RSVPs for the IGN Australia Select Awards Open Tomorrow
With the voting phase for IGN Australia’s annual Select Awards complete it’s nearly time to finalise the guest list. Do you want a chance to be on it? That’s simple! Head to the IGN AU Select Awards hub tomorrow and click on the big old RSVP button.
Note that there’s a slight change to the RSVP process this year; as opposed to throwing open the invites to the first and fastest respondents this will be a competition of skill with a very simple question attached. If you’ve missed out on previous years because the invites disappeared faster than a fart in a fan factory, now could be your time.
The Select Awards will be held in a central Sydney location on February 3 and the event will reveal your choices for best visual design, best audio design, best game design, best storytelling, best multiplayer, best original game and finally, the best overall game of 2016. There will be free food and drinks, a selection of the best games of 2016 to play, plus a bunch of playable 2017 titles yet to be released.
Xbox Unveils the Xbox Inflatable for Summer
Xbox Australia has announced the Xbox Inflatable, a giant inflatable Xbox One S controller that can be used in the pool, the ocean, or wherever wet times are had.
The limited edition floaty - which comes complete with two drink holders - was conceptualised around Australia Day, where pool parties are often held to celebrate the hot weather. In a press release sent out this morning, Xbox Australia noted that 'the Limited Edition Giant Inflatable Xbox One S Controller is not compatible with the Xbox One or Xbox One S gaming console, Xbox One Play and Charge Kit, Xbox One Chat Headset, or Xbox One Stereo Headset. It is however suitable for use in swimming pools, fresh water pools or the ocean, all summer long.'
World of Warcraft Vanilla Server Developers Clash
In a surprising turn of events, the two teams responsible for the burgeoning World of Warcraft legacy scene have come to blows.
As reported by Eurogamer, Nostalrius and Elysium - the teams who have resurrected vanilla World of Warcraft from the dead - have clashed over their respective visions for the project.
In a blog post written by Nostalrius, the team requested that Elysium cease using the server data they provided last year. Legacy World of Warcraft players, Nostalrius wrote, are being looked upon as pirates, which is contrary to Nostalrius' original vision of building a healthy WoW community.
Gearbox CEO Doesn’t See Borderlands 3 Coming to Switch
Borderlands 3 won't likely come to Nintendo Switch, if a recent statement made by Gearbox Software CEO Randy Pitchford is any indication.
When asked by a fan on Twitter about the possibility of Borderlands 3 coming to Switch, Pitchford said, "I do not see that as happening. We were talking to Nintendo, but that stopped for some reason. They have other priorities."
In April of last year, Pitchford confirmed Borderlands 3 is in development at Gearbox, revealing that Battleborn art director Scott Kester has shifted his focus to the third entry in the popular FPS role-playing series. No specific platforms for the game have yet been announced.
BattleCrew: Space Pirates Closed Beta Dates Announced
The closed beta for BattleCrew: Space Pirates will begin this later this week, developer Dontnod Eleven has announced.
Starting Thursday, January 19 at 11am ET/8am PT/4pm UK, players in North America and Western Europe will be able try out the upcoming 2.5D multiplayer shooter on Steam. The closed beta will then conclude on Sunday, January 22 at 11am ET/8am PT/4pm UK. To participate, you can sign up for the beta here.
In BattleCrew: Space Pirates, players control various heroes, each with their own unique set of skills, as they battle with and against friends across different maps and multiplayer modes.
The closed beta features five different maps and two modes: Team Deathmatch and Gold Rush. In Team Deathmatch, two teams of two face off in a fight to defeat as many enemy pirates as possible. Meanwhile, Gold Rush sees two teams of four fighting to collect gold while fending off the enemy team.
Bethesda’s Parent Company Comments on Facebook Lawsuit
Zenimax has issued a statement the day before Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is due to testify in court in the intellectual property case against his company.
Zenimax said it and id Software, the company behind Doom, "welcome the opportunity" to present what it claims is "substantial evidence" against Facebook and Oculus in the case.
The full statement provided to IGN by a Zenimax representative is below:
"With the start of the trial of our case in Federal District Court in Dallas against Defendants Facebook, Oculus and its management, ZeniMax and id Software welcome the opportunity to present substantial evidence of the Defendants' misappropriation of our Virtual Reality (VR) intellectual property. That evidence includes the theft of trade secrets and highly confidential information, including computer code. ZeniMax will also present evidence of the Defendants' intentional destruction of evidence to cover up their wrongdoing. ZeniMax and id Software are the visionary developers of breakthrough VR technology, and look forward to the vindication of our claims."
Daily Deals: Mirror’s Edge Catalyst Collector’s Edition, SD Cards for Nintendo Switch
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Legion: X-Men Producer on Future TV Plans
With FX's new series Legion, the X-Men franchise is venturing into the live action television realm. Developed in conjunction with Marvel and X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner and created by Noah Hawley, Legion is a far cry from the depiction of the X-Men that fans of the film series are likely used to.
Legion delves into the mind of David Haller (Dan Stevens), who is a mutant with abilities but believes he is mentally ill. Though David is famously the son of Professor Charles Xavier in the Marvel Comics, Hawley intentionally separated his version of the character from the main movie series. Instead, the showrunner was more interested in populating Legion with non-Marvel characters to focus his show on the idea of deconstructing a villain.
Out This Week: Gravity Rush 2, Dragon Quest VIII
With so many new games and movies coming out, it can be hard to keep up. Lucky for you, IGN is here to help with a weekly round-up of the biggest releases each and every week. Check out the latest releases for this week, and be sure to come back next Monday for a new update.
Note: The prices and deals compiled below are accurate at the time we published this story, but all are subject to change.
Nintendo Switch’s Price Is Why There’s No Bundled Game
Nintendo of America president, Reggie Fils-Aime has said that, in order to keep the Switch's price tag below $300, Nintendo was forced not to include a pack-in game.
While the Wii went onto huge success by including Wii Sports as part of the package, Nintendo raised eyebrows by not doing the same for its new console with the comparatively similar 1, 2 Switch.
Fils-Aime explained to GameSpot that the decision comes out of wanting to appeal to potential buyers, while not being financially irresponsible: