Monthly Archives: February 2018
How a Justice League Fighting Game Ultimately Led to Diablo
Before co-founding Blizzard North, David Brevik worked on the Sega Genesis version of Justice League Task Force, which ultimately led him to the studio where he'd go on to create Diablo.
On the latest episode of our monthly interview show IGN Unfiltered, Brevik shared the story behind how the 16-bit DC fighting game led him to Blizzard. His studio at the time, Condor, was tasked with making the Genesis version of Justice League Task Force. Meanwhile, the studio that would later become Blizzard, Silicon & Synapse, was working on the Super Nintendo version.
Brevik thought Condor was the only studio working on the game, but when he went to CES during the project's development, he was surprised to learn Silicon & Synapse was working on a Super Nintendo version. "We had never met, we had never discussed anything, we had never shared ideas, we never knew that there was another version or another developer working on the Super Nintendo version of the product at the time," he said.
EA Reveals EA Play Plans for E3 2018
EA has shared the first details around this year's E3-adjacent event, EA Play.
This year's EA Play will take place at the Hollywood Palladium from June 9-11. In a press release, EA promises players who attend will get the chance to play the next "Battlefield Experience", and get an "inside look" at Anthem. As per usual, EA Sports, The Sims 4 and EA's latest mobile games will also be on offer.
EA has also promised a better ticketing system this year, in order to give more players more access to game stations. For those unable to attend, it's once again paired up with popular content creators across YouTube, Twitch, Facebook and Twitter, allowing them to stream and vlog directly from the show. Tickets will be available in the Spring, with more details on scheduling coming in the next few weeks and months.
Walking Dead Roller Coaster Coming to UK Theme Park
Walking Dead fans will have to travel to the United Kingdom if they want to ride the first roller coaster based on the hit TV show.
Thorpe Park will unveil the new ride sometime around Easter, according to Entertainment Weekly. Instead of creating an entirely new attraction, the theme park will retool the existing X: No Way Out roller coaster.
We will see you at the Safe Zone…For the first time ever, experience The Walking Dead: The Ride. Those who ride…survive!#TWDTheRidehttps://t.co/sm14RKkBeL pic.twitter.com/nQ1Oo4KCXF
Soulcalibur 6: Two New Fighters Revealed
Two returning characters, Ivy and Zasalamel, have been added to the Soulcalibur VI roster, Bandai Namco announced today.
Both characters were revealed in new trailers highlighting their updated design and abilities. Series regular Ivy returns wielding Ivy Blade, her versatile snake sword that allows her to strike up close and at a distance. Meanwhile, Zasalamel carries his signature scythe, Kafziel, and seems to possess the ability to momentarily freeze time.
Ivy and Zasalamel bring Soulcalibur VI's current roster up to eight fighters. Mitsurugi, Sophitia, Kilik, Nightmare, Xianghua, and newcomer Grøh were previously revealed.
20 Movies That Made Gamers Play for Real
Since the earliest days of cinema, movies have invited audiences to vicariously live out their fantasies, and for centuries, games have allowed us to do the very same thing. So it comes as no surprise that many films throughout the years have brought games to life in one form or another, but there's more than one way to do that.
Some movies take games and adapt their stories to the screen, like Clue or Tomb Raider, and some movies take the act of playing games very, very, VERY seriously.
The new film Game Night is just the latest in a long line of motion pictures about people playing a game who discover - through magic or sci-fi or unlikely circumstances - that they're playing for real, and that their lives are actually on the line. For the characters, it's not "fun" anymore, but for the audience it sure as heck is. Or at least, it's supposed to be, if the movie is good enough.
Comic Book Reviews for February 21, 2018
It was another big week for the comic book industry. DC kicked off anew Poison Ivy-focused story arc in Batman while also debuting a tie-in to the Telltale Batman games. Marvel launched Infinity Countdown and the Doctor Strange: Damnation crossover. Image debuted their new Hit-Girl series, and Boom set the stage for the Shattered Grid crossover in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
Scroll down to check out our reviews for these and various other new releases, and be sure to let us know your favorite books of the week in the comments below.
DC COMICS
Loot Box Debate Raged Inside Hi-Rez Studios – Report
The Paladins Cards Unbound update back in November was a controversial one, to say the least. It made major changes to the way the game's stat-boosting cards are obtained and used, angering many of its players -- and according to one source within developer Hi-Rez Studios (who reached out to me under the condition that they remain anonymous), the update was just as controversial within the studio as well. Hi-Rez COO Todd Harris confirmed to IGN that this claim has truth to it, but also said that the studio is ultimately confident in the decision that was made.
Destiny 2: Bungie Delays Several Scheduled New Features
Bungie has revealed a new Destiny 2 roadmap, to reflect delays for several new features.
The next update is still scheduled for February 27, but a few items scheduled to be released have been delayed to ensure they meet the "sufficiently high quality bar," said Bungie.
Specifically, the Nightfall Strike Unique Weapons, which were planned to roll out next week, have been delayed to give the artists extra time to "make sure they are... super cool".
Final Fantasy 15 PC: Demo, Half-Life Pack Announced
In some expected news, Final Fantasy XV is getting a PC demo. In less expected news, buying the game early lets you dress up Noctis as Gordon Freeman from Half-Life.
Announced on the Square Enix blog, a demo will be coming to Steam, Origin and the Windows Store on Monday, February 26, and includes the game's entire first chapter.
Buying the game on Steam before May 1 also unlocks the Half-Life pack, giving players access to Gordon Freeman's HEV suit, crowbar weapon and glasses. Both lead character Noctis, and your Comrades multiplayer avatar can equip the items.
Captain America Does What Superman Couldn’t
Marvel turned quite a few heads when they revealed the direction of their post-Secret Empire Captain America comic last year. Not just because that series boasted the superstar creative team of writer Mark Waid and artist Chris Samnee, but also because Waid and Samnee's pitch sounded more than a little reminiscent of 2010's Superman: Grounded. In both cases, you have an iconic superhero brought low after a major crossover event and who chooses to embark on a cross-country journey in order to reconnect with the ordinary people of America. But with Waid and Samnee now four issues into their Captain America run, it's already clear that Cap is succeeding where Superman failed eight years ago.