Monthly Archives: December 2017
The Game of Thrones That Never Was
Most Game of Thrones fans are aware of the unaired pilot episode that exists, somewhere out there, never to be released no matter how curious we all are, but a recent interview with star Kit Harington may have revealed why we'll never set eyes on it: A whopping 90% of it had to be reshot in order to become the "Winter Is Coming" series premiere we all fell in love with.
"It didn’t look right, didn’t feel right, had nothing different about it," Harington said of the original episode, which apparently contained long, boring exposition scenes and unlikable takes on core characters. Some odd elements still made it onto the air, like Tyrion's super-blonde hair and The Hound's extra-burned face, but most things were tweaked and reworked so that some of the story came across clearer while other plot points were hidden and held back a bit more.
X-Men Spinoff The New Mutants Gets First Poster
Fox has released the first poster for the upcoming X-Men spinoff movie, The New Mutants.
The poster, which you can see below, gives off a major horror vibe, with the film's official Twitter account saying, "The only thing you have to fear... is yourself." It looks like the image features the movie's main characters, including Wolfsbane and Magik, and they seem to be in plenty of discomfort.
The New Mutants poster, image via Twitter.
WWE 2K18 Nintendo Switch Release Date Announced
WWE 2K18 is coming to Nintendo Switch this week.
2K announced the release date, stating physical and digital versions of the game will be released starting December 6, as the "release date may vary by territory."
Players who preordered the physical version will receive two playable versions of Kurt Angle; one with his American Hero persona and one with his Wrestling Machine persona. Players buying digital versions will also be able to download them for free until December 13.
WWE 2K18 will feature a host of DLC options for the Switch release, including a Season Pass, a New Moves Pack, bundles of new playable characters, packs including in-game currency, and more.
Happy! Is Crazier Than Most Superhero Movies, According to Christopher Meloni
SyFy’s new series based on comic book legend Grant Morrison’s graphic novel is a wildly entertaining show (Read our review here). Veteran actor Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: SVU) spoke with us about his role in Happy! and how it differs from other comic book adaptations that he’s been a part of, like Man of Steel and Green Lantern: First Flight.
How to Watch The Game Awards 2017
The Game Awards 2017 in only a few days away and you'll be able to watch the event right here on IGN.
Just like prior years, The Game Awards 2017 will feature a number of exciting reveals and announcements, including the official gameplay debut of PUBG's upcoming desert map. In addition to a roundup of all the winners—see the list of nominees here—you'll be able to catch all of the news as it breaks right here on IGN.
Read on for a rundown of when, where, and how to watch this year's big video game awards show.
Huge Blade & Soul Update Coming This Week
Blade & Soul's newest update brings a new area, level cap raise, and more.
The Dawn of the Lost Continent update arrives Wednesday, December 6 and immediately raises the level cap from 50 to 55 and increases the Hongmoon level cap to 25.
Part of the new level cap are Hongmoon Ultimate Skills, "class-specific attacks of pure destruction." Hitting the new level cap unlocks them.
The update also expands the Blade & Soul storyline, adding an eighth act sending players "on a mission to awaken Jinsoyun."
There are also four new heroic dungeons in the new area, as well as "heroic solo dungeon" Outlaw Island. All told, the update is the biggest "since the game's launch."
Disney ‘Closing In’ On Deal to Buy 21st Century Fox
Disney is reportedly closing in on a deal to purchase 21st Century Fox’s movie and television production operations.
CNBC reports Disney's potential acquisition of the media company could come as soon as next week, with the deal expected to reportedly be worth more than $60 billion. While the Federal Trade Commission could try to block it, both companies are said to be interested in the acquisition.
Along with Fox's TV and movie assets, Disney will also acquire the company's Nat Geo, Star, and regional sports networks and its 30 percent stake in Hulu, among plenty of other properties. This of course includes Fox-owned Marvel properties like X-Men and Fantastic Four and the rights to James Cameron's Avatar sequels.
Nintendo Remastering Classic Wii Games in HD for Android in China
Nintendo is releasing remastered Wii games including Super Mario Galaxy and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess in 1080p for the Nvidia Shield in China.
Industry insider ZhugeEX tweeted the news earlier today, revealing that Nvidia’s Android powered Shield Tablet would be releasing in China complete with a small batch of remastered Wii Classics.
As well as the aforementioned Mario Galaxy and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, the Shield will also get 1080p remasters of Punch Out!! And New Super Mario Brothers Wii.
Nvidia Shield is coming to Mainland China.
Nintendo Switch Update Improves Motion Controls
If you've been using motion controls in Nintendo Switch games, it should be a more pleasant experience after today.
The latest Nintendo Switch update, 4.1.0 doesn't change much beyond the usual stability improvements, but Nintendo singles out the console's motion controls as a point of improvement.
The patch notes don't tell us any more than that this fixes "an issue that caused motion controls to respond incorrectly".
While the Switch has dialed back on Nintendo's recent all-in approach to pad waggling, its biggest games still use it to some degree, with both Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey using it in some regard.
Skyrim Vinyl Soundtrack and Screen Print Announced
Bethesda and iam8bit have teamed up to bring Skyrim's soundtrack to 180-gram vinyl.
In addition to the limited edition vinyl soundtrack, a 24x36-inch screenprint "chock-full of hidden touches" of the world of Skyrim.
The vinyl art and screenprint were both designed by Aled Lewis and can be pre-ordered on the iam8bit site right now. Both are scheduled to release in Q2 2018. The vinyl will set you back $40USD while the limited-edition print is available for $100USD.
The vinyl is two-colored, "separated into 'Light' and 'Dark' sides," and includes a digital copy of the music as well. The cover art is "excruciatingly customized" by Lewis. The screenprint features a "powerful and poignant faceoff between Dragonborn and Alduin" and contains tons of small details "you’ll need to examine in-person."