Machinima Settles FTC Charges Over Deceptive Xbox One Videos
Machinima, a multi-channel gaming network based in California, has decided to settle Federal Trade Commission charges over allegations that it deceived consumers by releasing paid video advertisements for the Xbox One disguised as personal opinion.
According to the FTC, Machinima paid two YouTubers in its network $15,000 and $30,000 to create videos expressing endorsement of Microsoft's Xbox One console.
These content creators were instructed by Machinima to create content that "showcases Microsoft products in positive light," but were not required to disclose the compensation they received for doing so.
“When people see a product touted online, they have a right to know whether they’re looking at an authentic opinion or a paid marketing pitch,” said Jessica Rich, Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection.
Game of Thrones: Euron Greyjoy Cast for Season 6
Theon Greyjoy's hot-tempered uncle, Euron, has been cast for Game of Thrones' sixth season.
First reported by WatchersOnTheWall, then confirmed by Variety, Danish actor Pilou Asbæk (Lucy, The Borgias) is playing the eye-patched Euron (also called "Crow's Eye"), uncle to both Theon and Yara, younger brother of Balon. A warrior so brutal that his ship, called "Silence," is crewed entirely by mutes whose tongues he himself ripped out.
Inside the Year the Sega & Nintendo Console War Heated Up
Welcome back to IGN's History of Awesome - a year-long look back at all the coolest and most influential games, movies, TV shows, comic books, toys, and tech that have shaped pop culture, and shaped the lives of an entire generation. Up this week is 1992 - the year of Super Mario Kart, A Link to the Past, and Mortal Kombat.
Catch up on IGN's History of Awesome:
App Store Update: September 2
Every day hundreds of new apps make their debut on the App Store, and hundreds more are updated or reduced in price. We have sifted through the noise and highlighted those select few that might be worth your attention.
Note: The prices and deals compiled below are accurate at the time we published this story, but all are subject to change.
Swap Cops – (Free)
From the creator of Swap Heroes and Swap Heroes 2 comes a new sequel/spin-off that's taking the action to the streets. Swap Cops!
Meet Bryan Cranston’s Superhero Team
Crackle's new animated comedy series SuperMansion debuts October 8th, and IGN has the exclusive debut of several character posters for the series.
From the studio that brought you Robot Chicken, SuperMansion looks at the life of a team of superheroes/roommates, The League of Freedom, led by Titanium Rex. Bryan Cranston not only voices Titanium Rex but is one of the executive producers of the series, along with Seth Green and the show's creators, Zeb Wells and Matthew Senreich.
Check out the posters -- and get some info on the characters -- below!
Daily Deals: Shovel Knight, Mario Maker, Pebble Steel Smartwatch
Shovel Knight Is Discounted On PS4 and 3DS
Disc copies of Shovel Knight are normally $25, but right now PS4 and 3DS copies are discounted to $20.
Mario Maker Is Amazing. Get It For $10 Less
We just gave Mario Maker a 9. If you have Amazon Prime, you can get it for $50. And if you prefer a digital copy, Amazon now sells too, in case you're sitting on any Amazon credit.
Year Walk Dev Reveals ‘Bedtime Stories for Awful Children’
Year Walk developer Simogo has created an illustrated e-book that tells additional stories from the creepy adventure game's world.
Called "Year Walk: Bedtime Stories for Awful Children," the e-book features five different fairytales. And Simogo has translated them into English, French, Spanish, German and Italian.
The e-book tells grim tales. For example, one of the stories focuses on a beautiful teenager who grows jealous of a pretty newborn baby. And what she does to rid the infant from her village definitely comes back to haunt her.
Along with "Bedtime Stories for Awful Children," Simogo is also bringing Year Walk to Wii U with the assistance of Dakko Dakko. For more on the adventure game, be sure to check out IGN's review of Year Walk on iOS.
Top 10 U.S. Box Office Hits of Summer 2015
With the summer movie season now over, let's look at which films fared best at the North American box office.
The top dog was definitely Jurassic World with roughly $643.3 million, according to Box Office Mojo. Trailing in second place was Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron with $457.7 million.
Inside Out, Minions, and Pitch Perfect 2 rounded out the top five.
The latter half of this summer's Top 10 hits include Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, Ant-Man, San Andreas, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Straight Outta Compton.
Sony Unveils Tokyo Game Show Lineup
Sony has pulled back the curtain on its games lineup for this year's Tokyo Game Show.
A total of 19 games are confirmed to be playable, including Street Fighter V, Star Wars Battlefront, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, and Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness.
The PlayStation manufacturer is also bringing a handful of Vita titles to the show, as well as Project Morpheus, which will feature several tech demos for expo attendees.
Additionally, Sony shared a digitally-rendered sneak peek at its booth, which you can check out below, courtesy of DualShockers.
Google May Unveil Two New Nexus Phones Soon
Google is reportedly set to announce two new Nexus smartphones at an event in San Francisco on September 29th.
News of Google's plans comes from an unnamed source speaking to CNET, who says that the two phones will be built by LG and Huawei. Both phones will run on Android Marshmallow, which is version 6.0 of the operating system.
The LG Nexus is rumored to have a 5.2-inch screen, while the Huawei Nexus, a first for the company, is said to have a 5.7-inch screen. Both devices are expected to have a fingerprint sensor on the back.
Most of this information is based on rumor and speculation, but we're sure to find out more during Google's event later this month.