who like the anime games from the Touhou Project Series. He never expected the malware to spread as it had, and even infected his own computer.
Hearthstone Exploit Lets You Skip Your Opponent’s Turn
During one of his Hearthstone streams, Disguised Toast stumbled upon an exploit allowing him to skip his Opponent's turns.
The streamer orchestrated a situation in which the in-game animations caused by the cards he was playing effectively locked the other player out of their turn. This is possible because the countdown timer starts as soon as an opponents turn is over, however, all animations must finish before an opposing player can make any moves.
In this case, Disguised Toast was using a combination of the cards, Shadow Vision to make copies of itself, and Radiant Elemental to make this process free of mana. This created a loop, which, when done quickly enough, allowed him to spam cards until the animations built up to the point he could deny the other player a turn.
Deathstroke Actor Developed a Dungeons and Dragons Script
Deathtroke actor Joe Manganiello wants to make a Dungeons & Dragons movie, and he's already helped develop a script for one.
While appearing on MTV's Josh Horowitz's "Happy Sad Confused" podcast, Manganiello revealed he has developed a Dungeons & Dragons script with John Cassel, and is actively looking to get the project off the ground. The source material the script is based on is the first 1984 Dragonlance novel, “Dragons of Autumn Twilight," according to a tweet by Manganiello.
GameStop Credit Card Data May Have Been Compromised
Payment information from credit cards used on GameStop's online store may have been compromised.
The video game retailer confirmed to IGN it was recently notified by a third party that payment data from cards used on GameStop.com was listed for sale on a website. GameStop says these claims are currently being investigated and advises consumers keep an eye on their bank statements for any potential charges they didn't authorize.
The following statement was provided to IGN by a GameStop representative:
At GameStop, the security of our customers’ payment card data remains a top priority. GameStop recently received notification from a third party that it believed payment card data from cards used on the GameStop.com website was being offered for sale on a website. That day a leading security firm was engaged to investigate these claims. GameStop has and will continue to work non-stop to address this report and take appropriate measures to eradicate any issue that may be identified.
HBO Promos May Reveal Game of Thrones Character Looks
HBO has released a trio of new promos that feature a number of cast members from Game of Thrones, sporting what could be their new looks for Season 7.
The network posted all of the three promos on Facebook, one of which you can watch below:
We've put together a gallery with images of each character featured in the promos. Give it a look below to see Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen, Kit Harington as Jon Snow, and many more.
Star Wars Anthology Book Features 40 New Stories
The Star Wars universe is expanding, with a new anthology book coming later this year.
Announced via a Star Wars blog post It has been announced that a new anthology, Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View, featuring 40 new stories set in the Star Wars universe will be released by Del Rey in October 2017. Among the authors contributing to the anthology are Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated Series), Gary Whitta (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), and Chuck Wendig (Star Wars: Aftermath).
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the franchise — Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope debuted in 1977 — the anthology will deliver 40 stories, each told from the point of view of background characters, including X-Wing pilots and stormtroopers, from A New Hope.
Xbox Kept Its Promise
Welcome back to Game Scoop!, IGN's weekly video game talk show. This week we're discussing Project Scorpio, arcade sports games, The Binding of Isaac, and more. Watch the video above or download the podcast below.
Download Game Scoop! Episode 431
Or subscribe in iTunes and never miss an episode.
OR subscribe to the NEW Game Scoop! YouTube channel and never miss a video.
Henry Cavill Wears Christopher Reeve’s Superman Costume
A photo of Henry Cavill wearing Christopher Reeve's iconic Superman costume has been revealed by director Zack Snyder.
Cavill wore the outfit when testing for the role of Superman in Man of Steel, and Snyder shared a photo from that test on Vero (via The Hollywood Reporter). "First test with Henry... I knew right away he was my Superman," Synder said in a message accompanying the photo.
Photo courtesy of Zack Snyder on Vero
Syfy Sets Summer Premiere Dates
Syfy has released the summer premiere dates for its new and returning shows.
The network's new series Blood Drive will premiere on June 14, at 7 p.m. PT/11 p.m. ET/10 p.m. CT. From Weeds alum James Roland, Blood Drive takes inspirations from classic grindhouse films and follows Los Angeles' last good cop (Alan Ritchson) who is forced to participate in a death race.
Sharknado 5 will debut on August 6 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT. This fifth installment sees the world being taken over by sharks, with a shark-infested storm wreaking havoc. Tara Reid and Ian Ziering are back as April Wexler and Fin Shepard.
The Battle for the Soul of DC’s Deadliest Fighter
We caught up with writer James Tynion IV at WonderCon 2017 to talk about the current arc of Detective Comics, "Kiss of the Dragon" with artists Fernando Blanco and Christian Duce.
Warning: this article contains full spoilers for Detective Comics!
Cover by Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira and Adriano Lucas. (DC Comics)
The arc features the return of Lady Shiva and the League of Shadows. Shiva has some ruinous plans for Gotham City, natch, but her real goal centers around her daughter Cassandra Cain aka Orphan. Cass is considered the best hand-to-hand fighter in the DC Universe, even better than Batman, so Shiva is sick of how her daughter refuses to use her full, lethal potential and views Cass as weak, so she's continually testing her and trying to push her limits. This story has become a battle for Gotham with Batman's team taking on the League of Shadows and a personal family quarrel as Cassandra tries to come to grips with what she is and good ol' mom.