Yearly Archives: 2018

Assassin’s Creed: New Tech Could Allow Multiple Time Periods

Assassin's Creed is famous for sending players throughout time and around the world to visit everywhere from Ancient Egypt to Colonial America, but each game's open-world segments have been contained to a single time and place. That, however, could be set to change.

In an interview for the Ubisoft blog, Ubisoft Canada's executive vice president of creative Lionel Raynaud said future technologies could enable the developer to create an Assassin's Creed that drops in on different time periods. Other Ubisoft franchises could benefit from this too, with players potentially traveling to multiple countries in the same Far Cry or Watch Dog game.

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What Did You Think of This Week’s Comics?

Even with it being Independence Day in the US, the comic book industry went all-out with new releases this week. DC delivered the long-awaited wedding issue in Batman #50, and then followed up that story with a new series for Catwoman. Marvel relaunched Captain America with a new creative team and celebrated its own milestone as Star Wars reached issue #50.

Check out our new reviews and thinkpieces for the week, and let us know your favorite books in the comments below.

Batman #50

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Sea of Thieves: New Item Is a Lovely Banjo-Kazooie Reference

Sea of Thieves is celebrating Banjo-Kazooie's 20th anniversary with a new figurehead item.

As detailed in the game's latest patch notes, The Bird and Bear Figurehead is a subtle nod to the classic platforming franchise. It's a wood-carved brown bear along with an avian blue and red shield, and it costs 1,998 gold.

The figurehead will only be available in July, and you can purchase it from the shipwright at all outposts.

The Bird and Bear Figurehead, via Sea of Thieves website.

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Todd Howard: Fallout 76 Doesn’t Indicate the Future of Bethesda Games

Bethesda Game Studios head, Todd Howard, recently spoke with GamesIndustry.biz about the fear that the online-only Fallout 76 may indicate a shift away from the single-player games Bethesda is so beloved for.

"It doesn't mark the future," Howard begins. "Corporately we've done a mix; people forget sometimes. Elder Scrolls Online is one of the biggest online games in the world, we have Fallout Shelter which we keep updating and Elder Scrolls: Legends."

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Battle Royale FPS Fear the Wolves Entering Steam Early Access July 18

The upcoming Battle Royale FPS Fear the Wolves will enter Steam Early Access on July 18.

Fear the Wolves is being developed by Vostok Games - developers of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series  - and published by Focus Home Interactive. It combines last-man-standing gameplay in a radiation-ravaged Chernobyl with PVE elements like radiation, mutants, and a dynamic weather system, alongside unique endgame extraction mechanics and exploration possibilities thanks to special protective gear.

The Early Access build will feature the core gameplay and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. vibe, and Vostok is promising regular content patches to introduce a new map and mode, leaning and crawling, more weapons, items, mutants, and weather. A full plan of the update timeline will be available on the Steam page throughout development.

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How the Persona Series Succeeds by Casting the Player as a Sympathetic Ear

Caution! Spoilers for Persona 5 ahoy!

One of the standout things about the Persona series is the way it celebrates the power of friendship.

Yes, each instalment has its own unique thematic thread. Persona 3, for example, dealt with kids confronting their mortality, while Persona 4 highlighted the importance of accepting who you are, even the bits you don't like and, more recently, Persona 5 asked if it was possible to redeem evil people by forcibly changing their hearts and whether it'd be ethically right to do so.

Yet, throughout of each these games, the protagonists explore these themes by forming unbreakable bonds with those around them.

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Netflix’s ‘Ultra’ Plan Will Charge More for UHD Content

Netflix is testing out new subscriptions that will give consumers access to Ultra HD streams.

According to Variety, the Ultra plan will set buyers back USD $16.99 per month and will allow the consumer to view four Ultra HD streams. The consumers on the Ultra plan will also have access to high dynamic range (HDR) content.

Netflix will also be offering a USD $13.99 premium plan. The premium plan will allow viewers to have access to two Ultra HD streams.

Netflix is still in the testing phase, so only some customers will have the option to try out the new plans. The company may ultimately decide not to roll out the plan to all of its customers.

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How Man of Steel Sets Up Superman’s Comic Book Future

Man of Steel #6 hit stores today, ending writer Brian Michael Bendis' first major Superman storyline. But while the first battle between Superman and Rogol Zaar is over, Bendis' plans for the franchise have just begin. Man of Steel #6 paves the way for Bendis to take over DC's monthly Superman and Action Comics titles and the return of Supergirl's solo series.

Scroll down for a recap of the big developments in Man of Steel and how Bendis is setting the stage for a new era for the Superman comics.

Rogol Zaar - Krypton's Destroyer?

Bendis' most significant addition to the Superman mythos so far is Rogol Zaar, a powerful new villain who claims to be responsible for Krypton's destruction. Whether Zaar is telling the truth remains to be seen, but he's already proven himself more than a match for both Superman and Supergirl on multiple occasions.

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