54 Reasons Why 1998 Was the Best Year Ever
Welcome back to IGN's History of Awesome - a year-long look back at all the coolest and most influential games, movies, TV shows, comic books, toys, and tech that have shaped pop culture, and shaped the lives of an entire generation. Up this week is 1998 - the year of some major gaming greats: Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil 2, Half-Life, Fallout 2, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Pokemon Red & Blue, Baldur's Gate, StarCraft, Banjo-Kazooie... the list goes on.
Catch up on IGN's History of Awesome:
Josh Gad Writing Gorgeous George Biopic for WWE Studios
Josh Gad (Frozen, FX's The Comedians) has just signed a deal to co-develop a biopic focusing on George Raymond Wagner - AKA wrestling legend Gorgeous George - for WWE Studios, with Gad and partner Ryan Dixon writing the script.
Reported by Variety, the film will chronicle the life and career of Wagner, one of the stars of the "First Golden Age" of pro-wrestling (the 40s and 50s) who entertained/enraged crowds with his controversial villainy as a cowardly, flamboyant heel character.
WWE Studios will handle worldwide rights and will utilize all of WWE’s platforms, including TV, their WWE Network, and social media to market this title.
Fast and Furious Producer to Helm Crossfire Movie
Neal Moritz, producer of the Fast & Furious films, is set to helm a movie adaptation of Smilegate's popular game Crossfire.
According to Variety, the South Korean game studio decided to go with Moritz's Original Film production company because it "specializes in action blockbusters with strong storylines and themes, which have global appeal."
Crossfire is a free-to-play first-person shooter that has proven to be a major money maker in Asian markets, especially Korea and China. According to Smilegate, the game has a whopping 400 million registered users.
First 4 Figures Unveils Castlevania Model
First 4 Figures has shown off a Simon Belmont figure in the style of the box art from the first Castlevania game.
"He's stood at the foot of Dracula’s Castle, cracking the Vampire Killer as he prepares to embark upon his quest to slay Dracula," says the item's description. "All of the details from his leather armour and metal plates to his locks of hair and the tree stump on the base have all been painted by hand after being cast in smooth, high quality polystone resin."
The 20 inch statue comes with additional pieces which can be swapped out. The Vampire Killer can be swapped for the Short Chain, and his open hand can be switched out for one holding the Boomerang Cross.
Will Thor and Hulk Go on a ‘Cosmic Road Trip’ in Ragnarok?
Thor: Ragnarok will reportedly be a very serious film, but it could also feature a "cosmic road trip" with Thor and Hulk.
According to Birth Movies Death, the script for the next installment in the Thor franchise is so dark that Marvel brought on comedy director Taika Waititi to lighten it up a bit.
We had heard already that Hulk could be making an appearance in the movie, but apparently he and Thor will be going on a journey together.
A Future Star Wars Movie Will be Directed by a Woman
Expect to someday hear an announcement of a female Star Wars director for a future film in the series.
Fortune interviewed Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm and manager of the Star Wars franchise, who talked about the role of women in shaping the future of Star Wars at the Most Powerful Women Summit.
"They
very much support the fact that we are trying to grow in the workforce the number of women in executive positions," said Kennedy, "and in all positions inside the company, and with the movies we’re making, and with the protagonists that we’re putting in the stories."
DICE Admits Rebels at a Disadvantage in Battlefront Beta
Developer DICE has confirmed Rebel players were at a disadvantage in the Walker Assault mode of the recent Battlefront beta.
A disproportionate number of players have notice the Rebel Alliance seems to have a tough time taking down the Imperial Walkers, meaning they're losing again and again. Now, DICE has confirmed it's aware of the problem and is taking steps to tweak things ahead of release.
When asked by a player if the fact he'd never won as a Rebel meant he was bad at the game, a community manager for the game responded: "Nope! Its a balancing issue within the Beta."
This was soon echoed by lead multiplayer designer Dennis Brännvall, who tweeted "yeah it's too tough. We'll make changes based on the feedback and data."
Did EA’s ‘Players First’ Initiative Change Anything?
When Andrew Wilson took over as Electronic Arts' CEO in 2013, his goal was to improve the relationship between EA and its audience with a “player-first” mentality. It was, unsurprisingly, a very corporate-sounding initiative, something meant to give a then-reviled company a sense of humanity. Ideally, the refreshed company hoped, the new regime would created something worthy of inspiration rather than ire.
Two years later, Wilson’s “player-first” approach has had drastic consequences for EA. The results have been clear, tangible benefits to a player base formerly united by their hatred for the publisher.
Vaughan & Staples Talk Saga’s Business Model, Obscene Art Pages
Saga, by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Fiona Staples, is a bit of a phenomenon in the world of comics. It effortlessly blends sci-fi and fantasy to create a bizarre yet wondrous world where two aliens from warring planets, Marko and Alana, go on the run in order to care for their newborn baby, Hazel.
But there's so much more that makes Saga great -- there's the family-centric stories, the emotive and stylish artwork, and the heartfelt moments of humor. There's also these giant, surprise splash pages that are so obscene, depraved, and sexual that we'd have to age restrict this page to show them.
Sandbox Town-Building Game Astraea Coming to PS4 and PC
Norwind Interactive has announced town-building game Astraea will be coming to PS4 in early 2016.
According to Norwind's website, Astraea has also been announced for PC, but it is currently in early alpha and no firm release date has been announced for this version yet.
Astraea is "all about giving players the freedom to design their own towns by allowing buildings/structures/objects to be constructed wherever the player would like," says the game's description on the PS Blog.