Monument Valley Sales Surge After House of Cards Appearance
Indie puzzle platformer Monument Valley has seen a significant boost on mobile downloads charts thanks to an appearance in the recently released third season of House of Cards.
Main character Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) is seen playing and describing the game in the fifth episode of the hit Netflix series. As a result, the game has soared into the top 10 top paid apps on iTunes, where it currently resides at number 10 and is number three in the paid games category on the Google Play store. The game did not rank in the top 25 on either app store before appearing on the show.
Chris Evans Visits Sick Kids Dressed as Cap
Marvel movie stars Chris Evans and Chris Pratt paid a visit to Seattle's Children's Hospital today to bring some cheer to its young patients.
Evans was dressed in his Captain America costume while Pratt was in street clothes.
The hospital ran the news on its site: "Oskar Beechum, 7, lit up when Evans – dressed as Captain America – and Pratt surprised him in his room. Oskar is being treated for epilepsy and has been inpatient at Seattle Children’s for four months. 'Meeting them was a nice reprieve for us,' Oskar’s mom Kelli said. 'So many of our visitors are doctors, and the conversations are medical. I can’t wait to watch the Captain America movie with Oskar. It will be like he knows him personally now.'”
Cliffy B Talks F2P Model, More, for His Studio’s New Game
At PAX East today, Boss Key Studios founder Cliff Bleszinski held a panel to discuss starting a new game studio, and creating its original IP, BlueStreak.
The studio also revealed that the game is being built on the Unreal 4 engine, and during the presentation Boss Key showed off a brief glimpse of footage from the game.
During the panel, Bleszinski touched on the importance of the metagame in keeping players coming back "for 30 months." He also mentioned how his team is trying to eschew some of the more bothersome issues players have with the free to play model.
"Any item that affects game play," he told the audience, can be acquired "through grinding." He compared his ideal F2P model to Disneyland, saying that when a person visits the park, they have the choice to spend money as they see fit once inside, but they can still enjoy and experience all the park has to offer. He contrasted that with Vegas, where the push to spend to increase enjoyment is non-stop.
Killer Instinct Dev Reveals New Character and Modes
Killer Instinct Season 2 developer Iron Galaxy Studios has revealed details on “Ghost Girl,” the game’s newest character in an unused PAX East video, as well as upcoming content upgrades at a PAX East 2015 panel today.
Hisako was recently teased in a trailer for Killer Instinct's last character, Aganos, and she will be available to players in March.
The 19-year-old Japanese spirit woman is equipped with her father’s naginata, which allows her to attack from long range. Her gameplay style involves a lot of counter-attacking, including a Wrath meter that can be used to cause more damage.
Check Out 7 Minutes of The Witcher 3
Just in time for all the PAX East 2015 festivities, the developers at CD Projeckt Red have shown off a bit more of their upcoming open-world RPG The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
Watch as Geralt goes exploring and fights a Royal Wyvern in a side quest while Wild Hunt's Senior Level Designer guides you along the way.
The Witcher 3 will release on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC on May 19. Check out IGN's preview of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt to learn more.
Cassidee is a freelance writer for various outlets around the web. You can chat with her about all things geeky on Twitter.
Check Out 7 Minutes of The Witcher 3
Just in time for all the PAX East 2015 festivities, the developers at CD Projeckt Red have shown off a bit more of their upcoming open-world RPG The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
Watch as Geralt goes exploring and fights a Royal Wyvern in a side quest while Wild Hunt's Senior Level Designer guides you along the way.
The Witcher 3 will release on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC on May 19. Check out IGN's preview of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt to learn more.
Cassidee is a freelance writer for various outlets around the web. You can chat with her about all things geeky on Twitter.
Win This Blizzard Tournament to Pay Off College Tution
Blizzard Entertainment and TeSPA have announced Heroes of the Dorm — a Heroes of the Storm tournament offering MOBA-savvy students a chance to win free tuition for the rest of their college career.
Heroes of the Dorm is open to both undergrad and graduate students enrolled in colleges across North America. Each member of the tournament's winning team will receive up to $25,000 per year to go towards college tuition, or in the case of soon-to-be grads, paying off student loans.
“College sports do great things for student athletes—they help pay for schooling, build teamwork and communication skills, and create lasting memories,” said Blizzard CEO and cofounder Mike Morhaime. “We believe eSports has the same kind of power, and this tournament aims to bring positive experiences like these to college gamers.”
Win This Blizzard Tournament to Pay Off College Tution
Blizzard Entertainment and TeSPA have announced Heroes of the Dorm — a Heroes of the Storm tournament offering MOBA-savvy students a chance to win free tuition for the rest of their college career.
Heroes of the Dorm is open to both undergrad and graduate students enrolled in colleges across North America. Each member of the tournament's winning team will receive up to $25,000 per year to go towards college tuition, or in the case of soon-to-be grads, paying off student loans.
“College sports do great things for student athletes—they help pay for schooling, build teamwork and communication skills, and create lasting memories,” said Blizzard CEO and cofounder Mike Morhaime. “We believe eSports has the same kind of power, and this tournament aims to bring positive experiences like these to college gamers.”
Movie Insurers May Clip Harrison Ford’s Wings
Following his plane crash in Venice, Calif., on Friday, it's quite possible Harrison Ford will not be allowed to pilot planes while he's also working on movies.
Insurance execs and risk management consultants speaking with the Los Angeles Times claim it's quite probable that movie insurers will stipulate that Ford -- who suffered injuries when the vintage plane he was flying alone crash-landed on a golf course -- not be allowed to fly planes while also in production on a film.
Movie Insurers May Clip Harrison Ford’s Wings
Following his plane crash in Venice, Calif., on Friday, it's quite possible Harrison Ford will not be allowed to pilot planes while he's also working on movies.
Insurance execs and risk management consultants speaking with the Los Angeles Times claim it's quite probable that movie insurers will stipulate that Ford -- who suffered injuries when the vintage plane he was flying alone crash-landed on a golf course -- not be allowed to fly planes while also in production on a film.