Monthly Archives: December 2015
Peek at Potter Prequel Fantastic Beasts Trailer
The first trailer for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will be revealed on December 15. Warner Bros. Pictures has released a peek at it. See below:
The trailer, Warner Bros. says, will show us "never-before-seen" parts of J.K. Rowling's wizarding world. The teaser itself doesn't reveal much, but we do know that the film is set in 1926 New York and follows Newt Scamander, as played by Eddie Redmayne, and his collection of fantastic beasts.
We've recently learned that the film will not only focus on Redmayne, but feature Katherine Waterston (Tina), Alison Sudol (Queenie), and Dan Fogler (Jacob) as well. These four have something to fear in the United States. The No-Maj—that's non-magical folk—are trying to persecute wizards and witches, reviving the days of the Salem witch trials.
Nintendo Says 3DS Is ‘Here to Stay’
Nintendo won't be abandoning its current line of handhelds anytime soon. According to executive VP of sales and marketing Scott Moffitt, "Nintendo 3DS is here to stay."
Moffitt discussed the company's commitment to the handheld in an interview with The Washington Post, citing the device's continued success, noting that "so far in 2015, sales of the family of Nintendo 3DS hardware in America are actually ahead of last year’s pace."
Nintendo's handheld has also proven to be a dominant force worldwide, selling more units than PlayStation 4 and Xbox One combined.
Gearbox Software Opening New Quebec Studio
Gearbox Software is expanding to Canada.
The studio announced the formation of Gearbox Studio Quebec today, with "the goal of enhancing Gearbox Software's mission to entertain the world" within its current portfolio. It's currently on the hunt for game dev talent for its unannounced inaugural AAA title.
“We are fortunate that there is a lot of demand on us to deliver our brand of interactive entertainment within the powerful franchises we have at Gearbox Software and the challenge for us is growing to meet this demand,” said President of Gearbox Software Randy Pitchford in a statement. “As part of our strategy we have already successfully built an expanded all new headquarters in Frisco, Texas . We now look ahead to another key and exciting step which is our commitment towards our all-new Gearbox Studio Quebec where we strive to team up with some incredible talent in the world of video game development outside of Texas to help us build fun and exciting video games within our tent-pole brands.”
Minecraft: Story Mode – Episode 4 Release Date Revealed
Telltale has revealed Minecraft: Story Mode - Episode 4 will be available digitally worldwide from Tuesday, December 22. The episode will also be available the same day for season pass disc owners via an online update
Telltale explains the fourth episode, 'A Block and a Hard Place,' will end the story of the Wither Storm, but a "mysterious fifth episode" of Minecraft: Story Mode remains slated for 2016.
Missed the first few episodes? Catch yourself up by checking out IGN’s reviews for Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 1: The Order of the Stone and Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 2: Assembly Required.
Watch the New X-Men: Apocalypse Trailer
20th Century Fox released the first trailer for next summer's X-Men: Apocalypse today. You can watch it out below.
Series veteran Bryan Singer once again sits in the director's chair for this sequel, which centers on the eponymous character Apocalypse (Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Oscar Isaac), an all-powerful mutant who awakens after a centuries-long rest and vows to start a new world order.
Along the way, he amasses an army of mutants to aid him in world domination, including a disillusioned Magneto (Michael Fassbender).
X-Men: Apocalypse also stars Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy, Rose Byrne, Nicholas Hoult, and Olivia Munn, among others. It hits theaters May 27, 2016.
Discounts for Need for Speed, Destiny With Sony’s Latest Christmas Deal
In the sixth deal offered as part of Sony's 12 Deals of Christmas promotion, Need for Speed and Destiny: The Taken King are available from the European PlayStation Store for 50 percent off the original price.
You can grab a standard digital version of Need for Speed for €39/£35 (was €70), or the Need for Speed Deluxe Edition for €45/£40 (was €80). The deal is available at the discounted price between now and 11.59pm, GMT, on December 12, 2015.
The Destiny promotion offers Destiny: The Taken King for €25/£25 (was €40), and the Digital Collector's Edition for €50/£45 (previously available for €90). If you fancy the Legendary Edition, which was previously €70, you can pick it up now for €30.
Bungie Details What’s Next For Destiny Fans
Bungie has confirmed that there's still plenty of "plans", "stuff" and "things" in development for its sci-fi shooter, Destiny, including a "significant update to the world and sandbox".
"This week we saw some chatter bubbling up around our content plans for Year Two of Destiny," said community manager Erik Osborne in this week's Bungie update. "You seem worried that there won’t be any more substantial content until we ship another full game, or that all of the content for the rest of Year Two will come in the form of timed events."
Stating that Bungie "gets it" and understands that some fans were disappointed that a new expansion pack was not revealed at PSX, Osborne added that while "The Dark Below II: Darker and Lower" was "not a real project in development", there's plenty for players to look forward to in 2016.
Parappa The Rapper 2 Is Coming to PS4
Parappa The Rapper 2 is coming to PS4 via an online PS2 re-release on December 15.
The news of the re-release comes out of the latest PlayStation Blogcast podcast (around the 12:33 mark).
The PlayStation team notes that because of the newly-released PS2 emulation, input lag in Parappa The Rapper 2 should see a significant decrease.
Fancy a trip down memory lane? In our review of Parappa The Rapper 2, we said “For the fans: For those who truly love Simon Says-style music games and who love Parappa, his hilarious story and the upbeat music will have you cheering, laughing, and playing the game again and again.”
Uncharted’s Best One-Liners
Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series has helped redefine the action-adventure genre in style, with everyman hero Nathan Drake globetrotting to more exotic locales than James Bond, taking down more bad guys than John McClane and cracking more quips than Indiana Jones has whips. To celebrate, we’ve compiled a list of our favourite wise-cracking quotes from Drake and Co.
The great Victor Sullivan on things not easily found:
“Man, this is like trying to find a bride in a brothel.”
Sully, on Drake’s anti-smoking griefing:
Drake: “See if you can light it.”
Sully: “So, after all your bitching about the cigar, now it comes in handy, huh?”
Cate Blanchett In Talks for Thor: Ragnarok
It turns out the rumor that Thor: Ragnarok's female villain would be "Cate Blanchett big" was on point.
Sources tell Variety that Blanchett is in talks to play the role, the first major female villain in the MCU.
Last month it was rumored that Marvel was pursuing "a big name actress for a mystery villainess—like Cate Blanchett big."
The character's identity is currently unknown, though Amora the Enchantress and Hela, Queen of the Dead have been thrown around online as possible candidates. Last year we pitched Blanchett for the role of Death, the physical representation of the end of life within the Marvel Universe.