Yearly Archives: 2018
How Dragon Quest’s Creator Invented JRPGs
I think most of us have an informal mental list of people we wish they could meet, and I think that’s especially true in the entertainment and game industries. I’ll often hear Shigeru Miyamoto and Hideo Kojima batted around in newsroom conversations, but for me, there’s no higher name in my pantheon of hero worship than Yuji Horii. And now here I am in an upstairs room at Anime Expo in Los Angeles, sitting across the table from him.
I’ve told friends that the course of my professional life has been equally defined by my childhood encounters with Jesus and video games, and I don’t think that’s a bit of an exaggeration. As a former clergyman and current video game commentator, I’ve divided my adulthood between metaphysics and pixels, and both have proven worthwhile pursuits. One thing both fields hold in common, and perhaps the tie that most binds them in me, is that they are both intrinsically rooted in stories of trying, failing, trying again, learning, exploring, growing, and finally overcoming. They are stories of second chances and becoming better people.
The Walking Dead’s Greg Nicotero Will Design the New Movie Spawn
Todd McFarlane's Spawn reboot has added The Walking Dead special effects artist Greg Nicotero.
THR reports Nicotero, who also directed several The Walking Dead episodes, will create a new Spawn design with the help from his effects company KNB EFX. Nicotero worked on the original 1997 Spawn film as well.
“I'm a long-time fan of Greg’s work and the projects his company, KNB have done throughout the years,” McFarlane said. “Working with him once again, to re-invent the Spawn 'look' so it will match the supernatural theme in the movie, is going to be a fun process.”
Alan Wake Developer Working on ‘Ongoing Live Multiplayer Game Experiences’
Remedy Games, the studio behind such titles as Alan Wake, Quantum Break, and the upcoming Control, has announced it is forming a new team called Vanguard that will strive to "challenge conventions and to prototype and ship new types of ongoing live multiplayer game experiences."
Revealed on Remedy's website, Vanguard is "a small group of people working in an unconventional way with an aim to develop something quickly and independently inside an established organization."
Fortnite Fans Are Unlocking the Exclusive Galaxy Skin Through In-Store Phone Units
Fortnite's Galaxy skin is a hot exclusive outfit and fans are using in-store phone units to unlock it on their account.
Earlier this month, Samsung announced an exclusive partnership with Epic where any player that purchases the new Galaxy Note 9 or Tab S4 would gain access to the exclusive Galaxy skin on Fortnite. All players need to do is download Fortnite on the new phone, log in to your Epic account, and play at least three matches. After 24-48 hours, players should receive a gift box in-game featuring the very cool skin. Only one Galaxy skin is unlocked per device.
It wasn't long before Fortnite fans found a workaround to these demanding requirements.
Dwayne Johnson to Play King Kamehameha in Upcoming Robert Zemeckis Film
Dwayne Johnson is set to portray the first ruler of the kingdom of Hawaii in a new film from Robert Zemeckis.
Variety reports Johnson will star in The King, a historical drama centering on Hawaiian king Kamehameha. Zemeckis will be directing from a screenplay by Randall Wallace.
Kamehameha managed to successfully unify the Hawaiian Islands after several battles during the 1790s. He also made sure the islands remained unified after his death.
Johnson will be producing the project alongside Dany and Hiram Garcia, as well as Zemeckis. The film doesn't have a release date yet, but production is set to take place in 2020.
Nintendo Shuts Down Pokemon Fan Game Creation Tool
Nintendo has forced 11-year-old fan game creation tool Pokemon Essentials to be taken down by filing a copyright claim.
"Please don't freak out about the claim, and there's no reason to get angry with Nintendo or anyone else involved," wrote an administrator of PokeCommunity, where Pokemon Essentials had been hosted and distributed. "It doesn't need to be a bigger deal than it should be.
"We will not allow Pokemon Essentials or any of its assets to be hosted or distributed on PokeCommunity. This includes derivatives such as Essentials GS or Essentials DS. We sincerely apologize that we have to do this, but there is no going around it."
The Romanoffs: First Photos From Mad Men Creator Matthew Weiner’s New Series
Amazon has released the first photos for The Romanoffs, the upcoming new anthology series from Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner.
The images, which you can view in the gallery below, focus on the show's first two episodes: "The Violet Hour" and "The Royal We."
The series includes eight separate stories centering on people who think they're the descendants of the titular Russian royal family. Each episode features a new story with a different cast.
Weiner wrote and directed the entire show, with the first two episodes premiering on Amazon Prime on October 12. New episodes will be released every Friday.
The full episode lineup, including the story description and cast as detailed by Amazon, is below:
Far Cry 5 Update Adds New Game+ and Infamous Difficulty
Far Cry 5's latest update has added New Game+ alongside a higher difficulty.
As detailed on Ubisoft's blog post, New Game+ is now available via the Title Update 10. It can be accessed through the main menu, but only those who completed the campaign can try out the mode.
New Game+ will allow you to replay Far Cry 5's story with all your progression intact. This includes money, gear, vehicles, weapons, outfits, prestige items, unspent perk points, arcade progression, and challenge progression.
Players who're looking for a bigger challenge in New Game+ can try out the Infamous difficulty, which features more challenging AI with extra health. Those who can complete the game on Infamous difficulty will unlock the Rook outfit.
Mr. Robot Ending After Season 4
Mr. Robot is officially ending after Season 4.
Reported by THR, the show's creator Sam Esmail has decided to conclude the story of Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek) with a final fourth season, which has reportedly been given an expanded 12-episode order. Production is set to begin in New York this winter for a 2019 premiere.
PlayStation Plus Free Games for September 2018 Announced
Sony has announced the September lineup of games included with PlayStation Plus, and the roster is highlighted by Destiny 2 and God of War 3: Remastered.
PlayStation Plus subscribers won't have to wait until September 1 to play Destiny 2, either. Sony has made it available immediately so that subscribers can try out the 24-hour free trial for Destiny 2: Forsaken's new Gambit mode, which will become available September 1 at 10 a.m. PDT.