Monthly Archives: July 2016
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided’s Producer on the Problems With Boss Fights
We got some hands-on time with Deus Ex: Mankind Divided recently, and also had the chance to sit down with its producer, Eidos' Olivier Proulx. During our chat, Proulx talked about building its game world, the problem with boss fights in Human Revolution, choice and consequence, and more.
Read on for the full transcript.
IGN: Looking back on Human Revolution, what did you do well enough to elaborate on in Mankind Divided, and what did you want to get rid of entirely?
Olivier Proulx: Starting with what was very successful in Human Revolution: the choice and consequence aspect, the impact you have on the game world, and the city hub. So we've built a bigger city hub in Mankind Divided, one with more immersion, more side-missions, more layers to explore. We've improved the cool stealth mechanics, because we feel a good Deus Ex game must provide good stealth gameplay. So all of these things were improved on in many ways. But then we looked at the things we weren’t happy with: primarily the boss fight situation. We didn’t want to have another part of the game where you’re forced to kill someone. We don’t have that in the game anymore. All the challenges are more consistent with your play style.
Parks and Rec Alums Involved in Black Mirror: Season 3
Parks and Recreation co-creator Michael Schur and actress Rashida Jones (who is also co-writing Toy Story 4) have written an episode of Black Mirror: Season 3, it was announced today at the TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour.
Black Mirror creator and executive producer Charlie Brooker discussed how the two got involved in the show, saying "they were fans of the show and the feeling was mutual."
The episode Schur and Jones wrote is titled "Nosedive," which is being directed by Joe Wright and stars Bryce Dallas Howard and Alice Eve. While Brooker didn't share too many plot specifics in favor of keeping it a surprise, he did say the episode is "a social satire" that's "about kind of identity in the social media age."
Take-Two CEO ‘Enthusiastic’ About Nintendo NX
Despite the sales struggles of the Wii U, Take-Two's CEO Strauss Zelnick says the company is eagerly anticipating Nintendo's 2017 NX console release.
In an interview with Gamesindustry.biz, Zelnick said that he and the rest of Take-Two are "believers" in Nintendo as the NX approaches.
"We never want to count Nintendo out," Zelnick said. "So we feel pretty enthusiastic actually."
Gamesindustry notes that Take-Two may not rush to be one of the first to have games on the console, just as the company is not rushing to be one of the first with virtual reality offerings, but that the company is excited by what Nintendo is creating, especially given Nintendo's prior track record.
Arrested Development: Season 5 May Start Shooting in 2017
After assuring fans earlier this year that a new season of Arrested Development will "definitely happen," series creator Mitchell Hurwitz has provided a status update on Season 5, saying filming may begin next year.
"If it does happen, it looks like the shooting will start at the beginning of 2017," Hurwitz said during Netflix's panel today at the TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour (via Variety).
Hurwitz went on to note that he's really excited about continuing the show, calling it "the thing I'm really desperate to do."
Lights Out Sequel Already in the Works
Unsurprisingly, a sequel to the horror hit Lights Out is already in the works at New Line.
The film, made on a budget of $5 million, racked up $21.6 million in its box office debut. The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that David F. Sandberg will return to direct the sequel, as will the producing team of James Wan, Peter Safran and Lawrence Grey.
Apparently New Line is still "mulling over" concepts for the sequel.
Lights Out was based on Sandberg's own highly chilling short film of the same name (if you haven't seen it, watch it now with headphones on and the volume up loud). We called it a "relentless horror flick that plays on basic childhood terrors with efficiency" in our review.
Netflix Wants to Make Its Marvel Shows More Quickly
Netflix is planning to ramp up its output of Marvel television shows, aiming to have less downtime between seasons.
At the TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour today, IGN spoke with Netflix head Ted Sarandos about the company's upcoming Marvel schedule. When asked whether or not we might see an increase from two Marvel seasons a year to even five, considering all the currently announced series, Sarandos said, "I doubt that we could produce at the quality that they produce at that speed. But we’re gonna try to make them quicker so we can get less downtime between them."
The Netflix boss went on to note that "the whole cast is called on for The Defenders, which changes the production schedule for the other shows."
Darksiders Remaster Coming to PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Wii U
Nordic games has revealed a Darksiders remaster is coming for PS4, Xbox One, PC and Wii U, dubbed the Darksiders Warmastered Edition.
Though the product page on Nordic Games' official site does not yet come with a price, its release date is listed as 'Coming Soon!'
The Warmastered Edition lists its updated features as supporting:
- Native 1080p rendering resolution
- Doubled texture resolutions
- Rendering improvements and rework
- Better shadow rendering quality
Major Star Wars Character Will Not Be in Rogue One
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is set to explore a period shortly before the original Star Wars took place — but fans hoping to see one major character from the franchise in the film will be disappointed according to Rogue One's director and producer.
Spoilers for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story follow. Turn back if you do not want to know who will not be in the film.
When Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was confirmed to be going into production again for reshoots, some reports suggested that the extra shooting time would allow the recently cast young Han Solo, Alden Ehrenreich, to appear in the film. Rogue One's director and producer, however, have confirmed the Millennium Falcon pilot won't be in the upcoming movie.
Tomb Raider Reboot a ‘Fresh,’ ‘New’ Take on Lara Croft
Alicia Vikander will soon be taking on the mantle of Lara Croft, and she promises her version won't be too similar to the Angelina Jolie films that came out in the early '00s.
The 2018 film she'll be starring in is inspired by Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics' 2013 reboot of the franchise, Tomb Raider. That game, and its 2015 sequel Rise of the Tomb Raider, offered a new origin story for Lara and established her as a more well-rounded character. The 2018 Tomb Raider movie will similarly seek to differentiate itself from the Jolie-starring films that came before it.
NX May Support Nintendo’s Smartphone Games
Nintendo's next console, codenamed NX, will reportedly support the company's own mobile games.
According to The Wall Street Journal, "a person familiar with the matter" told the outlet that not only is Nintendo NX a hybrid device that functions as both a portable and home console, but it will also "be compatible with its own smartphone games."
Earlier this week, alleged details about Nintendo NX surfaced, claiming the device will be a high-powered handheld that can plug into a TV docking station. It will also allegedly use cartridges, supporting prior rumors about Nintendo's plans to no longer use discs, and reportedly won't feature backwards compatibility.