Legends of Tomorrow: Can Rip Hunter Be Trusted?
Just about the entire team on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow -- debuting Thursday night on the CW -- were previously introduced on either Arrow or The Flash prior to the new spinoff series, with one big exception… Rip Hunter.
Played by Arthur Darvill, it’s Rip who recruits the team, in order to stop Vandal Savage from becoming the future conqueror Rip has experienced firsthand.
On the set of Legends of Tomorrow, I spoke to Darvill about what fans can expect from Rip and his role on this very combative team. Darvill also shared his thoughts on the appeal of time travel stories, a topic he knows a few things about, having now been a cast member on both Doctor Who and Legends of Tomorrow.
Nintendo Alters Controversial Fire Emblem Fates Scene
Nintendo has changed a controversial scene in the Western version of Fire Emblem: Fates.
The scene in question reportedly sees the female character Soleil struggling with her attraction to other women. The protagonist, presumably trying to help, then uses a “magic powder,” on Soleil, resulting in Soleil seeing men as women, and women as men.
Once the powder wears off, the protagonist can then propose to Soleil.
The storyline struck a chord with players when the game released in Japan. Some feel that Soleil taking a magic powder that ends with her marrying a man is a form of gay conversion, while others see the act of slipping a powder into Soleil’s drink as a form of drugging.
Final Splatoon Map Rolls Out From Today
Splatoon's final map will be available from today, January 21, in North America, and from tomorrow in Europe.
The free stage is set within the offices of an independent game development studio, Ancho-V Games.
“One feature of this stage are the PC-fan shaped propellers that can be inked to move portions of the floor," writes Nintendo on the official Splatoon Tumblr. "Keep an eye out for some of the jellyfish development team, hard at work (and under a strict NDA!) on their next title. Hope they don’t mind the mess!"
Researchers Develop Way to Track Heartbeats From a Distance
Scientists at Kyoto University have come up with a way of measuring heartbeats wirelessly.
According to Wired, sensors pick up signals from the body using millimeter-wave spread-spectrum radar technology. The researchers claim that it's as accurate as an electrocardiograph.
"The body sends out all sorts of signals at once, including breathing and body movement," said Toru Sato, a member of the team who worked on the project. "Our algorithm extracts waves characteristic of heartbeats from the chaotic radar signal and calculates their intervals."
"Taking measurements with sensors on the body can be stressful and troublesome," said lead researcher Hiroyuki Sakai. "We tried to make something that would offer people a way to monitor their body in a casual and relaxed environment."
Star Fox Zero Amiibo Support Confirmed
Nintendo has outlined its plans for amiibo in early 2016, confirming Star Fox Zero will support its NFC-based figures in some capacity.
No details were provided on how amiibo will function in the game, with Nintendo planning to share more information at a later date. The company also reaffirmed that Star Fox Zero is on track for release on April 22, despite rumblings earlier this month suggesting it had been pushed to July.
Nintendo's announcement also revealed its plans for the next wave of Animal Crossing amiibo, with the previously leaked Timmy & Tommy, Kapp'n and Rover all scheduled to release on March 18 in North America. Additionally, Digby will be available as a standalone figure and the next set of Animal Crossing amiibo cards will also be available in March.
More Backwards Compatible Titles Arrive on Xbox One
Microsoft has detailed what’s in the latest batch of Xbox 360 backwards compatible titles.
The new titles available for download on Xbox One as of today, are as follows:
- Aegis Wing
- Age of Booty
- Counter-Strike: GO
- Jeremy McGrath's Offroad
- Sam & Max Save the World
- Skullgirls
- Small Arms
- Soulcalibur
- Space Giraffe
- The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
Microsoft also notes that in “select regions,” players can download The Witcher 2 for free until February 5. Those select regions are the US, Canada, UK, France and Germany.
Diablo-Themed Heroes Coming to Heroes of the Storm
Two new characters have been announced for Heroes of the Storm.
First up is Xul, the necromancer from Diablo 2, who will be summoning skeletons and cursing enemies. We'll also be seeing Li Ming, the wizard from Diablo 3.
According to an interview with HotS game director Dustin Browder on Meta Bomb, Li Ming will have three core builds, and you'll be able to mix and match between them. Magic Missile will be used as a good midrange build, the Arcane Orb will be for poking, and the teleport build will be a risky one as you'll be diving into the action.
More information about these new Diablo themed characters will become available during the coming weeks. As for what's next, Browder said in the interview that they "definitely want to bounce around a lot... We'll definitely do some new universes going forwards, but we'll bounce back to Diablo, and just try to keep it as fresh as possible."
Comic Book Reviews for January 20, 2016
It was yet another big week for comic book lovers. DC delivered a crucial new chapter of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's Batman (click here to see both creators talk about in-depth about that issue). Marvel launched new volumes of Captain Marvel and Silver Surfer while also introducing us to the Deadpool of the year 2099. In the indie realm, we saw the debut of Brian Azzarello and Juan Doe's American Monster, Rick Remender and Jonathan Wayshak's Devolution and Ted McKeever's Pencilhead.
Scroll down to check out our reviews for these and many other new books. And be sure to let us know your favorite comics of the week in the comments below!
Penn Jillette and Randy Pitchford Will Open D.I.C.E.
The 2016 D.I.C.E. summit will open with a presentation by Penn Jillette and Randy Pitchford discussing "Assumptions and Expectations with Interactivity and Magic."
Jillette, who is perhaps one of magic's most recognizable names as one-half of Penn and Teller, will join Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford in a magic trick "that will move from the live theater to virtual reality."
The magic trick will come at the end of a session exploring many of the most crucial aspects of stage magic, including misdirection, disrupting expectations, and "just plain old-fashioned lying."
In addition to the keynote from Jillette and Pitchford, other topics will further explore the "art of engagement." Chief creative director at EA Rich Hilleman will lead "Automobiles, the Next Mobile Platform," exploring "innovations in open computing systems, new transportation service models," along with self-driving automobile technology and gaming's role in "this evolving platform."
10 Things We Learned on the Set of X-Men: Apocalypse
X-Men: Apocalypse will be hitting theaters on May 27, telling the story of mutantkind in 1983 when Apocalypse awakens and uses his uber powers to threaten the world. I visited the set in Montreal, Canada, along with a small group of press and learned some key information about the upcoming X-flick.
Warning: There are no explicit spoilers in this piece, but if you’re spoiler-sensitive, then best steer clear because there will be a lot of information revealed about the context of the movie and what to expect from certain characters.
Before we get to the juicy details, here are two new photos from the set.
Pylocke (Olivia Munn) and Storm (Alexandra Shipp). CREDIT: 20th Century Fox