Activision Blizzard Announces New Film and TV Division

In an Investor Day presentation leading up to BlizzCon today, Activision Blizzard announced Activision Blizzard Studios, a new division of the company focused on creating original films and TV shows.

The first film project announced for the studio is “a robust cinematic universe” based on the Call of Duty franchise, planned to include “a series of Call of Duty feature films as well as the possibility of television adaptations.” No timing or additional information was revealed. The first release is expected in 2018 or 2019.

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Fallout 4: XB1 Owners May Have Downloaded Wrong File

Xbox One owners who've pre-ordered the digital version Fallout 4 may have downloaded the wrong file.

In a post on its official forums, Bethesda is alerting Xbox One owners who pre-ordered the game on or before October 27 and aren't using the "Instant On" power mode that they may have downloaded a placeholder "stub file."

Those who have downloaded the incorrect file will need to delete it and reinstall the correct one. Here's a step-by-step process on how do so:

Z Nation Renewed for Season 3

Syfy has announced that Z Nation will be back to "Z-Whack its way through a third season of zombie road trippin' action."

The more-comedic-in-tone zombie series (GRRM even guest starred as a zombie version of himself) stars Kellita Smith (The Bernie Mac Show), DJ Qualls (Supernatural), Keith Allan (Rise of the Zombies), Anastasia Baranova (The Darkness II), Russell Hodgkinson (Big Fish), Nat Zang, and Matt Cedeño (Devious Maids).

A 15-hour third season is slated to premiere on Syfy in 2016.

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’50/50 Chance’ for New Legacy of Kain, Says Dev

A new entry in the Legacy of Kain franchise stands a fair chance of getting made for current-gen hardware, according to developer Crystal Dynamics.

"It's a 50/50 chance," Rise of the Tomb Raider senior designer Michael Brinker told Finder. "We have in-house developers who really want to make that game. It's interesting because people look back at our history and our franchises and see that we have some really iconic IPs.

"So gamers wonder 'Where are they and what are they doing?' Well, we're always tossing around and talking about ideas. It really is 50/50."

The franchise hasn't seen a proper installment since 2003's Legacy of Kain: Defiance. That said, a follow-up title dubbed Legacy of Kain: Dead Sun was in the works for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, but was ultimately scrapped. For a look at what might have been, here's over 30 minutes of leaked footage of the canceled game.

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The Fallout 4 Beer Tastes Like Mole Rat Pee

It's Friday, the working week is done, and the dulcet tones of the IGN UK Podcast have arrived to usher you gently into the weekend with its usual dose of insight and sensibility.

Except that's not really true, because this week sees Gav, Rory and Luke kick off proceedings by taste-testing the recently-revealed Fallout 4-branded beer (a mistake if ever there was one), which quickly sees proceedings spiral somewhat.

Regardless, our try-hard trio persevere, covering topics including the imminent arrival of Blizzcon, the decision to discontinue Slave Leia merchandise, Jobs tanking at the box office and the reveal of Eddie Redmayne in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

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NASA Wants to Know if You Have the Right Stuff to Become an Astronaut

NASA announced it is accepting astronaut applications for future missions on commercial spacecraft, International Space Station and Orion deep-space exploration vehicles.

“This is an exciting time to be a part of America’s human space flight program,” said Brian Kelly, director of Flight Operations at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. “NASA has taken the next step in the evolution of our nation’s human spaceflight program – and our U.S. astronauts will be at the forefront of these new and challenging space flight missions. We encourage all qualified applicants to learn more about the opportunities for astronauts at NASA and apply to join our flight operations team.”

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Solar Wind Blasted Away Mars’ Once Hospitable Atmosphere

A new study revealed by NASA today shows the extent that solar winds and storms stripped away the warm and wet atmosphere of ancient Mars, transforming it into today’s barren landscape.

"Solar-wind erosion is an important mechanism for atmospheric loss, and was important enough to account for significant change in the Martian climate,” said Joe Grebowsky, MAVEN project scientist from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

Evidence that Mars once hosted oceans, rivers and lakes billions of years ago lead scientist to think that ancient Mars had a denser and warmer atmosphere to support large bodies of water.

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What We Learned on Set About the Deadpool Movie

While you may have seen Ryan Reynolds play Deadpool on the big screen before, one of the things repeatedly made clear at the set visit for the upcoming 20th Century Fox film is that you haven't seen Reynolds play this Deadpool.

Without a doubt, that is the biggest takeaway message we get wandering around the recycling yard the film is using to stage a couple of fights on a drizzly spring day in Canada.  Deadpool, as a character, is not going to have the same feel as the one in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.  This is the comic book Deadpool, the one who breaks the fourth wall, who offers up his thoughts on anything and everything.  The merc with the mouth.

When you travel to a film set, you regularly hear how invested everyone is in the project, how the team that has been pulled together is the best one for the movie, and how everyone really cares about the film. With Deadpool, one truly believes them. As Ed Skrein, who plays Ajax, tells us during our sit down, "This is not your average comic book project. We are not regurgitating anything that has been done before."

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