Ranking the Lightsaber Duels
Star Wars is full of space battles, speeder bike chases, blaster shoot-outs, AT-AT attacks, and so much more. Still, it’s the lightsaber duel that is the signature action scene of that saga set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
But what is the greatest lightsaber battle in the Star Wars movies? And what’s the worst? That’s right: It’s time to rank the lightsaber duels!
Watch the video above, or read on for the print version…
In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic… we say this fight blows. This is the low point of duels, from the way Mace Windu’s Jedi buds all go out like punks, to the unconvincing staging and lightsaber moves, and right on up to the confusing, uh, reverse Force lightning/face melting stuff…? Cool shattered window effect, though.
Apple Watch Has 80 Percent Share of Smartwatch Market
Apple Watch is the most popular smartwatch among consumers, with a whopping 80 percent share of the entire market.
According to Forbes, the figure was revealed today during a panel at Glance, a San Francisco-based conference dedicated to Apple's smartwatch.
Several other interesting stats about Apple Watch were shared during the panel, including the fact that 30 percent of Apple Watch buyers didn't previously wear anything on their wrist. Additionally, 46 percent of all owners have admitted to using their nose to interact with the device.
The Best-Selling Games of November Revealed
The NPD Group has revealed North American retail sales data for the month of November 2015. The holiday's busiest, biggest month, which led to record sales that saw Sony's PlayStation 4 outselling all other hardware, included Fallout 4, Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, and Star Wars Battlefront.
Call of Duty topped the list, with Black Ops 3 outselling Advanced Warfare's first month. Fallout 4 placed second, and Star Wars Battlefront was the third-best seller of the month. Check out the top 10 sellers below, with their top-selling platforms listed left to right.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III (XBO, PS4, 360, PS3, PC)
PlayStation 4 Leads November 2015 Hardware Sales
PlayStation 4 topped the hardware sales charts in November 2015, according to Sony and NPD Group, which tracks North American retail sales. Black Friday sales were "the strongest in PlayStation history" and November was the "biggest month ever for PlayStation Store."
November sales were driven by notable top-selling software such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 (which topped the list), Star Wars Battlefront, and Fallout 4.
Sony's total PlayStation 4 sales are now in excess of 30.2 million units.
ReCore Inspired by Metroid and The Legend of Zelda
While ReCore's gameplay remains mostly a mystery, Armature Studios co-founder Mark Pacini has given a few hints about the game.
Speaking with The Verge, Pacini referenced the Metroid and Legend of Zelda franchises as possible inspirations for the Xbox One exclusive. "ReCore, at its heart, harks back to a different era in gaming, and trying to put a new spin on it, based on games that myself and
Inafune-san have done in the past that aren’t really being done anymore," he said.
Pacini previously served as the game director of the Metroid Prime trilogy, so it's not surprising that ReCore might have similarities with that franchise. In fact, Armature was founded by Pacini and two other former Retro Studio employees, the Nintendo developer responsible for Samus Aran's Prime adventures on GameCube and Wii.
Nintendo Files Patent for Handheld With Free-Form Display
Nintendo has filed a patent for a handheld device that features a free-form display.
According to the patent application (via NeoGAF), the controller-like handheld has an elliptical touch screen that covers the device's entire surface. It also features two thumbsticks, two shoulder buttons and a card slot along the top.
Changes Coming to Steam’s Trading System
Valve has released a statement defending its decision to implement trading holds, saying that Steam Trading Card holds are "absolutely necessary" in protecting its users. They're also revealing a few new changes. Check them out below.
Valve considered taking away the trading system, as it would be easiest solution for the problem. The other option, the company notes, would be requiring two-factor authorization. Neither solution worked in the end. Starting yesterday, Steam began implementing the following changes:
- Anyone losing items in a trade will need to have a Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator enabled on their account for at least 7 days and have trade confirmations turned on. Otherwise, items will be held by Steam for up to 3 days before delivery.
HBO Renews the Leftovers for a Third and Final Season
The Leftovers will return for a third and final season, according to president of HBO programming Michael Lombardo.
Series co-creator Damon Lindelof explained the decision to end the series, saying that each season was designed "with beginnings, middles and ends." The same apparently goes for the show itself, which the creative team decided to give a "definite" end in its third outing.
"And by ‘definitive,’ we mean ‘wildly ambiguous but hopefully mega-emotional,’ as all things related to this show are destined to be," Lindelof added.
The divisive series was created by Lindelof and Tom Perrotta, and largely based on a book by the same name. The story catalogs a world without major organized religion, following the spontaneous disappearance of 140 million people across the globe.
The Walking Dead’s Tony Moore Returns for #150 Variant Cover
The Walking Dead #150 will have three variant covers by artists Tony Moore, Jason Latour, and Ryan Ottley.
Variant by Tony Moore
“It's indisputable that reaching issue 150 is a huge achievement in comics,” series writer Robert Kirkman said in a press release. “Charlie Adlard and Team Walking Dead have been working tirelessly for over a decade to get us to this milestone and now it's time to celebrate. It's an honor to have comic book pals Jason Latour and Ryan Ottley bringing their vision to these iconic characters. Additionally, words cannot describe how excited I am to have Tony Moore, artist of the first 6 issues, returning to provide a cover for this special event.”
EA Announces Competitive Gaming Division Led by Peter Moore
Electronic Arts has announced a new focus on esports by creating a new Competitive Gaming Division led by Peter Moore, who’s moving from COO to Executive Vice President and Chief Competition Officer. Battlefield, Madden NFL, FIFA, and other unspecified games will lead their own "global esports competitions."
Peter Moore told IGN, "We’re already very engaged with our development teams around the world to make sure our games have got modes that lend themselves very well to competitive gaming, built-in from the get-go. Not as something that’s put in as an add-on mode or a last-minute afterthought."