There’s Some Final Fantasy XI News Coming Very Soon
A press conference detailing future plans for Final Fantasy XI will be held on March 19 at midnight PDT.
According to a tweet from the official FFXI Twitter account, you will be able to watch the stream live on YouTube.
In other Final Fantasy news, yesterday we found out that Ramuh has been confirmed as a summon for Final Fantasy XV. You can also read IGN's review of Final Fantasy Type-0 HD, which is "a welcome change of pace from the usual Final Fantasy experience".
Telltale Teases Dragons For Game of Thrones Episode 3
Telltale Games has released the first teaser image for Game of Thrones: Episode 3 - The Sword in the Darkness.
The image, which was tweeted by the company earlier today, shows a black dragon resplendently belching flames, which seems to suggest we could be seeing Drogon in the next episode of the series.
As for the title, "The Sword in the Darkness", this is part of the famous vow uttered by all members of the Night's Watch when they're ready to take the black, perhaps revealing where our attentions may be focused in the next chapter.
ESL eSports Documentary Coming July 2015
An eSport documentary will be broadcast during the ESL's seasonal tour, the Intel Extreme Masters, in July 2015.
"All Work All Play: Full Screen Mode Live" - produced by filmmakers from O'Malley Creadon Productions - aims to document the "work and planning that goes into the production of major eSports events". It also promises to showcase interviews with top players and provide insight into what goes on behind-the-scenes for one of the largest eSports tournament organizers in the world.
ESL studios in Burbank, CA will premier the documentary on July 23, with a second screening taking place in Cologne, Germany, on July 28.
“I think this documentary and the broader partnership is symbolic of how far we’ve come," says Ralf Reichert, Managing Director of ESL. "When we started out, I dreamt about us filling stadiums, but I never entertained the idea of filling cinemas. Everyone who works with Intel Extreme Masters here at ESL is passionate about esports and I think this documentary and the development of esports series programming in cinemas is a testament to that growth. I’m very excited to see esports in cinemas for years to come and can guarantee I’ll be the first to buy a ticket.”
Don’t Miss This Week’s Solar Eclipse
A total solar eclipse to set to occur on March 20, and select regions around the globe will be able to view this natural phenomenon.
The best place to view the greatest eclipse will be in the Norwegian Sea, just over 160 miles north of the Faroes, but if that isn't convenient (and for most of us it won't be), there are a select few European locations that will at least offer the opportunity to see a partial eclipse.
Those in Ireland, Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland should get a clear view of the moon covering the sun. The best time for those in Europe to witness this scientific marvel will be from 8 to 11am GMT.
If you're hungry for a little more science, be sure to check out IGN's Best TV Sci-Fi Series of 2014.
Alan Partridge Wanted For Top Gear
A petition calling for Alan Partridge to replace Jeremy Clarkson as the presenter of Top Gear has received more than 15,000 signatures in the last 24hrs.
Clarkson was recently suspended from the hugely successful TV show following an alleged 'fracas' with a producer, and the fall-out from said altercation could pave the way for the fictional presenter to join the team.
Partridge is a well-known car-lover, long-time reader of Top Gear Magazine, and even once fronted a show entitled Crash! Bang! Whallop! What a Video!.
The campaign itself is using the hashtag #HirePartridge, while the statement on the petition's website reads as follows:
Google’s Eric Schmidt Says Future AI Has Huge Potential for Humanity
Reassuring that humans don’t need to be so fretful about the advancement of artificial intelligence, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt believes the technology has immense potential to help humanity's future for the better.
“I think that this technology will ultimately be one of the greatest forces for good in mankind’s history simply because it makes people smarter,” The Washington Post reports Schmidt as saying during a keynote address at SXSW,
“I’m certainly not worried in the next 10 to 20 years about that. We’re still in the baby step of understanding things,” he said. “We’ve made tremendous progress in respect to
Battlefield Hardline Launch Suffers DDoS Attacks on Xbox One
Battlefield Hardline has enjoyed a mercifully smooth launch on most platforms, though issues experienced by Xbox One owners are being attributed to DDoS attacks.
According to the game's official Twitter, the issue has been identified and should hopefully be resolved before too much longer.
"We are aware of #BFHardline connectivity issues on Xbox One. We've got our best on it and hope to resolve soon. Thanks for your patience," developer Visceral tweeted. "We’ve identified the connectivity issues on Xbox One are due to DDoS attack and working to resolve. Apologies for the inconvenience."
EA Files Trademark For Something Called ‘Unravel’
Electronic Arts has filed a trademark application for something called "Unravel".
The trademark filing was spotted by NeoGAF and pertains to video game software and entertainment services. At the time of writing only a European trademark has been visibly filed, but it's pretty rare for companies to file trademarks across the world simultaneously.
Quite what this could be is anyone's guess, though it's not beyond the realms of possibility that this could be a new title set for reveal at E3. As for what type of game it could be, the name conjures up a fair few ideas, but the recent cancellation of Shadow Realms does make you wonder if any assets may be reused.
League of Legends Is Coming to Windows 10
Microsoft has just announced a partnership with Tencent, in which the companies will work together to bring Riot Games' popular MOBA to Windows 10.
In addition to League of Legends, Tencent will be bringing other titles, including Cross Fire and Dungeon & Fighter, to the Windows 10 marketplace.
On top of that, the China-based games company will be offering a free upgrade to Microsoft's new operating system in order to reach "as many Chinese consumers as possible, as soon as possible."
This is a huge win for Microsoft and the future of Windows 10, as League of Legends is undoubtedly one of the most popular competitive games currently on the market, thanks in large part to its thriving eSports community.
Fox Fans League is Looking For Its First FIFA 15 Champion
FIFA 15 Ultimate Team and Hyundai A-League fans have the chance to become champion of the inaugural Australian-wide Fox Fans League, Sony Computer Entertainment Australia announced.
Beginning in April, the qualifying heats will be held select Westfield Centres across the country on PlayStation 4. The winner of each heat secures a position in the top 16 finalists where they will go on to compete in the Grand Final at Federation Square in Melbourne on April 29. The Grand Final will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and commentated by Simon Hill and Andy Harper.
You can register you interest to compete in a qualifying heat via the tournament’s official website. To be selected as one of each location’s 32 participants you must answer in 25 words or less, "What makes you Australia's best EA Sports FIFA 15 gamer?," when registering.