Monthly Archives: October 2016

Watch Westworld’s Premiere for Free Right Here

Following the premiere of Westworld earlier this week, HBO has now made the debut episode of its new sci-fi drama series free for everyone.

That's right, you don't need to be an HBO NOW subscriber to watch the series premiere.

Westworld boasts a top-notch cast that includes Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Robert Ford, Sidse Babett Knudsen as Theresa Cullen, Evan Rachel Wood as Dolores Abernathy, Ed Harris as The Man in Black, Rodrigo Santoro as Hector Escaton, and James Marsden as Teddy.

While the series offers a new take on Michael Crichton's 1973 film of the same name, showrunner Jonathan Nolan just recently revealed that Westworld also draws inspiration from several video games, including BioShock and Skyrim.

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Skyrim, Red Dead, BioShock Inspired Westworld

In addition to being based off of Michael Crichton's original 1973 film, HBO's new drama series Westworld draws inspiration from a number of video games, including BioShock, Red Dead Redemption and Skyrim.

In an interview with VICE, Westworld showrunner Jonathan Nolan said he believes "a lot of interesting storytelling that's happening right now is in video games" and while he's never worked in game development, he's "fascinated by the concept of writing a story in which the protagonists' actions aren't part of the story."

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The Flash: Flashpoint Creates a ‘Whole Different Dynamic’

Flashpoint is coming for The Flash, and big changes are afoot in the series' Season 3 premiere.

After Barry Allen changed the past and stopped Reverse-Flash from killing his mother in Season 2's finale, he created an alternate timeline where he has the happy life that was taken from him.

"When we pick up Flashpoint, Barry has everything he wants," Grant Gustin explained to IGN during a recent visit to The Flash's set. "He made this choice, consciously, and he's got Eobard locked in a cell and he's got the upper hand. It's a fun, different dynamic. ... It creates a whole different dynamic for Barry."

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American Horror Story Renewed for Season 7

American Horror Story will return for a seventh season, FX announced today.

Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk's horror anthology season is currently in the midst of its sixth season, however FX did not say when the franchise's next installment is set to air.

"Ryan, Brad and their team of remarkable writers have done an amazing job of keeping American Horror Story endlessly inventive, shocking and entertaining and we are honored to move ahead with them on the seventh installment," FX CEO John Landgraf said in a statement accompanying the announcement.

American Horror Story: Roanoke, the sixth season, most recently aired its third episode. Be sure to read IGN's review of the latest episode ahead of the next episode airing Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

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Black Sails: Final Season Debut Date and Poster Revealed

The final season of Black Sails will begin January 29.

Starz not only announced the premiere date for the fourth season of the drama series, but also unveiled a poster for the show (seen below). Black Sails will end its run with 10 episodes.

The final season poster for Black Sails, courtesy of Starz The final season poster for Black Sails, courtesy of Starz

As a prequel to Treasure Island, the final season of Black Sails will see the pirates fighting in the West Indies. The show stars Toby Stephens as Captain Flint, Hannah New as Eleanor Guthrie and Luke Arnold as John Silver.

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Daily Deals: Halloween Costumes, Minecraft LEGOs, Deus Ex

Welcome to IGN's Daily Deals, your source for the best deals on the stuff you actually want to buy. If you buy something through this post, IGN may get a share of the sale. For more, read our Terms of Use.

Snag a Mask for Halloween

Today only, Amazon's Gold Box sale is crammed full of Halloween costumes and accessories. I've broken out some of my favorites below, including a sweet (and surprisingly detailed) Night's King mask from Game of Thrones, but you should give the whole thing a browse and save yourself from last minute costume shopping or going as a lame ghost in a sheet or a poorly wrapped toilet paper mummy.

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Google Debuts Pixel Smartphones, VR Headset

During Google's press event today, the company revealed a number of new devices, including its new flagship smartphone, Pixel. Google is touting the Pixel and its larger cousin, Pixel XL, as having the best rated cameras in a smartphone. And if you pre-order one now, the company will also throw in its new Daydream View VR headset for free.

pixel Google Pixel smartphones.

Pixel is the first smartphone to have Google Assistant baked right into the device, using voice prompts and a tap of the home button to get information, schedule appointments, or even make dinner reservations. Additionally, Google has promised to free up storage space on the handsets thanks to integrated Google Photo functionality to keep your pictures automatically synced to the cloud. The Pixel smartphones will apparently provide 7 hours of battery life on only a 15-minute quick charge, thanks to USB-C connectivity.

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Funimation Reveals Its Fall 2016 Anime Dub Lineup

Funimation has revealed its lineup of English-dubbed anime for the Fall 2016 season, which spans a record-breaking 18 shows in total.

Thanks to Funimation's new partnership with Crunchyroll, several of Crunchyroll's previously released subtitled shows will now be simulcast in English for the first time on Funimation, including last season's high school drama series Orange, as well as Mob Psycho 100, the supernatural hit from One Punch Man creator ONE.

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Butt Sniffin’ Pugs Invites You to Grab a Pug Butt Controller

Butt Sniffin' Pugs, described as Neko Atsume meets Animal Crossing, is seeking funding for a PC and console release. Oh, and you can play it with a pug-butt controller.

One of the big goals of Butt Sniffin' Pugs is accessibility. The creators have worked with the AbleGamers Charity to craft a game they say is accessible to "all audiences."

"We literally mean everyone," the devs write on the Kickstarter page, "kids, adults, grandparents, people with disabilities, everyone!"

There's a lot to do in Butt Sniffin' Pugs on top of the obvious, which is exploration of the aptly named Central Bark. No, it's not a coffee shop where dog friends hang out and crack wise, but rather the adorable, pixel-art setting of the game.

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