Black Mesa’s Free Version Won’t Get Xen Levels
Black Mesa fans won't be seeing any Xen levels unless they pay up for the mod's standalone version on Steam Early Access.
According to a Reddit Q&A with Black Mesa's developers, Crowbar Collective, it's "impossible" to bring these concluding levels to the free version of Black Mesa because of its inferior engine.
"In order to make Xen look the best it possibly can look, we need to upgrade the engine with new features," said Black Mesa level designer, Joe R. "These new features will make it incompatible with the mod version."
Here’s How to Get a White Raiden Statue
A special-edition statue of White Armor Raiden from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance will be available as a San Diego Comic Con exclusive.
The statue features a unique armor design with white-tinged metal featured in the extra ops mission Jamais Vu. His usual blades have been swapped out for a rocket launcher and assault rifle, and an LED makes one of his eyes glow red.
The statue comes pre-painted at a 1/6 scale and can be purchased at SDCC for $195.00. For those who are unable to attend the con, This special version of Raiden will be available from select retailers for a short time, with pre-orders starting on May 11. Visit Gecco's official website to learn more.
Xbox One May System Update Rolling Out Today
Xbox One owners can now send voice messages, thanks to this month's system update, which is rolling out today.
Previously only available to preview members, voice messaging works across console generations, allowing Xbox One and Xbox 360 owners to exchange messages. To send a voice message, simply launch the messages app and select the microphone icon. You can then record your message using either a headset or Kinect.
The May system update also introduces the ability to power your console on or off using the SmartGlass app, as long as both devices are connected to the same network. Additionally, Xbox One owners will now be given the chance to activate the system's energy-saving mode during its initial set-up.
Castlevania Producer Condemns Konami Over Kojima Debacle
Castlevania series producer Iga has spoken out to lament the way in which Konami has handled its ongoing controversy with Hideo Kojima.
We recently got to chat with Iga through his agent at DDM, Ben Judd, about newly-announced Bloodstained Ritual of the Night and took the opportunity to ask the former Konami employee whether he could have foreseen such a situation coming.
"He’s heard what’s happening, but mostly it’s been through the news and not people directly at Konami, because that company has a way of bullying their employees not to give out too much information – to say the least," he said. "But as a top-level creator who also was put in difficult situations in which he had to make difficult choices, it’s always sad when really interesting franchises or really talented creators end up not being able to make the thing they’ve made in the past that has made the fans so happy, speaking brutally honest, that has generated revenue in the first place. So for him, it’s kind of a sad day to see that’s happening.
Join IGN Live for The Witcher 3
Be sure to join IGN live all week long as we dig into the epic, brutal new open-world RPG sequel, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. We'll be streaming the game throughout the week:
- Wednesday, May 13 at 1pm PT/4pm ET/9pm GMT (7am Thursday AET) with Max Scoville
- Friday, May 15 at 1pm PT/4pm ET/9pm GMT (7am Saturday AET) with Naomi Kyle
- Tuesday, May 19 at 1pm PT/4pm ET/9pm GMT (7am Wednesday AET) with Max Scoville
Stay tuned for our review of The Witcher 3, and in the meantime, don't miss everything you need to know about this huge new RPG.
Former Castlevania Producer Announces Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Today, Former Castlevania series producer Koji "IGA" Igarashi announced Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, a new game seeking funding on Kickstarter.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is 2.5D action adventure game directed and produced by IGA. He will also handle the role of scenario writer on the project. Castlevania series composer Michiru Yamane will join him along with developer Inti Creates, the same studio behind Keji Inafune's Mighty No. 9, Azure Striker Gunvolt, and Mega Man 9 and 10.
IGA met with IGN to discuss his new venture. After almost a year of silence, we wondered why it took so long to launch this Kickstarter? "I first wanted to see if here was a way to do this through a traditional business model," IGA told IGN in a translated interview. After he went independent, IGA hired Ben Judd, Executive Director of Business Development at DDM, as his agent and spent nine months meeting with publishers to pitch Bloodstained. And, for a variety of different reasons, all of them decided to pass on funding the game.
Canceled Rock Band 3 Sequel Revealed
Rock Band: Sessions entered development shortly after the conclusion of Rock Band 3. Harmonix canceled its excellent concept -- a Rock Band game where you make music instead of matching other artists’ notes -- shortly after the team completed a playable prototype. But the game still exists inside Harmonix, and the team was brave enough to let IGN make some music in a game that will never release.
“It didn’t work for a number of different reasons,” Product Manager Daniel Sussman told IGN. “But Rock Band Sessions was really interesting to work on, and really exposed a lot of strains to us, and made us think about how musical expressivity in the format of a Rock Band game. And it actually informed Rock Band 4 in a lot of ways.”
Darksiders, Saints Row, Metro Go DRM-Free
In collaboration with Deep Silver and Nordic Games, GOG.com is adding a total of five new games to its library of DRM-free software today.
The additions include Nordic Games' Darksiders and Darksiders II, as well as Saints Row 2, Saints Row: The Third, and Metro: Last Light from publisher Deep Silver. And if that weren't enough, you can save up to 75 percent off in discounts throughout the week. The sale will end on May 18.
"It's not every day that we see major games like these, unchained from any forms of DRM," GOG.com VP of business development Oleg Klapovsky said. "With today's big-name DRM-free releases, and the impending The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt premiere, we anticipate even more major titles to follow suit."
10 Movies That Belong in The Twilight Zone
This article was originally published in November 2009.
Today, May 11, marks National Twilight Zone Day honoring the groundbreaking TV series The Twilight Zone, created by the late Rod Serling. The sci-fi/fantasy anthology series, which originally ran from 1959-64, has been a huge influence on a generation of filmmakers and many TV series and movies. Without The Twilight Zone to blaze the trail, it would be tough to imagine TV series such as Fantasy Island, Twin Peaks, Tales From the Crypt, The X-Files, or Lost being backed by a major network. But the influence of the show can also be seen on the big screen, most obviously in the films of M. Night Shyamalan.
If Jurassic Park Were an MMO, iI’d be ARK: Survival Evolved
The first trailer for open-world dinosaur survival game ARK: Survival Evolved has been revealed.
The title, which you can see in action below, will hit Steam Early Access in June, with PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions planned at a later date.
"As a man or woman stranded naked, freezing and starving on the shores of a mysterious island called ARK, use your skill and cunning to kill or tame & ride the leviathan dinosaurs and other primeval creatures roaming the land," a description reads. "Hunt, harvest resources, craft items, grow crops, research technologies, and build shelters to withstand the elements, while teaming up with or preying upon hundreds of other players to survive, dominate... and escape!"