Monthly Archives: September 2017

NVC: Doom & Mario & Xenoblade & Skyrim

Welcooooooome back, Nintendo fans! In episode 373 of our weekly talk show, Nintendo Voice Chat, we share out thoughts on the many announcements Nintendo stuffed into this week's Direct broadcast.

Join Casey DeFreitasBrian Altano, Zach Ryan, and Peer Schneider, for a discussion about Bethesda's attempt to fill the "shooter gap" on Switch with Doom and Wolfenstein, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Octopath Traveler, Pokemon, new systems, amiibo, Kirby, Mario Party, Splatoon, and so much more. We also ask the question whether Nintendo has shown too much of Super Mario Odyssey and hear from Casey why you should be playing Monster Hunter Stories on 3DS. It's a packed show, but we also managed to squeeze in another Question Block segment.

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IT: 10 Key Differences Between the Book and Movie

Although it’s been widely acknowledged that 2017’s IT captures the tone and spirit of King’s novel, condensing 1100 odd pages into a single cohesive two hour film is no easy feat. While the beginning and end of Andy Muschietti’s film are more or less in step with King’s opus, there have been multiple changes and sacrifices made in order to make it movie-digestible, and these might have significant ramifications in IT: Chapter Two.

Here are ten major differences between the book and the film.

Major spoilers for both IT (2017) and Stephen King’s novel IT below.

The most immediate overhaul in IT (2017) is its time period. The Losers’ Club in Stephen King’s novel first face their fears between 1957 and 1958, where they spend their time going to movie matinees and reading Lil Lulu funnybooks, or building a dam in the Barrens, or pretending to hunt a tiger in an innocent game of make-believe. IT (2017) takes place between 1988 and ‘89, where Batmania ruled Derry and Gremlins posters plaster walls, and the kids are generally just a little more world-weary and relatable - particularly Richie - to modern day audiences. This also means that the ‘adult’ part of the story that we will see in IT: Chapter 2 takes place not in the ‘80s, but in the present day.

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Why Ubisoft Ditched Unreal for Its Own Proprietary Tech

Ubisoft has been investing more and more into its own proprietary game engines, and, as a consequence, less and less in external providers like Epic and its popular Unreal Engine. Speaking to IGN at Gamesom 2017, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot explained the reason behind the shift, citing control as a key factor.

When asked why we're seeing an increasing number of games at Ubisoft built using the Snowdrop engine, which not only powers The Division, but also Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and Massive Entertainment's upcoming Avatar game, Guillemot said, "There are many reasons. The first one is to control your destiny."

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How Switch is Fixing Nintendo’s Third-Party Problem

Nintendo’s biggest announcement during its latest Direct didn’t go by unnoticed. Two major current-gen PC and console first-person shooters, Doom and Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, will be making their way to Nintendo Switch. But they represent much more than a chance to fill out the Switch’s library with a genre unrepresented on the system so far.

The pair of Bethesda games signal Nintendo’s increased willingness to partner and foster relationships with third-parties, and is evidence to the industry, and players, that third-party software can sit alongside Nintendo’s own on the Switch.

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What to Expect from Tokyo Game Show 2017

This year’s Tokyo Game Show starts up next week on September 21 and goes through September 24. IGN will be there to cover the news and preview all the biggest games from Sony, Bandai Namco, and more.

Be sure to visit IGN’s Tokyo Game Show 2017 event hub to see all the news and features out of TGS and events leading up to it. Here’s what we expect at this year’s show.

Like past years, Sony is holding a TGS PlayStation press conference before TGS begins. Sony will stream the conference on September 19 at 4 PM JST (12am PT/3am ET/8am UK/5pm AET). Last year Sony revealed the Final Fantasy XV Luna Edition PS4 and Nioh’s release date. We expect to see similar announcements during this year’s conference. PlayStation Experience just a few months away, Sony will likely hold it’s bigger announcements for December.

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Stay in the Game for Less With These Budget Gaming Monitors

The right gaming monitor can elevate your PC gaming experience, and you don't need to spend a ton of money to do it. Whether you’re looking to complement your shiny new gaming PC rig or just looking for an inexpensive update to an existing system, this guide will help you navigate the dizzying array of choices.

First of all, this is a great time to pick up a cheap gaming monitor and you’ve got plenty of choices. You'll have to balance cost, features, and display quality to get the best bang for your buck though. We set a $500 limit on this guide for the sake of being comprehensive, but there are plenty of great choices for less than $250 if you’re willing to give up on high-end features that you’re less likely to use.

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RIP Cassini: 10 Other Sad Robot Deaths

It's a bittersweet day for robot-kind. The Cassini robotic spacecraft successfully completed its 20-year mission, crashing into Saturn after beaming back one last set of breathtaking pictures. Cassini served her makers well, and it's hard not to get a little misty-eyed knowing that she'll never return home. Indeed, social media today was full of emotional responses to Cassini making the greatest sacrifice for science and exploration.

There's something tragic about robots who die dignified deaths in service of humanity. Some of the most memorable moments in pop culture have dealt with those sorts of heroic robo-sacrifices. From Terminator 2 to The Iron Giant, these are the moments that gave us the best, saddest robot deaths.

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Humble Bundle Passes $100 Million Raised for Charity

Humble Bundle has now given over $100 million to charities, like American Cancer Society and Doctors Without Borders.

The company announced the fundraising milestone today, adding that the Humble Origin Bundle in 2013 and Humble Freedom Bundle were two of the top promotions. They generated more than $10.3 million and $6.7 million, respectively.

For those unfamiliar, Humble Bundle lets you pay what you want for a collection of games. You can even dictate where your money goes, such as to the developers or charities.

Past promotions have included the Capcom Rising Bundle, Humble Friends of Nintendo Bundle and Humble Telltale Games Bundle.

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Ubisoft on Lessons Learned from Assassin’s Creed Movie

Ubisoft's efforts to expand its popular video game franchises to other forms of entertainment have proven to be an educational experience for the company. Speaking with IGN at Gamescom 2017, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot shed light on a few lessons the studio learned from entrusting its IP to outside talent for last year's Assassin's Creed movie.

"In doing the script, we had quite a bit of control of what it could be," Guillemot said of the Michael Fassbender-led live-action adaption, which didn't perform especially well at the box office. However, when the film was released, it became clear to Ubisoft that the studio didn't have quite as much control as they initially thought.

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Jamie Lee Curtis Is Back for a New Halloween Movie

Jamie Lee Curtis is officially returning for Universal's new Halloween movie.

Set four decades after the first movie, this new film will have Curtis reprise her role as Laurie Strode for a final showdown with Michael Myers. The movie, simply titled Halloween, will open in theaters on October 19, 2018.

Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode. Image Credit: Universal Pictures.

John Carpenter will executive produce and serve as a creative consultant on the film, with Jason Blum (Get Out, Split, The Purge, Paranormal Activity) producing. Malek Akkad's Trancas International Films, which has produced all of the Halloween movies, will also produce this latest entry in the horror franchise.

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