Australian Government Finally Responds to 2016 Aussie Games Industry Report
The Australian Government has finally issued its response to the 2016 Senate Environment and Communications References Committee report on the future of Australia’s video game development industry.
The brief, 14-page response, which is littered with blank pages and white space, addresses the original report’s eight recommendations. Only one was supported “in principle” (a recommendation that the government should facilitate dialogue between the video game industry and other groups that could potentially benefit from the production of so-called ‘serious games’, like health care, education, and other sectors) but the government stressed that “it considers such developments are an initiative for industry to pursue.”
Looking Back at the Hearthstone World Championship: 5 Next Level Plays
The recent Hearthstone World Championship finals in Amsterdam saw the top 16 players in the world fight it out over four days of competition. There were some absolutely unbelievable games and series’, and while many of the players brought very familiar line-ups, the sheer skill and depth of knowledge on display ensured that it was hugely entertaining.
With that in mind, I thought it might be fun to highlight some of the plays that most impressed me while watching the tournament. These aren’t meant to be definitively the best. Instead, they’re an insight into the high level thinking of the top players, and also a good way for more casual Hearthstone fans to appreciate the incredible depth that this game offers. (More experienced fans can probably skip each “background” section below.)
Watchmen TV Pilot to Be Helmed by Leftovers’ Nicole Kassell
Nicole Kassell has been brought on board to direct the pilot of HBO's potential Watchmen series.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kassell will executive produce the project alongside showrunner Damon Lindelof, who is also writing the script.
This isn't the first time Kassell has worked with Lindelof, as she directed a couple episodes of Lindelof's critically acclaimed HBO series The Leftovers. Check out IGN's "No Room at the Inn" and "It's a Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt World" reviews for our thoughts on her work. Kassell's directorial credits encompass a number of other shows, including Westworld, Vinyl, The Americans, Better Call Saul, and Castle Rock.
Overwatch League’s Best-Selling Jersey Is Shanghai Dragons
The Overwatch League jersey for the Shanghai Dragons appears to currently be the favorite among fans.
When sorted by "best selling" on the official Blizzard Gear Store, the top 10 Overwatch League jerseys are ranked in the following fashion:
1. Shanghai Dragons2. LA Gladiators
3. Dallas Fuel
4. Philadelphia Fusion
5. LA Valiant
6. Florida Mayhem
7. SF Shock
8. Houston Outlaws
9. NY Excelsior
10. Seoul Dynasty
There are a total of 12 different jerseys available for purchase on Blizzard's store. Check out the gallery below for a look at each one.
Respawn’s Star Wars Game Could Come by March 2020
Though EA hasn't announced definitive plans for the future of its Star Wars games and their releases, the company's executives offered some idea of when players might expect Respawn's upcoming action game, as well as the next Star Wars Battlefront sequel.
Speaking during today's EA Q3 2018 earnings call, EA's CEO Andrew Wilson and CFO Blake Jorgensen discussed the future of the company's Star Wars games. Specifically in regard to Respawn's already announced Star Wars game, Jorgensen said, while EA has "not announced our products for fiscal
yet," Respawn's title "most likely will drop in Fiscal 20 versus another
Battlefront."
Fiscal years are offset from the calendar year. Fiscal Year 2020 would not kick in until April 1, 2019, with an end on March 31, 2020. That fiscal year would be the timeframe EA is projecting, though not necessarily defining as exactly when Respawn's Star Wars title may be released.
Cloud9 Becomes First North American Team to Win a CS:GO Major
Following a series of massive upsets, North American Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team Cloud9 won the ELeague Boston Major 2018. This is the first time that a North American team has won a CS:GO Major.
This is also only the second time an NA team has made it to the grand finals of any Major, after Team Liquid lost in the finals of ESL One Cologne 2016. What’s more, this Cloud9 roster had previously never even made it to a top eight of a Major tournament.
To achieve the feat, Cloud9 defeated arguably three of best teams in the world during their playoff run, bringing down G2 Esports in the quarterfinals and SK Gaming in the semis. All three playoff wins were considered upsets.
Star Trek Is Star Wars Now
Full spoilers follow for Star Trek: Discovery.
When Star Trek: Discovery first debuted this past September, it was immediately declared to be a different animal from the Star Trek shows we had previously seen. Not only was the general aesthetic updated, but the very structure was to be far more modern; the storytelling was to be open and long-form, the characters constantly seeking definition, and, most distressingly to some old-school Trekkies, it was to be all about the war between the Federation and the Klingons. Star Trek, previously a show about diplomacy, peace, and optimism, was going to boldly tackle war, aggression, and combat. It was to be a show, it seemed, about the breakdown and failure of diplomacy. It was a show fixated on war.
Go Loud With These Desktop PC Speakers
You have a screaming fast gaming PC, a beautiful adaptive-sync monitor, and a macro’d-out gaming keyboard and gaming mouse. But when you start up your favorite game, the thin and tinny sound from the gaming monitor’s speakers is just…blah. You could use a gaming headset of course, but sometimes you want to feel the bass of your weapons from big, heavy drivers instead of the tiny ones in your headset. If this is you, then it’s time to add some computer speakers to your gaming setup.
Star Wars Battlefront II Misses Sales Expectations
After a controversial release, Star Wars Battlefront II has fallen short of expected sales and will be bringing back microtransactions.
The Wall Street Journal reports EA's latest Battlefront game sold 9 million copies, which falls 1 million short of the company's 10 million sales projections.
While it's reportedly expected between 1 and 3 million more units will sell by the end of fiscal 2018, these sales still put the sequel behind its predecessor, which had hit 14 million by the end of fiscal 2016 (March 31, 2016) after a late 2015 release.
WSJ also shares that EA's finance chief Blake Jorgensen says microtransactions, which were pulled after the game's release, will make a return "in the next few months." EA had indicated, at the time of their removal, that microtransactions would eventually return to the game.
A Pong TV Game Show Is in the Works
A TV game show based on the 1972 classic video game Pong is in the works.
Variety reports Atari will develop the show, called Million Dollar Pong, with Scott Sternberg, the unscripted veteran producer behind shows like Kid's Wheel of Fortune, The Gong Show, Hollywood Squares, Catch 21, and more.
The show will be produced by Scott Sternberg Productions, with Jeff Mirkin producing for Atari. A network isn't attached yet and a release has not been set.
"Pong is a cultural touchpoint for generations of people," Sternberg said. "It's not often we get the chance to develop a game show concept around such an iconic brand. I can't wait to give people the chance to see, experience and play a brand new Pong."