Xbox Live Sign-In Issues Have Been Resolved
Update: Xbox Live's core services and purchase and content usage are now working normally again, according to the official Xbox Live status page and support Twitter account.
"Thanks everyone for your patience w/ sign-in issues today. Things should be looking much better, but we'll continue to help out," a new tweet reads.
Xbox Live services were experiencing issues for a large part of the day, including preventing users from signing in or downloading purchased items.
Original story follows:
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Supposedly Contains “the Biggest Visual Effect of All Time”
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol . 2 will feature the "biggest visual effect of all time."
In an interview with Empire (via Birth.Movies.Death), director James Gunn talked about Ego the Living Planet and how visually impressive the character looks. Plenty of work went into realizing Ego, with the visual effects team using "over a trillion polygons."
"It’s the biggest visual effect of all time," said Gunn. "There’s nothing even close to it. Which is cool.”
The human version of Ego is played by Kurt Russell, who also happens to be the long-lost father of Star-Lord (Chris Pratt). If you're still wondering who is Ego the Living Planet, check out IGN's breakdown of the Marvel character and what role he plays in the MCU.
Ghost in the Shell – A Primer for the Anime Series
Ghost in the Shell is a futuristic anime series set in the near future. Each rendition of Ghost in the Shell acts as a stand alone series, but they also connect as an extended universe.
With the live-action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell set to hit theaters on March 31, now is a good time for new fans to get familiar with the cyberpunk world that spans 20 years.
Ghost in the Shell
5 Iron Fist Comics to Read After Binging the Netflix Show
Iron Fist has now joined Netflix's ever-growing lineup of Marvel heroes, paving the way for The Defenders later this year. Unfortunately, the new series hasn't exactly met with the same glowing reception as it predecessors.
But whether you liked the show or not, we're hoping Iron Fist has gotten you eager to learn more about characters like Danny Rand and Colleen Wing. And if that's the case, we have some recommendation for Iron Fist comics you should definitely read, ones that show precisely why he has grown and evolved to become a beloved Marvel character. Whether you consider it a chance to wash away the taste of disappointment, an opportunity to educate yourself on all things Iron Fist or a way to pass the time until Danny's return in Marvel's The Defenders, these comics will more than fit the bill.
New Xbox One Controller Series Announced
Microsoft is introducing a new tech series of Xbox One controllers.
Starting with the Recon Tech Special Edition controller next month (seen below), this series offers rubberized grips on the back of the pad. Microsoft said on the Xbox Wire that military tech and sci-fi mechanical gear served as inspirations while developing the line.
The Recon Tech pad also will sport gold accents and a laser etched texture. Like other Xbox One controllers — including the recently revealed Ocean Shadow and Winter Forces — this controller is compatible with Windows 10 devices and Samsung Gear VR through Bluetooth.
100 Little Things in Zelda: Breath of the Wild That Will Blow Your Mind
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a triumphant achievement in world design and free-form, physics-based gameplay. In a radical departure from Nintendo's tightly scripted roots, this sandbox world simply sets up the rules, and confidently lets creative players bend those rules to their own will.
Combining that complete player freedom with Nintendo's legendary level of polish, attention to detail, and plenty of "I can't believe they thought of that" magic moments result in a game unlike anything else we've ever played.
Below are 100 mind-blowing "tiny things" that make this vision of Hyrule such a compelling, amazing world to lose ourselves in. We didn't find all these neat details ourselves. Thanks to the communities behind IGN's Zelda: Breath of the Wild Wiki Guide, and at GameFAQS, Reddit, Kotaku, and NeoGAF for uncovering many of these.
Star Wars Rebels: Maul Actor on the Obi-Wan Confrontation
Warning: Full spoilers for the latest Star Wars Rebels episode, “Twin Suns” below.
And so it ends. The episode “Twin Suns” was obviously going to be an important one for the series and for Star Wars in its entirety, as Darth Maul and Obi-Wan Kenobi faced off on Tatooine. With the show’s timeline hurtling towards A New Hope, could Maul possibly survive one more encounter with his old enemy – the man who sliced him in half and left him for dead in The Phantom Menace?
The answer was no, he couldn’t, as the former Sith apprentice was killed at last, via a swift cut from Obi-Wan’s lightsaber.
Voicing Maul since his big return on The Clone Wars years ago has been Sam Witwer, and I spoke to the actor about saying goodbye to the character and the circumstances around Maul's death, including that surprisingly quick lightsaber battle. A huge – and highly knowledgably -- Star Wars fan himself, Witwer shared his own thoughts on how it all went down.
Mana Series Collection Coming to Switch in Japan
Square Enix has revealed a collection of Seiken Densetsu games for a June release on Nintendo Switch.
The collection combines the first three Seiken Densetsu games, known outside of Japan as the Mana series, which includes Final Fantasy Adventure, Secret of Mana, and Seiken Densetsu 3, which has never seen release outside of Japan after it debuted on the Super Famicom in 1995. Adventure originally released on the Game Boy in 1991, while Secret of Mana debuted on the SNES in 1993. The collection will come to the Switch in Japan on June 1.
When reached for comment about a release in Europe, a representative for Square Enix Europe said "Seiken Densetsu Collection has been announced for Japan only, we have no further details at this time."
Fire Emblem Echoes Limited Edition Bundle Announced
Nintendo revealed a limited edition bundle for Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia will be available at retailers when the game launches this May.
The limited edition bundle includes a copy of the game, Sound Selection soundtrack CD, a hardcover Valentia artbook, a pin set depicting characters Alm, Celica and Marth, and a reversible cover that resembles the packaging for the original FE Famicom game. Nintendo said it will be available for $59.99 USD at select retailers.
The limited edition bundle includes a copy of the game, Sound Selection CD, a hardcover artbook, a pin set, and a reversible cover that looks like the packaging for the original Famicom game.
Marvel’s Secret Empire Grows in June
Marvel released their full lineup of solicitations for June 2017 today. The Secret Empire crossover will grow bigger that month, with several new tie-ins making heir debut. Also look for several major new additions to the Marvel lineup, including Darth Vader, The Spectacular Spider-Man and The Defenders.
New Series:
- Darth Vader #1-2
- The Defenders #1
- Edge of Venom-Verse #1
- Iceman #1-2
- Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #1
- Secret Empire: Brave New World #1-2
- Secret Empire: Underground #1 (one-shot)
- Secret Empire: United #1 (one-shot)