Need for Speed Update Adds Drag Racing, Hot Rods
EA has confirmed drag racing will return to Need for Speed in the next free update, due on March 3. The new drag mode will appear alongside two new hot rods, a bigger warehouse space to store more cars, and more improvements to the livery editor tools. Also coming to Need for Speed is a manual transmission option, which will arrive “as early as next week.”
According to Ghost Games’ Ben Walke the new drag mode has been inspired by the drag events of previous Need for Speed games and will demand perfect timing and wise use of nitrous. There will be five drag racing events to take part in.
The two new hot rods will include a ‘1932 Hot Rod’ (which will come with four unique bodykits – soft top, coupe, sedan and pickup – each with a full set of customisation options) and the wild Beck Kustoms F132 (the shell of a ’32 Ford bolted onto a Formula One style chassis and powered by a modern Chevrolet NASCAR V8).
Looking Back on Fargo: Season 2 with the Gerhardts’ Leader
Fargo's second season on FX was nothing short of a revelation. With many fans and critics even feeling that it surpassed the first season in terms of performances and storytelling. A big part of that praise was due to Jean Smart's portrayal of stern, sturdy crime family matriarch Floyd Gerhardt.
With Fargo: The Complete Second Season now on Blu-ray shelves, I spoke to Smart about her time on the series, her take on Floyd's ultimate fate, and which co-stars she wishes she could have had more scenes with.
Plus, I asked her a bit about her upcoming FX series, Legion - based on the X-Men/Marvel comics character, which also comes form Fargo creator/writer Noah Hawley.
Australian Games Industry Worth Nearly $3 Billion in 2015
Australia’s Interactive Games & Entertainment Association (IGEA) has today confirmed another year of double-digit growth for video games sales in Australia, with revenue reaching AUD$2.83 billion in 2015. The final figure is made up of hardware, packaged games, subscriptions, digital sales, DLC, and mobile games and represents a 15 per cent leap from 2014’s result.
The IGEA also found that, for the first time, digital sales have eclipsed traditional retail sales. Digital sales spiked 27 per cent to hit AUD$1.589 billion while retail sales reached AUD$1.243 billion (an increase of 2 per cent on 2014).
WWE, Sony Team Up for Surf’s Up 2
WWE superstars like John Cena and Triple H will star in the animated sequel, Surf's Up 2: WaveMania.
Sony and WWE are teaming up for Surf's Up 2, which is planned to release in 2017. Both companies are co-financing and producing the film, with Sony distributing the sequel and WWE marketing it.
Surf's Up 2 will star John Cena, Triple H, The Undertaker, Paige and Vince McMahon.
Next Call of Duty Confirmed For E3
Activision has teased that the publisher will be "showcasing gameplay from Infinity Ward’s ambitious new game," during this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo.
In a post on the company's official blog, Activision stated it will be working with Sony to showcase the gameplay footage because the publisher will not be present on the show floor.
"In June, we’re going to be at E3 showcasing gameplay from Infinity Ward’s ambitious new game. We’re looking forward to sharing exciting new details about the next great Call of Duty game in partnership with our friends at PlayStation. We’re proud to be participating in this premier video game event, but won’t have an Activision booth on the show floor."
Dark Souls 3 Starting Class Concept Art Revealed
Bandai Namco released new Dark Souls 3 images today, including concept art of all ten starting classes in the upcoming action RPG and screenshots showing off multiplayer.
As mentioned in our preview of Dark Souls 3 from earlier today, there are two new classes in Dark Souls 3: Assassin and Herald.
Get a look at the new classes, as well as the Knight, Mercenary, Warrior, Thief, Sorcerer, Pyromancer, Cleric, and Deprived below.
New screenshots from Dark Souls 3 also reveal multiplayer phantoms in action. In previous Dark Souls games, a few different factors determined the color of a phantom: invaders appear as red, members of the Warriors of Sunlight covenant appear as gold, and members of the Forest Hunters appear as blue.
DC Reveals WonderCon-Exclusive Dark Knight III Covers
DC has revealed a another new wave of variant covers for The Dark Knight III: The Master Race. The catch is that these covers will only be available at WonderCon 2016 later this month.
DC will be selling seven WonderCon-exclusive variant covers in all. In addition to four Dark Knight III covers, fans can also pick up special movie variants of Batman #50, Superman #50 and Wonder Woman #50 featuring the stars of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Scroll down to check out all of these covers:
All seven comics will be sold at the Graphitti Designs Booth (South Hall, #1403). The Howard Porter, Jill Thompson and Paul Pope variants will be sold for $15 each, while the rest will be sold for $10 each.
Spider-Man: Simmons Talks J. Jonah Petition
While Oscar-winning actor J.K. Simmons is still open to returning as J. Jonah Jameson in the new Spider-Man movie, he recently gave petitioners a reality check about the possibility.
Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Simmons weighed in on the petition, as fans want the original Spider-Man trilogy actor to reprise his role for the Marvel/Sony reboot.
"That petition does not come from anybody that is in a position to actually do anything about it," Simmons said.
But that doesn't mean the Whiplash actor is against coming back as the editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle. Simmons looks back fondly on filming the trilogy, adding he'll "never close the door on anything."
Nickelodeon Making Live-Action Legends of the Hidden Temple Movie
Nickelodeon’s Legends of the Hidden Temple is returning to TV as a live-action movie.
The studio announced the movie, based on the ‘90s game show, as it continues to reimagine its properties for a newer generation of viewers.
The original game show featured kids completing challenges to recover artifacts from a Mayan temple, which appeared to draw heavy influence from the Indiana Jones movies. It ran from 1993 to 1995.
According to Nickelodeon, the TV movie version will center on three siblings “who embark on a high-stakes, life-or-death mission.” Isabela Moner (100 Things To Do Before High School) is set to star in the film, which begins production this month.
Marvel Throws a Party for Poe Dameron
Marvel Comics is celebrating the launch of their new Star Wars: Poe Dameron comic by holding a Poe-themed release party. Retailers who participate in "Poe Dameron #1 Celebration" will be given an exclusive lineup of gifts and variant covers to share with customers.
Retailers will need to contact Marvel by March 7 to secure a party kit. Each kit will include:
- Star Wars: Poe Dameron #1 Invitational Postcards
- Star Wars: Poe Dameron #1 Promotional Pins
- Star Wars: Poe Dameron #1 BB-8 Lithographs by Joe Quinones
- Star Wars: Poe Dameron #1 Nakayama Jaxxon Sketch Party Variant
- Star Wars: Poe Dameron #1 Premiere Variant