LEGO Minifigures Online Gets a Release Date
LEGO Minifigures Online will be coming out on June 29 for PC and mobile platforms.
Funcom announced the news after recently stating that LEGO Minifigures Online would be making the switch from free-to-play to a buy-to-play game.
According to Funcom CEO Rui Casais, this will be a "fresh, new experience", even for those who have played the earlier free-to-play version. The developer has spent months overhauling the game, adding new features, cinematics, and voice acting.
We first learned about this LEGO massively multiplayer online game back in 2012. IGN then had a look at how LEGO Minigures Online would work.
Taylor Swift Wins Streaming Victory Over Apple Music
Taylor Swift has won a victory for artists everywhere looking to use Apple’s new music streaming service to get paid.
Originally, Apple Music granted new users a three-month free trial. During this trial, artists were informed they would not receive any royalties whatsoever. That ruling has since changed following Swift’s decision to withhold her latest album - 1989 - from Apple Music.
Speaking via Twitter, Apple’s senior vice president for Internet and software, Eddy Cue, explained the changes coming to the streaming service, and that Apple is listening.
“Apple will always make sure that artist
are paid,” said Cue on his verified Twitter account. “#AppleMusic will pay artist
Sunset dev Tale of Tales Quits Commercial Game Development
Sunset developer Tale of Tales has announced it has quit commercial game development.
In a frank blog post, the two-man Belgian team said while "creativity still burns wildly in our hearts," they didn't think they would be making any more games, "and if we do, definitely not commercial ones."
Despite spending more money on PR and marketing than on the production of Sunset itself, only 4000 copies were sold -- which includes copies for Kickstarter backers.
"We are happy and proud that we have tried to make a “game for gamers",” wrote Michaël Samyn & Auriea Harvey on the Tale of Tales website. "We really did our best with Sunset, our very best. And we failed. So that’s one thing we never need to do again."
Greens Secure Inquiry Into Australian Video Game Industry
The Australian Greens have secured a Senate Inquiry into the Australian game development industry.
The Senate supported the call for an inquiry, which was moved by Australian Greens deputy leader and communications spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam.
“Five years ago, Australia had a bourgeoning video game development sector employing thousands of talented people in this rapidly growing industry,” said Ludlam in a statement.
“Internationally, companies have experienced strong growth thanks to smart government support and favourable regulatory settings.
“In Australia, no such luck: the sector has been treated like the poor cousin of the creative industries, culminating in the Abbott Government’s decision to close the $20 million Australian Interactive Games Fund, just 12 months after it was established.”
Ubisoft’s Zombi for Xbox One Appears in Australian Classification Board Database
The Australian Classification Board has rated a game called Zombi, which is listed in the Classification Board’s database as an Xbox One game published by Ubisoft.
The game is rated MA15+ for “Strong horror violence, blood and gore.”
The appearance of Zombi in the database comes just over a week after Unseen 64 reported that a source had revealed to them that the 2012 Wii U survival horror game ZombiU was now development for PS4, Xbox One, “and likely PC”, and that it was now just called ‘Zombi’.
Bourne 5: Viggo Mortensen Allegedly Offered Villain Role, Julia Stiles Reportedly Back
Julia Stiles is apparently set to return to the Bourne series as Nicky Parsons. Deadline reports Stiles has closed a deal to reprise her role as Parsons in the upcoming Bourne film that brings back Matt Damon as titular assassin Jason Bourne.
Parsons is the only character other than Bourne himself to appear in all three of the original Bourne films and became an important ally to Jason Bourne during the events of The Bourne Ultimatum. It’s hinted at during The Bourne Ultimatum that the two may have known each other previously before Bourne’s amnesia.
The Technomancer is Basically The Witcher 3… In Space
Perhaps it’s because I spent the month leading up to E3 walking around in the well-worn, womanising boots of Geralt of Riviera, but during my behind closed doors demo of The Technomancer I couldn't shake how familiar the action RPG felt to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, albeit in a drastically different post-apocalyptic Mars setting.
You play as a technomancer, a race of magic-powered beings who (like witchers) are largely ostracised from the rest of the populace. A war over water has erupted on the colonised Mars setting, and a catastrophic event has meant that all communications with Earth have been completely severed. The colonists are at the mercy of nefarious water-drilling companies, and the sun’s radiation has caused many of the people to mutate.
Jurassic World, Inside Out Dominate the Weekend Box Office
The roaring success of Jurassic World has seen Inside Out become the first Pixar title not to hit No. 1 in its domestic debut, but Inside Out’s huge opening has blitzed past expectations to chalk up the biggest debut to date for an original Pixar film.
In a massive weekend for the North American box office Jurassic World raked in another $102 in its second weekend. Following its record-breaking opening Jurassic World has gone on to collect almost $400 domestically.
The cash continues to pour in overseas for Jurassic World, too; hardly surprisingly considering the film was number one in all 66 markets it opened in and also set a record for biggest global opening of all time. Outside the US Jurassic World has amassed a further $583 million, pushing its worldwide total to just over $981 million.
Watch Everything on Black Ops 3 from E3 2015
For the first time ever, Call of Duty brought its biggest presence to the Sony's press conference at E3 - and we got to see tons of the upcoming Black Ops 3.
Activision shared the first look at how we will surely spend countless hours in the future with the reveal of Black Ops 3's multiplayer.
We were also treated to four multiplayer maps - Hunted, Stronghold, Evac, and Combine.
Following the conference, we gave our initial impressions on the next entry in one of the world's biggest franchises.
Lastly, while it's known for it's multiplayer, we were happy to find out that extra attention was put towards making Black Ops 3's campaign one of the best.
Marvel Eyeing Thor 1 Director for Third Film?
Kenneth Branagh is reportedly Marvel's top choice to direct Thor: Ragnarok.
The first Thor film was directed by Branagh, and according to Umberto Gonzalez who recently spoke to Popcorn Talk (via /Film), Marvel wants him to return to round out the God of Thunder's film trilogy.
"I was hearing that Marvel wanted Kenneth Branagh back for Thor 3," he said. "But, he just got an offer to direct Murder on the Orient Express at Fox. So, I don’t know if it is going to happen or not. They’re thinking about bringing him back into the fold."