Monthly Archives: August 2016

Forza Horizon 3 Is Mind-Blowing in 4K

Driving through the iconic red dirt of the Australian outback, I watched intently as my BMW spun up the dust behind it, scattering it unevenly across the screen. Surely, at some point, those pixelated dust clouds suddenly grew in density, or repeated a formation, or even disappeared, but I couldn’t spot those changes. The dust seemed to move as unnaturally and unpredictably as if it were real, individual particles, not purposefully crafted effects, while it slowly coated the back of my car.

Forza Horizon 3 Chopper Buggy

Continue reading…

Why Prize Pools Don’t Matter in Esports Anymore

I’ve been professionally involved in esports since 2010 - not as long as some of the old timers like Sir Scoots (love you Scott), but long enough to have seen the industry change very rapidly, thanks in large part to a huge flood of sponsors entering the scene. I originally got involved with Starcraft 2, the successor to one of the first real esports, Starcraft: Brood War.

Just as I started working for the IGN Pro League (or IPL for short) in 2011  an esports prize pool arms race kicked off, with our organization and NASL offering $100,000 prizes for Starcraft 2 tournaments. At the time, pro players like Geoff “iNcontroL” Robinson began saying to me that this amount of money just can’t be ignored. That this was a true difference maker between tournament providers.

Continue reading…

Why Prize Pools Don’t Matter in Esports Anymore

I’ve been professionally involved in esports since 2010 - not as long as some of the old timers like Sir Scoots (love you Scott), but long enough to have seen the industry change very rapidly, thanks in large part to a huge flood of sponsors entering the scene. I originally got involved with Starcraft 2, the successor to one of the first real esports, Starcraft: Brood War.

Just as I started working for the IGN Pro League (or IPL for short) in 2011  an esports prize pool arms race kicked off, with our organization and NASL offering $100,000 prizes for Starcraft 2 tournaments. At the time, pro players like Geoff “iNcontroL” Robinson began saying to me that this amount of money just can’t be ignored. That this was a true difference maker between tournament providers.

Continue reading…

New Fear the Walking Dead Return Photos

Fear the Walking Dead returns for the second half of Season 2 on August 21st and IGN has your first look at new photos from the series.

In the midseason finale, the characters were split up in some very big ways, with Travis and Chris off together, Madison, Alicia, Ofelia and Strand in a larger group and Nick completely isolated on his own.

In the photos in the gallery below, get a new look at where everyone is, including the group of four having discovered a hotel... But will they find safe haven there or some very unwelcoming guests, of either the living or dead variety?

For much more on Fear the Walking Dead, check out our recent cast interviews from Comic-Con.

Continue reading…

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter Teaser Trailer

Sony's Screen Gems has released the first teaser trailer for Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.

We also have this exclusive new poster from the film to share with you (click the image for higher-res):

RE6_DIGI_1SHT_LK5_02_v1

According to the official synopsis, the film picks up immediately after the events of Resident Evil: Retribution and fins Alice as "the only survivor of what was meant to be humanity’s final stand against the undead. Now, she must return to where the nightmare began – The Hive in Raccoon City, where the Umbrella Corporation is gathering its forces for a final strike against the only remaining survivors of the apocalypse."

Continue reading…

Persona 5 European Release Date Announced

Persona 5 will be launching in Europe and PAL territories on February 14, 2017 for PS3 and PS4.

According to a tweet from Official Deep Silver's Twitter account, the game will be launching simultaneously in the US and Europe.

In addition, the game's Take Your Heart Premium Edition will be available for €90 / £80, while the standard edition will cost €70 / £55 on PS4, and €50 / £40 on PS3.

This special edition comes with a a copy of the game plus steelbook case, a 64 page hardcover art book, a soundtrack CD, a school bag, and a 4-inch Morgana plush inside the box.

Persona 5 will be the first numbered edition in the franchise since the PS2 era. IGN saw some of Persona 5 at E3 this year, and it's dripping with style.

Continue reading…

Persona 5 European Release Date Announced

Persona 5 will be launching in Europe and PAL territories on February 14, 2017 for PS3 and PS4.

According to a tweet from Official Deep Silver's Twitter account, the game will be launching simultaneously in the US and Europe.

In addition, the game's Take Your Heart Premium Edition will be available for €90 / £80, while the standard edition will cost €70 / £55 on PS4, and €50 / £40 on PS3.

This special edition comes with a a copy of the game plus steelbook case, a 64 page hardcover art book, a soundtrack CD, a school bag, and a 4-inch Morgana plush inside the box.

Persona 5 will be the first numbered edition in the franchise since the PS2 era. IGN saw some of Persona 5 at E3 this year, and it's dripping with style.

Continue reading…

No Man’s Sky Media Kit Includes Letter From Sean Murray

UPDATE: While there's a definite Australian flavour to Murray's letter, it turns out this passage is in fact the first page of a media kit sent to reviewers worldwide.

Look, here's our own one now:

FullSizeRender

The rest of the kit includes FAQs about the game, glossy concept art prints and blank pages, presumably for players to jot down their ideas for hilariously crude planet names.

Original story follows:

Continue reading…

Bethesda Discusses Rage and The Evil Within Sequels

Vice-president of Bethesda Softwork Pete Hines has spoken about the possibility of sequels to Rage and The Evil Within.

Rage was developed by id Software in 2011, while the Tango Gameworks released The Evil Within in 2014. Both were published by Bethesda, and although neither have had sequels announced yet, Pete Hines believes both games did well enough to warrant them.

In an interview with Finder.com.au, Hines said "I can’t talk about the unannounced stuff and what we may or may not do... So I won’t confirm or deny stuff we may or may not do, as people jump to the wrong conclusions. But I do think both The Evil Within and Rage did well enough that we could make sequels."

Continue reading…

Bethesda Discusses Rage and The Evil Within Sequels

Vice-president of Bethesda Softwork Pete Hines has spoken about the possibility of sequels to Rage and The Evil Within.

Rage was developed by id Software in 2011, while the Tango Gameworks released The Evil Within in 2014. Both were published by Bethesda, and although neither have had sequels announced yet, Pete Hines believes both games did well enough to warrant them.

In an interview with Finder.com.au, Hines said "I can’t talk about the unannounced stuff and what we may or may not do... So I won’t confirm or deny stuff we may or may not do, as people jump to the wrong conclusions. But I do think both The Evil Within and Rage did well enough that we could make sequels."

Continue reading…