Monthly Archives: July 2015
Runescape Players Are Helping Save Wild Cats
Through a partnership with the World Wildlife Fund, RuneScape players can currently participate in in-game events that help to support big cats in the wild.
RuneScape's 200 million players can participate in Adopt a Big Cat activities within the MMO, which give them the chance to adopt exclusive companion cubs based on four big cats (jaguar, tiger, lion, and snow leopard) along with titles for their characters. Additionally, players can donate RuneScape bonds, with proceeds going to the WWF to support their conservation efforts.
Solitaire Goes Free-to-Play in Windows 10
Candy Crush isn't the only free-to-play game packaged with Windows 10. Time-killing card game Solitaire, which has been included free in most of Microsoft's operating systems since Windows 3.0, is getting the freemium treatment in Windows 10.
The subscription-based Solitaire requires a payment of $10 a year or $1.50 a month to remove video ads, which can run for as long as 30 seconds and take up the whole game window. You can still play the game for free, and unlike Windows 8, it does come pre-installed with the OS.
Besides removing ads, the optional upgrade also rewards you more for completing Daily Challenges and gives you boosts for a couple additional game modes included in the Microsoft Solitaire Collection.
App Store Update: July 30
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.
Red Game Without a Great Name – ($2.99)
A broken mechanical bird gets repaired, then embarks on a silhouetted adventure of flapping flight:
Aziz Ansari Breaks Down His New Netflix Series
Aziz Ansari is no stranger to Netflix. Most fans' exposure to the comedian has come via streaming his many comedy specials on the platform. Which is probably why Netflix has now given him his own series, Master of None - premiering on November 6th with 10 episode.
In Master of None, Ansari plays a version of himself, but not quite in the same way Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld did on their respective shows. "I guess in Curb,
is playing a version of himself," Ansari said during a recent Q&A panel at the TCA Press Tour, "and I think the main reason we called my character Dev and not Aziz -- one of the main reasons is because I didn't want to be a comedian. And it's different if the guy's not recognizable in things like that. So we made it so he's not like that so he is more of a fictionalized version. I feel like he has a lot of the same thoughts and worries that I have and everything though. It's like in all those Woody Allen movies. It's always the same f***ing guy. Even when it's not Woody Allen. It's like that."
FF7 Remake’s Combat Will Have ‘Dramatic Changes’
Square Enix's upcoming Final Fantasy VII Remake will feature "dramatic changes" to the game's combat system, director Tetsuya Nomura has confirmed.
While fans of the original's Active Time Battle system will likely be disappointed by this news, they can rest assured the sweeping changes won't render the remake completely unrecognizable.
"We’re not going to be changing it into a shooter or something like that," Nomura told Official PlayStation Magazine (via GamesRadar). "We are going to be bringing dramatic changes, but we want to make sure it’s still recognizable."
IGN Plays Live Presents Super Mario Maker
If you’re like us, you’ve been excited about Super Mario Maker for some time now. And that anticipation has doubled since the amazing finale during the Nintendo World Championship at E3 2015. I mean, who could forget the crazy closing moments of the tournament? We watched on the edge of our seats as the two finalists ran an impressive gauntlet filled with off-the-wall ideas.
We just couldn’t wait until September to build stages and show off our creativity. Join us on Friday, July 31 at 1PM - 3 PM PT (4PM - 6PM ET / 9PM - 11PM GMT / Saturday, August 1 8AM - 10AM AET) for a two-hour livestream with Super Mario Maker that will be hosted by IGN’s Brian Altano and myself. This livestream will kick-off a series of videos where your favorite IGN editors will challenge each other using Super Mario Maker's creation suite.
Want to See an Exorcism Performed Live on TV?
A group of ghost hunters and a medium will be attempting to exorcise the spirits and demons supposedly residing in the house that inspired 1973's The Exorcist. Destination America will air the exorcism live on October 30 at 9/8c, it was announced today at the TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour.
Titled Exorcism: Live!, the event will feature cast members from Destination America's Ghost Asylum and Tennessee Wraith Chasers, as well as psychic-medium Chip Coffey. Located in the suburbs of St. Louis, the group will enter the house where the infamous exorcism on Roland Doe was performed in 1949 and use "state of the art" ghost-hunting technology to document any demonic activity.
Worms Developer Team17 Assisting on Yooka-Laylee
Team17, the independent games label behind Worms, is partnering with Playtonic Games on its upcoming 3D-platforming adventure, Yooka-Laylee.
According to Team17's announcement, this new pairing will enable Playtonic to expand the scope of its project, thanks to additional resources that will enhance development and ultimately result in a more value-rich end product for consumers.
"From the very start we said that we'd welcome only a partner that could genuinely improve the creation of our game, while respecting the independence and creative autonomy of our development team," Playtonic creative lead Gavin Price said.
"Team17’s 25-year industry-leading expertise will significantly benefit Yooka-Laylee in a myriad of ways, not least in expanded localisation, improved QA testing, certification and access to vastly better resources for our team," Price added. "Working alongside such a strong partner will allow the Playtonic team to focus 100% of our efforts on building the best possible version of Yooka-Laylee for backers and new fans alike."
Dragon Quest Heroes Sold 1 Million Units in Japan and Asia
Dragon Quest Heroes has sold more than 1 million units on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 between Japan and Asia.
First spotted on NeoGAF, Square Enix confirmed the sales milestone in live stream event. Dragon Quest Heroes launched in Japan in February and in Asia in June.
Developed by the same studio responsible for Hyrule Warriors, players challenge hordes of Akira Toriyama designed Dragon Quest enemies.
Recently, Square Enix revealed a Day One and Collector’s Edition of Dragon Quest Heroes would be available for PS4 in stores and via digital download. A limited edition Dragon Quest Heroes PS4 console, complete with a Metal Slime USB cover released earlier this year in Japan.
Warhammer 40k Regicide Release Date Announced
Warhammer 40,000: Regicide will see its full, official Steam release on August 26.
The full release includes a single-player campaign comprised of 50 missions; the Armoury, where players can unlock new abilities to take into battle; and a new unit upgrade system. Hammerfall Publishing also promises "a barrage of fan-requested features."
Also included is localisation for Russian, German, and French, with further languages still to be announced.
Warhammer 40k: Regicide has been in Early Access on Steam since its announcement in 2014.