Yearly Archives: 2018
Loot Boxes to Be Investigated by the FTC
The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has agreed to begin investigating loot boxes, particularly focusing on how they are impacting children.
Per Polygon, Junior New Hampshire Senator Maggie Hassan questioned commissioners at the FTC during a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation subcommittee hearing about loot boxes, as well as other pressing topics. The brief exchange on the matter can be found here.
"We discussed loot boxes, which allow in-game purchases with real currency for surprise winnings, and most of you agreed that this is an area that could use additional oversight by the FTC,” said Sen. Hassan during her questioning. "Loot boxes are now endemic in the video game industry and are present in everything from casual smart phone games to the newest high-budget video game releases.
Touching Tribute Easter Egg Found in Spyro Reignited Trilogy
A very touching Easter Egg was found in the Spyro Reignited Trilogy that pays tribute to a very special mother.
About a month ago, Reddit user TheChronoShadow posted about his love for Spyro, specifically Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon, and asked if his mother, who was battling metastatic breast cancer, could be immortalized in the game that meant so much to the both of them.
TheChronoShadow was also dealing with cancer and had surgery at the end of last month, but wanted nothing more than to honor his mother.
MCU Directors Reunite on Star Wars: The Mandalorian Set
Various MCU directors, specifically the Russo Brothers, Jon Favreau, Taika Waititi and Peyton Reed, had a mini-reunion on the set of Star Wars: The Mandalorian.
The picture was posted on Favreau’s Instagram and the Russo Brothers’ Twitter account, simply with the caption “Reunion... #TheMandalorian” accompanied by a picture of the five directors.
Reunion... #theMandalorian pic.twitter.com/kvfvXwlxWQ
Black Panther Writer Cole to Script Call of Duty Movie Sequel
Activision Blizzard Studios has hired Joe Robert Cole to write the sequel to the Call of Duty film, according to Variety. Cole is known for his writing in Black Panther alongside Ryan Coogler.
It was announced last February that director of Sicario 2: Soldado, Stefano Sollima, would be helming the film.
Presidents of Activision Blizzard Studios, Stacey Sher and Nick van Dyk will be producing, as well as Activision Blizzard chief executive Bobby Kotick and Coco Francini.
Jordan Peele Confirmed for Candyman Remake, Nia DaCosta to Direct
Clive Barker's 1992 horror hit Candyman is getting the reboot treatment, and Get Out creator Jordan Peele will be producing the film with Nia DaCosta in the director's chair.
Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures made the announcement today, confirming earlier rumors that Jordan Peele would produce a Candyman reboot. The film will serve as a "spiritual sequel" to the original film, also taking place in the Chicago-based Cabrini-Green housing project – or at least what is left of it after gentrification.
Jordan Peele, who is producing alongside Win Rosenfeld, made the jump from the sketch comedy of Key & Peele to politically-minded horror with Get Out, and is also going to host the upcoming Twilight Zone revival.
Game of Thrones Security Heavily Increased for Season 8
David Nutter, who directed half of Game of Thrones' final six episodes, said the security on set was increased to the highest level for Season 8, to keep any secrets sealed shut.
In an interview with Huffington Post, Nutter said, "Well, sometimes there were paparazzi in amazing places ― on construction cranes and all kinds of crazy places, to try to get a point of view of things. They were all over, everywhere, trying to get in on what was happening."
"But it was definitely a situation where there was no paper on the set,
type of thing," he continued. "
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey: Legacy of the First Blade DLC Focuses on a Key Assassin
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s first major story-driven DLC, Legacy of the First Blade, has received a launch trailer, showing off a highly-important assassin.
With Episode 1: Hunted releasing on December 4, Legacy of the First Blade follows the first assassin to wield a hidden blade: Darius I, son of Xerxes I. Though Darius had long passed since the events of Assassin’s Creed 2, Ezio went on to explore a tomb dedicated to Darius. Though the real-world history on the matter is uncertain, many believe that Darius committed patricide and murdered Xerxes.
The DLC will be divided into three episodes, with the first focusing on Kassandra or Alexios meeting Darius. A new Persian enemy group appears in the trailer: they are seen pillaging villages, wearing black masks and are hunting the “tainted ones,” which includes the player character.
Fortnite Has Invaded the Modern American Classroom Like No Other Game
Kids have been bringing video games and other distractions into schools for decades. For me, it was my Game Boy. But everything from the ‘90s surge of Tamagotchi to Magic the Gathering and Pokémon cards has had their moment in the spotlight in middle schools and high schools alike. Kids in high school these days, however, have grown up with games on smartphones, and those games follow them into class in ways my Game Boy never could have.
Fortnite is huge in a way few games have been, and its audience talks about it and plays it in a way that’s different from almost any other game community. You can carry Fortnite – along with your profile and all your records and purchased content – with you just about anywhere you can go. That includes the classroom.
Amazon Is Having a Massive Sale on Boardgames
If you buy something through this post, IGN may get a share of the sale. For more, read our Terms of Use.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are behind us, and there were a staggering number of deals and chances to save money. Board game discounts were pretty light, but with the biggest shopping days of the year in the past, Amazon has dropped the prices on tons of amazing board games, including one of my personal favorites, Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures.
If you're a tabletop gamer, or thinking of getting into it, now is a great time. Here are some of the best deals on the best games around today at Amazon.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Sequel, All-Female Spinoff Reportedly in Development
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse won’t come to theaters until December, but it reportedly already has a sequel and a spin-off featuring an all-female cast of Spider-Man characters in the works.
Broken by The Hollywood Reporter, the report notes that Joaquim Dos Santos, known for his work on Justice League Unlimited, Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, is being tapped to direct the sequel. Details are scarce, though THR reports that “seeds have been planted” in the first film for a sequel.
Lauren Montgomery, who also worked on the two Avatar series’ as well as Voltron, Green Lantern: First Flight, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, and more, is reportedly in negotiations to lead the charge for an untitled project that will “gather the female heroes in the Spider-Man universe of characters in one adventure."