Yooka-Laylee Unveils New Retro Character – IGN First
This month's IGN First is a bit different to ones that have come before - rather than profile a single AAA game all month long, we're spotlighting a different upcoming title each week, beginning with a look at the ongoing development of Yooka-Laylee.
Today, we’re kicking things off with the reveal of Rextro Sixtyfourus, an old-school dinosaur character that looks like he’s been ripped straight out of a late 90s 3D platformer, complete with blocky, polygonal, interlaced body. Designed by Mark Stevenson - who worked on the Donkey Kong Country series and was lead artist on Donkey Kong Country 3, Donkey Kong 64 and Kameo – Rextro was originally going to be unveiled during the game’s Kickstarter campaign, but it was ultimately decided to keep him under wraps… until now.
Star Wars Director J.J. Abrams Is Making a Game
Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams is teaming up with ChAIR (Infinity Blade, Shadow Complex) and Bad Robot Productions to make Spyjinx, a new game which blends action, strategy, world-building and RPG character development.
Spyjinx will run on Unreal Engine 4, and will be set in "a thrilling, treacherous world of espionage." It's expected to release for PC and mobile devices in 2016. Check out the video below for a discussion of the announcement.
"I've been a fan of video games for years, envious of the artists and storytellers who have gotten to play in that world," said Abrams. "Over two years ago, we met with the geniuses at ChAIR in the hopes of collaborating with them. The result has been something beyond any of our expectations. Since then we have been working closely with them to create something that I cannot wait to get into the hands of gamers all over the world.”
New Zoolander 2 Poster Has the Scent of Success
A new poster for Zoolander 2 has been revealed, starring our eponymous hero alongside his very own brand of perfume.
Following on from yesterday's poster focusing on self-love and also featuring Owen Wilson, it seems Derek's opted not to share the limelight this time around. How very him.
Stiller has been keen to make Zoolander 2 for years, and he's finally got his wish. As for the cast, Stiller and Wilson are a given, with Will Ferrell rumoured to return as Mugatu and Christine Taylor back as Matilda Jeffries. The newest additions to the cast include Penelope Cruz, Billy Zane and Justin Bieber.
All Nintendo, DeNA Smartphone Games in Development are F2P
The first batch of Nintendo smartphone games are set to be free-to-play, according to co-developer DeNA.
The Wall Street Journal reports comments made by DeNA chief executive Isao Moriyasu said at an earnings briefing suggest that early games will instead rely on in-app microtransactions.
"Games currently in the pipeline are all free-to-play," he said. Additionally, Moriyasu also warned against referring to DeNA's first smartphone project with Nintendo, Miitomo, as a game, saying instead it's an entertainment feature, though in the fullness of time and with the addition of new features it could become such.
Alien: Paradise Lost Will Answer Series’ Big Question
Ridley Scott has been talking about his plans for Prometheus sequel Alien: Paradise Lost, stating that it will be followed by another sequel, which will then “back into Alien 1" and answer the biggest question of them all.
First up, The Martian helmer expressed his regret at not taking charge of the sequels first time around, saying “I’m trying to keep this for myself. I let the other one
get away from me – I shouldn’t have… I’m trying to re-resurrect the beast and let if off the hook for a while because I’m coming back into the back-end of Alien 1. I’m gradually getting to Alien 1."
And it sounds like the films will answer questions that the franchise original asked back in 1979…
Here’s Your First Look at Telltale’s Game of Thrones Finale
Telltale Games has dropped its first screens for the sixth and final episode of its Game of Thrones series - check them out in the gallery below.
'The Ice Dragon' will land on all platforms simultaneously (including mobile) on November 17, while the entire season will make its debut in stores on the same day for $29.99 USD. It concludes Telltale's Game of Thrones series that kicked off at the tail-end of last year: check out our review of episode 5.
Lucy O'Brien is Entertainment Editor at IGN’s AU office. Follow her ramblings on Twitter.
Black Ops 3 is the Biggest Entertainment Launch of 2015
Activision Blizzard has announced Call of Duty: Black Ops III pulled in $550 million in its first three days on sale, making it the biggest entertainment launch of 2015.
The game beat out stiff competition from movies, music and books to haul in some serious dollar and bring in almost double the digital sales of last year's Advance Warfare, while retail sales improved "significantly" on both Advanced Warfare and Ghosts in 2013.
Additionally, the publisher also crowed that Call of Duty: Black Ops III has the highest player engagement of any entry in the franchise ever, with more hours per player racked up so far than with any other COD title.
From that information, it certainly sounds like the Call of Duty franchise is back on track... or is it? Black Ops II, which launched back in 2012, made over $500 million in its first day in the US alone. Additionally, both Advanced Warfare and Ghosts launched when the PS4 and Xbox One were much younger consoles with smaller install bases - higher sales for Black Ops III shouldn't be a huge shock.
Borderlands Gentleman Claptrap in a Box Edition Announced
2K has unveiled a new collector's edition for Borderlands: The Handsome Collection.
The Gentleman Claptrap in a Box Edition is very similar to the original collector's edition, except the remote-controlled Claptrap it contains is dressed somewhat sharper. The Handsome Collection costs £270, comes out November 27, and 12 lithographs from the original version are also included.
Batman Creators Discuss Bruce Wayne’s Big Life Change
This week's Batman #46 came with a fair amount of twists and turns, but one in particular begged further discussion, so we hopped on the phone with writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo to talk about the latest turn of events.
Warning: this interview contains full spoilers for Batman #46!
IGN Comics: Bruce Wayne's getting married!?
Scott Snyder: Yes! There are going to be wedding bells. He's going to be happily wed. There'll be children, honeymoons, never Batman again. Never.
Who Is the ‘All-New Wolverine?’
The original Wolverine may be gone, but there's another hero taking up his mantle in the "All-New, All-Different" Marvel Universe. All-New Wolverine (from writer Tom Taylor and artist David Lopez) explores what happens when X-23 leaves her troubled past behind and tries to live up to the legacy of Wolverine. It's not going to be easy, but with a little perseverance she'll soon be known as "the best there is at what she does."
If you're a little behind on the X-Men franchise or simply not familiar with X-23 from her various TV and comic appearances, we're here to help. We're breaking down the key stories and moments every reader should know before diving into the new series.