App Store Update: March 18
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.
Agent P DoofenRun – (Free)
Originally known as "Agent P DoofenDash," this game's distribution rights have changes hand behind the scenes, so it's making a fresh debut with a changed name today.
Rumor: Disney Wants Abrams for Episode 9
Disney is reportedly looking to bring Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams back to direct the final film of the new trilogy, Star Wars: Episode IX.
We already knew Abrams would not be back to direct Star Wars: Episode VIII, which will be written and directed by Rian Johnson (Looper). But Latino Review reports that Abrams might return to helm Star Wars: Episode IX.
According to the site, people at Disney who have seen The Force Awakens footage are impressed and have singled Abrams out as the frontrunner to direct the final trilogy installment.
Nintendo Will Explore Payment Options With Mobile Games
As Nintendo moves its classic IPs into the mobile game market, the company will be open to various payment options on mobile devices, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata said.
Yesterday, Nintendo announced a partnership with mobile game company DeNA, which will help Nintendo bring its franchises to smartphones. And when it comes to charging customers for mobile games, Iwata said Nintendo is considering multiple avenues –– these include the free-to-play model many mobile games are based around, and the traditional one-and-done packaging system Nintendo has built its console and handheld businesses on.
Japan is Getting Burger King-Scented Perfume
There's two things you need to know, right off the bat: Japanese Burger King restaurants are apparently going to sell cheeseburger-scented perfume, and they're only going to sell the flame broiled aroma on--wait for it--April 1st.
As mentioned by Kotaku, the scent is dubbed "Flame-Grilled" and will apparently arrive in Burger King locations in Japan on a day which is generally reserved for such foolishness. But before you write off the perfume as a hoax, keep in mind Burger King has actually done this before.
Back in 2008, Burger King launched "Flame," a cologne combining "the scent of seduction with a hint of flame-broiled meat." So, in all likelihood, this is actually going to happen. Apparently, Burger King also petitioned the Japanese government to enact April 1st as an unofficial holiday called Whopper Day.
Atari Blocks TxK, Accuses Creator of Plagiarism
Update: An Atari spokesperson provided the following statement to IGN:
"Atari values and protects its intellectual property and expects others to respect its copyrights and trademarks. When Llamasoft launched TxK in early 2014, Atari was surprised and dismayed by the very close similarities between TxK and the Tempest franchise. Atari was not alone in noticing the incredible likeness between the titles. Several major gaming outlets also remarked at the similarity of features and overall appearance of TxK to Tempest; one stated of TxK, 'This is essentially Tempest.' There is no lawsuit. Atari has been in continuous contact with the developer since the game launched in hopes that the matter would be resolved."
Miyamoto on Mobile? Not Quite Yet
Famed game developer Shigeru Miyamoto, whose creations for Nintendo are some of gaming's most important franchises, won't be developing games for mobile quite yet.
Nintendo's partnership with Japanese mobile company DeNa was announced yesterday, and the idea of Nintendo IP on smart devices already has gamers, and stockholders, very excited. But according to Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata, Mr. Miyamoto won't be helping develop games as a part of the deal in the near future.
Speaking to Time, Iwata said Miyamoto's current priority is on "the development of Wii U titles that will be launched this year."
Bosch Renewed for Season 2
Amazon has greenlit a second season of its cop drama Bosch, starring Titus Welliver.
Bosch's first season was released for streaming a month ago, achieving the biggest debut weekend among all Amazon Original Series and becoming the most-watched title on Prime Instant Video, across movies and TV series in its first four weeks.
The series, which is based on Michael Connelly’s best-selling books, will return with stars Titus Welliver, Jamie Hector (The Wire), Amy Aquino (Being Human), Lance Reddick (Fringe, The Wire) and Sarah Clarke (24).
Nintendo Believes Mobile Games Will Lead to More Console Fans
Nintendo president and CEO Satoru Iwata believes that Nintendo intellectual property introduced to users through its deal with Japanese mobile provider DeNa will lead to new interest in Nintendo's dedicated gaming systems.
In an interview with Time, Iwata said that Nintendo IP on smart devices will "become an opportunity for the great number of people around the world" who may not own a Wii U or a 3DS to "to be interested in Nintendo IP and eventually to become fans."
Nintendo sees its IP on mobile as bridging the gap between smart devices and its consoles. He believes Nintendo will be able to take advantage of the mobile space in a unique way that will further Nintendo IP as a whole.
Borderlands: The Handsome Collection Goes Gold
Development on Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is complete, as Gearbox Software announced its current-gen Borderlands bundle has gone gold.
"Borderlands: The Handsome Collection has gone gold!" the company wrote on Twitter. "Who’s ready to turn up the mayhem next week?" The Tweet also included the following celebratory image:
Sharknado 3 is Officially Called…
Syfy and The Asylum announced today that the official title of the latest Sharknado installment is Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!
The two-hour movie - starring Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, David Hasselhoff, and Bo Derek - will air Wednesday, July 22 at 9/8c.
Sharknado 2: The Second One Review
Additional cameo roles include Mark Cuban as the President of the United States; Ann Coulter as the Vice President; Michele Bachmann as herself; Jerry Springer as Mr. White, a manic tourist; Washington Redskins tackle Tom Compton as a reporter; *NSYNC singer Chris Kirkpatrick as a pool lifeguard, and (on again, off again) WWE Superstar Chris Jericho, who will portray Bruce the roller coaster ride operator.