Original X-Files Writers Return for Revival
Two original X-Files writer-producers are on board for the series' upcoming six-episode revival.
TVLine reports Glen Morgan and James Wong will each write and direct an episode for FOX, with Morgan also serving as an executive producer.
Morgan and Wong collaborated several times for the original series, writing standout episodes such as "Beyond the Sea" and "Home", which IGN ranked the third and second best standalone X-Files episodes of all time, respectively.
Destiny’s Trials of Osiris Introduces New Scoring Rules
Bungie is introducing a new scoring system for Trials of Osiris, the endgame crucible mode launching with Destiny's House of Wolves expansion.
The mode revolves around what Bungie is calling "passages." These are essentially scorecards players will acquire from Brother Vance at the Vestian Outpost in the Reef –– beginning on Friday each weekend, the scorecard will keep track of players' wins and losses. If players lose five rounds, they lose a match. Lose three matches, and the scorecard is revoked until players return to the Reef for another.
The maximum number of wins for each scorecard is nine, and earning at least eight will net players the high-tier Gold rewards. However, if players are unhappy with the early rounds of their scorecard, they can buy a new one for 100 glimmer –– Bungie wanted to keep the cost cheap in order to encourage players to shoot for the best outcome.
Destiny’s Trials of Osiris Has a Neat Matchmaking Trick
Worried about getting rematched with a team that keeps stomping you in Destiny's upcoming Trials of Osiris PvP event? According to their live stream today, Bungie won't let that happen.
Though the live stream showed two teams duking it out match after match, that was apparently only to keep the stream moving. When Trials of Osiris actually begins, Bungie has put in a matchmaking fail-safe that will keep you and your team fighting different opponents every time.
Out of context it may not sound like a big deal, but every win and loss matters in Trials of Osiris, since each match plays directly into what kind of rewards you'll ultimately be eligible for. This system ensures that you won't find yourself on a one-way road to having your Trials of Osiris run ended prematurely.
Destiny’s New Matchmaking Chooses Connection Over Skill
Destiny's new Trials of Osiris competitive PVP mode will incorporate a new form of matchmaking, Bungie has confirmed. But unlike the standard skill-based matchmaking, this new system will focus on player connections.
Speaking on the topic of matchmaking bias, Derek Carroll, Bungie's House of Wolves Senior Crucible Designer stated, "We have a different matchmaking criteria for Trials
. We’re highly favoring latency and connections."
"We’re more interested in you having a great game than having a very close match," Carroll said. "We’re matching you with people with good connections."
Though if you're worried about whether this means you won't find a competitive game, not to worry, Bungie has covered that as well. Trials of Osiris requires you to be in a pre-constructed fireteam to join the fray, similar to the intended raiding party system. There's no friend-finding here.
Heroes of the Storm Crowns Collegiate Champion
Heroes of the Dorm, a collegiate Heroes of the Storm tournament with competitors from over 460 schools, was conquered by UC Berkeley students this weekend.
The grand prize is free college tuition coverage for the rest of the winning students' college careers.
The tournament finale, featuring teams from University of Illinois, Arizona State University, and UC Berkeley, was the first college eSports event to be aired on ESPN2.
Almost half a million dollars worth of prizes were awarded to both competitors and spectators, including $10,000 to the audience member with the best bracket predictions.
Continuum for Windows Phone Turns Your Handset Into a PC
Microsoft's previously announced Continuum feature for Windows 10 has showcased new ways to seamlessly interact with a PC, much like you would a touch-based device. But during today's Build 2015 keynote, the company also revealed Continuum for phones.
Basically, since the UI experience for applications on both Windows 10 on your PC and Windows Phone are nearly identical, you can use your phone as the PC. Hooking up the phone via HDMI to a monitor, you can use the touch screen of the phone as a mouse and keyboard, or just sync those physical inputs via Bluetooth to the phone.
Chris Evans: Cap is ‘Probably a Virgin’
Captain America is frequently busy saving the world. So busy, he probably doesn't have much time for romance.
"It's funny when you think about it - he's probably a virgin," actor Chris Evans told Entertainment Weekly about Cap's love life. "He's probably a virgin! I don't know when it would have happened."
"He was on tour. That’s true," Evans said when he was reminded Cap went on tour with the USO. "Maybe one of those
girls blew his mind.
He’s probably just a good guy He was probably holding out for Peggy Carter and he’s a little more old-fashioned in that sense."
App Store Update: April 29
Every day hundreds of new apps make their debut on the App Store, and hundreds more are updated or reduced in price. We have sifted through the noise and highlighted those select few that might be worth your attention.
Note: The prices and deals compiled below are accurate at the time we published this story, but all are subject to change.
Ys Chronicles 1 – ($4.99)
Originally released in a two-game combo pack with Ys II on PSP a few years ago, this remake of the original Ys has now been pulled back out to be separate and re-released for iOS. I was actually the one to review the PSP version back in 2011, and at the time I thought it was just a fair experience – it's especially obtuse in some progress points, leaving you scratching your head and having to consult a walkthrough online to figure out what it is you're supposed to do next. But then the always lovely and civilly toned comments on that review of mine called me out on that point, so maybe what do I know? Beware the Ys defenders.
Why Destiny’s Newest PvP Mode Has Only One Map Per Week
As mentioned on Bungie's Destiny live stream today, the new upcoming weekly PvP activity, Trials of Osiris, will be locked to one map per week.
If that sounds limiting, there's actually a pretty good reason behind it. Teams will carry a punch card of sorts, called "The Passage of Osiris," with rewards being doled out based on how many wins (up to nine) they can scratch out before hitting three losses. In order to ensure as little randomness as possible, Crucible lead designer Derek Carroll felt that locking in one map for the week-long recurring event would create a stable, uniform competition.
Trials of Osiris will be played exclusively in the new match type, called Elimination, in which fireteams of three face off with no respawns. Revives are allowed, the first team to down all three members of the opposing team wins a round, with five round wins needed to take the whole thing.
Destiny: How Trials of Osiris Redefines PVP
"Power Matters" is a slogan Bungie has been boasting since it held the first Iron Banner event. While the launch version of this Crucible gametype most certainly did not do the saying justice, the developer has since gone back to the drawing board to make sure the slogan’s definition now applies. It’s made those advantages matter, and today, the time you put into leveling your armor and weapons will have a direct impact on your chances of success in the Iron Banner. Hopefully you’ve become accustomed to those advantages, because there’s another mode coming to the Crucible where you can reap amazing rewards if your guardian can go the distance. That new mode is one of the best multiplayer experiences I’ve ever had: Trials of Osiris, an intense 3v3 match between that forces your team to work together in ways Destiny hasn’t done before.