Monthly Archives: January 2015
New NASCAR Sim Headed to PS4, Xbox One, PC in 2016
New “NASCAR Interactive Entertainment publisher” DMi, Inc. has revealed the status and future of the NASCAR video game series, which it will now oversee exclusively, in an open-letter to NASCAR video game fans. UK-based Eutechnyx had previously been NASCAR’s licensee for video games since 2010, when it took over from EA.
“As of January 1, 2015, DMi became NASCAR’s exclusive licensee for video games and digital entertainment,” wrote DMi president Ed Martin. “It is a deal that had been in the works for several months. But it was something that could not be disclosed until everything was finalized. And by “everything”, I mean a very long and complex set of negotiations and agreements. Just to give you some context, a contemporary NASCAR video game has over 1,000 licensed and approved properties in it. That’s a lot of stakeholders and people to get organized!”
Revisiting Grim Fandango
Join Kosta as he plays through some of the most seminal adventure games of all time. You can read all the previous instalments here.
In the world of video games something strange happened in the mid-1990s. It didn’t happen all at once, or even within the same year, but it still happened fairly quickly. A general consensus was reached, you see, that 2D graphics were simply too old fashioned for the modern, polygon-obsessed, baggy jeans-wearing video game player of 1995.
Hypothetical Aussie teens from the '90s.
Dying Light Delayed in Europe, Australia and Other Regions
Dying Light’s physical release in Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia is delayed until an as yet undetermined date due, according to a statement on the game’s official Facebook page.
“The game will have a global digital release on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC of January 27, 2015. ” the statement reads. “As physical production has a longer lead time than digital there is some delay in the aforementioned territories. We will share information on the availability of physical copies as soon as it is confirmed.”
Techland’s first-person action survival horror game was originally slated to launch in Asia, Australia and New Zealand on January 28, 2015, and Europe and Japan on January 30. It will launch in North America as scheduled on January 27.
Jennifer Lawrence Reportedly Reuniting with Mockingjay Director
A new report claims Jennifer Lawrence will re-team with her Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence for The Dive, produced by James Cameron.
The Wrap has the news, via sources. Reps for Lawrence and Lawrence have declined to comment.
The Dive will tell the true story of Francisco “Pipin” Ferraras and wife Audrey Mestre, who were regular record breakers in 'freediving', where competitors try to travel as deep as they can underwater on one breath. Lawrence will reportedly play Mestre, who famously died after trying to beat the world record of 160 meters.
Ant-Man Probably More Comedic Than the Trailer Indicated
Known for her roles in comedies like Arrested Development, Two and a Half Men and Married, Judy Greer now finds herself appearing in several huge movies in a row. Last summer, in a mo-cap performance, she played Caesar's wife Cornelia in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and this coming summer, she’ll appear in both Jurassic World and Ant-Man – playing “Maggie” in the latter, ex-wife to Ant-Man himself, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), and the mother to his daughter, Cassie.
Greer was at the TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour today to promote the current season of Archer (in which she voices Cheryl) and I was among a small group who spoke to her after the show’s panel. We discussed her sudden ascension into the world of big summer movies, why she’s having a great time working on them and the role comedy plays in Marvel’s films, Ant-Man included - despite the mostly dramatic tone of that film's teaser trailer.
Sony Will Lose $30 Million on The Interview, Says Theatre Group
Despite the grand proclamations of a new business model, The National Association of Theater Owners in the United States has declared Sony will lose at least $30 million on The Interview.
"In this simultaneous-release game, Sony is $30 million in the hole and almost out of cards," said vice president of NATO Patrick Corcoran for NATO publication Box Office Magazine. "The only game changed here was just how much Sony left on the table."
This comes in the wake of Sony's decision to release The Interview simultaneously on VOD and in theaters on Christmas Day, after terrorist threats scared the company into pulling it from its original theatrical run. However, The Interview only opened in independent cinemas, as most major exhibitors have a policy against screening films that are widely available on other platforms.
FX Prez Says FX Second Only to HBO in Terms of Quality
This morning at the Television Critics Association press tour, FX president John Landgraf had a few words (and slides) for those TV watchers out there who think HBO dominates the realm of critically-acclaimed series.
"Over the past few years with insanely increasing competition, I’ve spoken about the importance of having a report card and being honest about that report card, good and bad," Landgraf opened. "But it’s always much better when the grades are good. And the FX report card for 2014 was our best by nearly every measure."
"The general perception about TV today among many consumers, and perhaps some TV critics," Landgraf continued, "is that HBO is the runaway leader in quality and depth and that the other networks and programming services that produce and air the highest-quality original programming are in a pack battling it out for second place."
Fargo Season 2: Ronald Reagan to be a Character
With casting nearly complete for the second season of FX's Golden Globe winning drama, Fargo, President of FX John Landgraf has revealed new details about the storyline. "It's about a time of cultural change," Landgraf said at Sunday's TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour. "It takes place with Ronald Reagan's campaign as a backdrop," Landgraf said. "Reagan in a character in it."
Now, "being a character" in a film or television series can sometimes be a metaphoric phrase. New York is often a character in a series, for example. IGN had the opportunity to follow up with Landgraf, to clarify what Reagan's role will be in the series.
It’s Always Sunny Likely to Continue Past Season 12
Things were definitely looking, ahem, sunny for the cast of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia on Sunday morning during the 2015 TCA Winter Press Tour. Ahead of the panel FX/FXX boss John Landgraf reminded us that the show -- which just began airing its 10th season this past week -- would return for both an already-ordered 11th and 12th season, making it the longest running live action comedy cable series in primetime history. If series creator Rob McElhenney has his way though, the series will continue well beyond 12.
“I never thought we’d have a 12-season run,” he told reporters. “This was my dream, this is what I always wanted to do. I get to work with my best friends and my family. We get carte blanche from the network on what we do. The audiences is still there. I don’t know why we’d stop.”
Get Your Own Giant Mech Suit Today
If you live in the Kyoto region of Japan, and have a cool million dollars laying about, then you can roll up to your next party in a giant mech suit.
The product of Suidobashi Heavy Industries, Kuratas Model 001 is a 5000kg mech suit that makes your puny Master Grade Gundam model look like a dumb toy for babies. And it's for sale on
Running on V-Sido, the "next generation robot OS," you can move the arms and torso from within the mech's enclosed cockpit, or if you prefer to fight your space battles from a safe distance, the suit has a remote control module. Is that not anime futuristic cyberpunk enough for you? The Kuratas Model 001 can also be controlled via 3G enabled smart phone. However, attaching nuclear missiles to your mech may be in violation of Apple's terms of service, so watch out for that.