Xbox One May Update Rolls Out To Preview Members
There are a ton of new Xbox One and Xbox app features available to Xbox Preview Program and Windows Insider members, including more social options and a few fan-requested functions.
Non-preview program members can expect the updates in May.
Additions to Xbox One and SmartGlass include an over-the-air TV tuner for the U.S. and Canada, the ability to turn your Xbox One console off using the SmartGlass app, and user-selected power mode options.
The Xbox app on Windows 10 is getting user profiles, customizable avatars, and optional real name sharing. A new DVR and screenshot feature also allows users to grab clips or stills from their PC games.
If you have an Xbox One Digital TV Tuner or a Hauppauge 955Q TV Tuner hooked up to your Xbox One, you can also use the new live TV streaming and picture in picture features.
2015 Eisner Award Nominations Revealed
Comic-Con International announced the lineup of nominees for the 2015 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards today. Named after the late, great creator, the Eisner Awards honor the best works and best creators in the industry across a number of genres and formats.
SDCC 2014: Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Results
This year's lineup includes a diverse assortment of books and creators from various publishers. Four different comics received three nominations - Marvel's Ms. Marvel, DC's The Multiversity, Image's Saga and Monkeybrain's Bandette. Marvel, DC and Fantagraphics all received 18 nominations each. Saga and The Private Eye writer Brian K. Vaughan received the most nominations of any individual creator at four.
Destiny’s House of Wolves: A Tour of the Reef
Bungie walked fans through the second Destiny expansion, House of Wolves, today.
The main social space is the Queen's Bay, located inside the Reef. All players will be able to visit the Reef, whether or not they've purchased the DLC. A new NPC named Petra Venj introduces a new Queen's Wrath faction, and she will be the major story character in the Reef. Venj rewards you for hunting down members of the House of Wolves, a group of Fallen who rebelled against the Queen.
Variks, a member of the Fallen, is part of the Prison of Elders co-op arena mode, so you'l be able to gain his gear by playing that mode. The other mode, Trials of Osiris, is overseen by another character named Brother Vance. Those events will run weekly from Friday to Tuesday, offering new gear. The Bounty Tracker Bot from the Tower will be in the Reef too, offering Vanguard and Crucible bounties.
Brawl Coming to PS4 This Week
Brawl, a Bomberman style party game, is coming to PlayStation 4 on April 24.
Though Brawl does have a story modes for each of its eight characters — including Sad Clown, Wrestler, and Puppet Mistress who all have unique skills — developer Bloober Team said the emphasis is on Brawl's multiplayer and co-op modes.
The local multiplayer modes include Versus, Duel, Classic, Sumo, and Color Domination. Duel and Versus can also be played online. Co-op modes include a classic Horde mode and Sheep, where you team up with a friend to protect sheep from enemies. For a preview of each of these modes, check out the developer commentary below.
Brawl is $15 USD for the first month of its release but will bump up to its regular sale price of $20 USD after the promotion. Owners of Bloober Team's Basement Crawl can download Brawl for free. Bloober Team said there are definite plans to bring the party game to other platforms at the time, but it could happen in the future.
Journey’s Grammy-Nominated Soundtrack Getting Vinyl Release
Creative production company iam8bit has partnered with Sony Santa Monica and developer thatgamecompany to release the Journey soundtrack on vinyl for the first time.
The set includes two records and a beautifully designed album cover by artist Mark Englert, which you can see below. Pre-orders for the vinyl will open April 23 at 10am PDT / 1pm EDT on iam8bit's website.
Sony Revises Consolidated Fiscal 2015 Forecast
Sony has announced a revision to its consolidated forecast for the fiscal year, as the company has seen a marked increase in its Game & Network Services, Music, and Imaging Products & Solution divisions.
As such, the PlayStation manufacturer is anticipating a higher figure for its overall operating revenue and sales for the year. Sony's operating income forecast for February was 20 billion yen, and now, its revised forecast has jumped to 68 billion.
What does this mean for Sony? Well, it appears the CEO Kaz Hirai is getting the electronics giant back on track to profitability, as the company's financial situation continues to show signs of improvement, and you can bet the ongoing success of PlayStation 4 has played a huge part in it.
See The Vision Wrecking Everything
David Brevik obviously knows action RPGs. Heck, he helped shape the genre as we know it as a principal member of the team that gave us Diablo 2. His own game, known now as Marvel Heroes 2015, had a rocky start, but is looking much better these days, particularly when mucking about as The Vision in the new Age of Ultron content David and his team have cooked up.
Yes, Vision is the newest playable character making their Marvel Heroes 2015 debut and I got a full demonstration of his power set from the developers themselves. Like his comic-book counterpart, Vision's power set is diverse and powerful.
As you'd hope, he has a line of skills that revolve around his solar jewel, mostly the kind that fry lots of Ultron's cronies at once. It's fun and flashy, but it's still the least interesting thing about The Vision. Where he gets really interesting is with his hacking and density manipulation abilities.
The X-Files: Mitch Pileggi Confirms His Return as Skinner
Mitch Pileggi recently took to Twitter to confirm his return as FBI Assistant Director Walter Skinner in Fox's upcoming X-Files revival.
"Very happy to announce that Walter Skinner will once again be getting all grumpy and bitchy with his two wayward kids," Pileggi wrote. "Very happy."
The confirmation comes after David Duchovny appeared on The Late Show and mentioned Pileggi would be reprising his role as Skinner. Duchovny also said we'll see more of William B. Davis' Cigarette Smoking Man.
Tony Hawk Teasing Character Select for New Game
Professional skateboarder Tony Hawk has posted a teaser for the next game in Activision's popular extreme sports franchise.
In a video on Instagram, skater Rob Wootton acts out the various "Select Your Character" animations from prior games in the Tony Hawk Pro Skater series.
Accompanying the video, Hawk included a message teasing an impending announcement regarding the upcoming fifth entry in the pro skating franchise. "I am sharing this now in honor of our next game having been accidentally 'leaked' recently... THPS fans will rejoice. Details soon," he said.
13 Best Daredevil Easter Eggs
Now that we've binged Daredevi's Netflix series, it's time to point out our favorite Easter eggs, references, and trivia.
This goes without saying, but beware of spoilers for Season 1 of Daredevil!
Take a look at our list, then let us know anything cool you found in the comments.
