Monthly Archives: January 2016
Can Kylo Ren Be Redeemed?
Full spoilers follow for Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren is one of the most interesting aspects of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Part of why he’s so compelling -- beyond Driver’s intense performance as a confused young Force-user torn between two worlds -- is because we just don’t know where the character is going to wind up in future films. His struggle to find his true path could send him into the abyss that is the dark side of the Force, or he may yet wind up realizing the error of his ways and betraying his master, Snoke. But I’ve been wondering, if the latter direction is how Ren’s story winds up playing out, can we, the audience, ever really forgive him for his sins?
Half-Life Writer Marc Laidlaw Leaves Valve
Half-Life and Half-Life 2 scribe Marc Laidlaw has confirmed his departure from Valve Software.
Laidlaw confirmed the news to Gamasutra, explaining that he "left very recently" and that he may now "return to more self-directed writing projects."
"I am no longer a full or part time Valve employee, no longer involved in day to day decisions or operations, no longer a spokesman for the company, no longer privy to most types of confidential information, no longer working on Valve games in any capacity," Laidlaw said.
"My nickname when I first started at Valve in 1997 was 'old man Laidlaw,'" he said. "The little baby level designer who gave me that that nickname is now older than I was then."
Overclocked: Let’s Talk Oculus Price
Steve Gaynor of Tacoma and Gone Home's Fullbright Company joins Mitch Dyer and Dan Stapleton to break down 2016, from Steve's game to XCOM 2, Firewatch, Oxenfree, Deus Ex, and more. In the longest Overclocked episode yet, the crew digs into the current state of PC game development and the $600 price of Oculus -- which is expensive, for sure, but isn't necessarily absurd.
Scorsese More Hands On With Vinyl Than Boardwalk Empire
Martin Scorsese and Terrence Winter - the creative team who brought us Boardwalk Empire - are back with a new HBO series about the raw, wild, and dangerous would of rock and roll in 1973. And this time, Rolling Stones' frontman Mick Jagger is a part of the producing team as well.
Vinyl stars Bobby Cannavale, Olivia Wilde, and Ray Romano, and features a much more "hands on" Scorsese than Boardwalk. Scorsese was an executive producer on Boardwalk, and directed the first episode, but when he, Winter, Jagger, and the cast appeared at the TCA Winter Press Tour, the director made it clear that he was already more involved with Vinyl's first season than with the previous series. Not only did he direct the pilot episode again, but he's been an integral contributor throughout.
New Ghostbusters Prototype Action Figures Revealed
Ghostbusters director Paul Feig has revealed Mattel's new prototype figures based on his upcoming reboot film.
Feig unveiled the figures, which stand six inches tall, in a post on Twitter. See all four of the film's leading ladies, including Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Melissa McCarthy and Leslie Jones realized in toy form below.
Our Mattel 6" prototypes. #TheresGhostbusters pic.twitter.com/utz2FZPBU0
Final Fantasy 9 Is Coming to PC in the West
Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy IX is "coming soon" to Steam in the west.
This enhanced port of the beloved PS1 original boasts several new additions, including achievements, an auto-save function and Steam trading cards. It also features HD character models and cinematics, as well as a high speed option and no encounter mode.
The publisher has yet to provide a specific release date for Final Fantasy IX on PC, but according to its Steam product page, the game will arrive "early 2016."
New Rainbow Six Patch Addresses ‘Top Community-Raised Fixes’
An upcoming patch for Rainbow Six Siege will focus on matchmaking improvements that have been raised by the players.
The update - which rolls out on January 7 for PC, and January 14 for consoles - seeks to improve the server tick rate, enable data server selection for PC users, "refine" the quality of PvP matches, and improve the accuracy of the estimated waiting time while sitting in matchmaking lobbies.
The patch is releasing first on PC "because of the faster deployment process" and "in order to test the impact the fixes have and adjust if needed".
"Keep in mind that we will be improving with every update," says Ubisoft in a forum update. "Update 1.2 will not fix all of our current top issues and that we are actively working on fixing them as soon as possible."
New Photos of Play Kai Arts Halo 5 Figures
Play Kai Arts has released new pictures of its Halo 5: Guardians' Master Chief and Spartan Locke figures. As with many of Play Kai Arts figures, these two are pose-able and come with a bunch of accessories. Check out the photos below.
According to ToyArk, Master Chief and Spartan Locke are scheduled to release in April and will cost around $125 USD. Play Kai Arts hasn't released exactly what accessories will be included, though from the photos, it appears that both Spartans will come with an assault rifle and a pistol.
Master Chief and Spartan Locke are the main characters of Halo 5: Guardians. IGN thought the game was amazing, giving it a 9.0. IGN reviewer Brian Albert said that "the shooting has never felt better, and the
12 Horror Movies to Scare You Senseless in 2016
With 2016 upon us, we’re taking the opportunity to look ahead to some of the most intriguing horror cinema hitting theatres over the next 12 months.
On the sequel, prequel and remake front, we’ve got the likes of Leatherface, Rings, Amityville: The Awakening, The Conjuring 2, The Purge 3 and Phantasm 4 as well as Pride & Prejudice getting a zombie makeover. But we’re not going to highlight the (sorta) old, but rather champion the fresh and new. So the following are 12 original horror movies heading your way in 2016…
Release Date: US January 22, UK February 19
New Pokken Tournament Fighter to Be Revealed Next Week
The next character to join Pokken Tournament's growing roster will be revealed on January 15.
According to a tease on the game's official Twitter account (via Gematsu), the new Pokemon fighter's Japanese name includes the character "ラ" which translates to "ra."
新たなバトルポケモンが参戦決定!!1/15(金)に発表します! どんなポケモンが参戦するのか予想してみよう! 公式HPで第2ヒントも公開中!! https://t.co/dNsw9TACYl #ポッ拳 pic.twitter.com/hgU2wAcm7p