Monthly Archives: September 2017
Pokemon Company Boss Says Trading and PvP Still Coming to Pokemon Go
The CEO of Tokyo-based The Pokemon Company Tsunekazu Ishihara has talked about the future of Pokemon games, including Pokemon Go.
Bloomberg reports that, while Pokemon Go has made up to an estimated USD$2 billion in revenue, Ishihara believes this is just the beginning and that adding new elements will keep players coming back.
"We’ve only accomplished 10 percent of what Pokemon and Niantic are trying to do, so going forward we will have to include fundamental Pokemon experiences such as Pokemon trading and peer-to-peer battles, and other possibilities."
Splatoon 2 Designer on Salmon Run Restrictions
One of only two Western developers working at Nintendo's headquarters has explained why Splatoon restricts content and how it reflects other aspects Japan's culture.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Splatoon 2 game designer Jordan Amaro discusses many of the differences between Japanese and Western game design attitudes and in particular some of the seemingly odd decisions in Splatoon 2.
"In Japan, there’s a sense of, 'We’re making this thing for you, and this is how we think this thing is better enjoyed.' This is why, in Splatoon, the maps rotate every couple of hours. And the modes change," he explains.
Suicide Squad 2: The Accountant Director to Write, Direct Sequel
The Accountant's Gavin O'Connor is now the latest frontunner to direct Suicide Squad 2.
Variety reports O'Connor is in talks with Warner Bros. to both write the script and direct the sequel, which still doesn't have an official release date yet. While O'Connor is reportedly already on board to write the screenplay, a deal is not yet finalized for the filmmaker to step into the director's chair.
Warner Bros. has considered a number of directors to helm Suicide Squad 2, including both Mel Gibson and Jaume Collet-Serra.
Check Out Stephen King’s IT in LEGO Form
Stephen King's IT has been giving people clown-related nightmares for years, and that's not likely to change thanks to the upcoming movie adaptation of the story. However, it turns out that IT is also capable of inspiring some creepy LEGO builds as well.
A gentleman by the name of Tim Lydy has used LEGO bricks to create a bust of Pennywise, the killer clown that serves as the main villain in IT. It's pretty impressive that he not only managed to make this LEGO creation look like Pennywise (more in the vein of the upcoming movie than the Tim Curry version from the '90s miniseries) but also genuinely made him look creepy and a little terrifying. Chalk that up to the fact that he was able to build the bust in such a way that it takes advantage of the slightly turned down visage that always looks freaky (just ask Stanley Kubrick).
8 Directors Who Should Tackle a Star Wars Movie
If you haven't heard, Lucasfilm is currently seeking a new director to helm Star Wars: Episode IX now that Colin Trevorrow has left the project. Clearly, Lucasfilm is having some trouble finding directors who can bring a unique flair to the Star Wars franchise while still adhering to the company's long-term vision for the series.
That doesn't mean there aren't plenty of good candidates out there. We can think of eight directors in particular we want to see jump behind the camera, whether on Episode IX or a future installment in the constantly growing Star Wars saga.
Fan Makes N64-Inspired Atomic Purple Switch Joy-Cons
A fan has made a Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color-inspired atomic purple Nintendo Switch.
Nintendo fan Daniel Boone shared a few images of their unique Switch on IGN's Nintendo Voice Chat Facebook group. As you can see from the images below the console, including the Switch's Joy-Cons, sport a transparent purple color.
This aesthetic was of course first made famous by both the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color back in the 1990s. Daniel bought and dyed Joy-Con cases in a special lab that make glasses.
Unfortunately, Daniel can't sell these transparent cases and, likewise, Nintendo hasn't officially started selling these types of cases yet.
Destiny 2’s Shaders are Single-Use, and Players are Mad
Destiny 2 launched on consoles today, and many players already aren’t happy with the new way shaders work. The armor-recoloring items are now single-use consumables instead of permanent unlocks as they were in its predecessor.
At the time of writing this, four of the posts on the front page of the official Destiny subreddit (including all three of the top non-pinned posts) are complaining about the new system. One of them even calls for players to not spend any money on microtransactions within the game until shaders can be used an unlimited number of times.
Game of Thrones: The Best and Worst of Season 7
Full spoilers for Game of Thrones: Season 7 continue below. Read on at your own risk!
Game of Thrones might be over, but Dragons on the Wall doesn't have to be! Joshua and Terri reunite one week after the Season 7 finale to discuss the highs and lows of the year. Make sure to also read IGN's review of Season 7.
This week's Dragons on the Wall topics include:
-Why we loved Jon and Daenerys' relationship arc-What didn't work about the Winterfell storyline
-Why Cersei was a Season 7 standout
Fire Emblem Heroes Devs on Sacred Coins, Adding New Ways to Make Characters Stronger
Six months after launch, the team behind Nintendo's second mobile game, Fire Emblem Heroes, have no intention of slowing down its frequent updates of new events, challenges, and more.
Speaking to IGN, Fire Emblem Heroes directors Kouhei Maeda of Intelligent Systems and Shingo Matsushita of Nintendo said fan feedback plays an instrumental role in what the Intelligent Systems team decides to change and tweak. Among those changes fans can expect are new ways of making their existing characters more powerful.
"So when you're thinking about existing characters and ways to make them stronger, you have inherent skills, and you also have Sacred Seals. But we're also developing other methods that you could use to make your character stronger," Matsushita said.
Huge Image Gallery From Our BioShock Anniversary Party
Seattle is no longer in PAX-status, as PAX West has come and gone once again. But the memories live forever, and even if you were unable to attend the event, there are plenty of excellent videos and photos to check out and enjoy.
We partnered with 2K games to celebrate the tenth anniversary of one of gaming's most notable games, BioShock. Check out the images from the RSVP-event in the image gallery below.
Even though PAX is primarily a show for, by, and about, fans of gaming and gaming culture, there is still plenty of news that comes from the events each year. We got a chance to go hands-on with Skyrim on Switch, and it's everything we hoped it would be.