Monthly Archives: March 2018
R.I.P. Meltdown Comics and Nerdmelt Showroom
After 25 years of serving the nerdy and artistic needs of the Los Angeles community, the beloved Meltdown Comics neon sign is about to go dark. The news broke this week via a post from Meltdown co-founder and CEO Gaston Dominguez-Letelier.
Meltdown stood out among the many comic stores in L.A. for so many reasons. It had a huge space, cramming in vintage toys, collectibles and artwork (for this writer, the veritable shrine of Daniel Clowes memorabilia was a regular draw) alongside a jaw-dropping range of comic books, manga, variant covers, local zines, and indie graphic novels.
How PUBG Corp. Brought the Core PUBG Experience to Mobile
Earlier this week, following a successful beta test in Canada, PUBG Corp. launched PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Mobile internationally on iOS and Android.
IGN recently spoke with key members of the mobile version’s development team and found out how PUBG Corp., in partnership with Tencent, worked to bring the complete PUBG experience to mobile devices around the world.
From the start, PUBG Corp. CEO Chang Han Kim knew a mobile version of the hit battle royale game would have to deliver the same “core excitement” players have come to love in the pre-existing PC and Xbox One versions. As the team would learn, accomplishing this required them to strike the right balance between consistency and optimization.
43 Awesome Cosplay Photos from WonderCon 2018
With WonderCon 2018 kicking off, we've been busy snapping pictures of our favorite cosplayers at the California convention. Whether professionally assembled or made at home, these cosplayers showed off their fandom in a variety of creative and awesome ways.
Watch our full video roundup here:
There are some standout Disney, Marvel, Pokemon, Star Wars and IT cosplayers and as well as some epic crossovers, so check 'em out! We'll be updating this throughout the con, so be sure to check back from March 23 through March 25 for our latest cosplay photos.
WonderCon is taking place all weekend long, so make sure to stay tuned to IGN for all the biggest reviews and hottest news coming out of the convention. Here's our review from DC animated films' Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay's world premiere, as well as our first impressions of Freeform's Cloak and Dagger series.
The Best Switch Game From Nintendo’s 2018 Spring Nindies Showcase – NVC Ep. 400
Weeelcooome to episode 400 of our weekly Nintendo show and podcast, Nintendo Voice Chat. This week, Brjann Sigurgeirsson, Founder & CEO of Image & Form joins the panel to discuss SteamWorld Dig 2's massive success on Switch, what it's like working with Nintendo to get a game on the eShop, and the possibility of SteamWorld characters in Smash! Later in the show, Filip and Brian give a rundown of the best Switch games they played from Nintendo's 2018 Spring Nindies showcase, and Zach chimes in for a very special nod to The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker!
As always, you can watch NVC here on IGN and on our YouTube channel (subscribe and hit that bell! It gives fairies wings!) or listen to it on your commute in audio format. If you enjoy the show, share it with other Nintendo fans, leave us a comment, and give us a thumbs up or leave us a review! If you prefer audio over video, please subscribe to NVC on iTunes or your podcast service of choice. You can also download and listen to the Latest Episode of NVC Right Here.
Pro-Union Game Developers Fight for Change at This Year’s GDC
Thousands of game industry professionals gathered this week in San Francisco’s Moscone Center to attend the annual Game Developers Conference. Panels on game design, business, culture, and community filled the daily scheduled lineup of talks and meetups, but one roundtable in particular stood out for reigniting conversation around one of the industry’s most important questions: should game developers unionize?
The answer, according to the room, was a resounding yes.
Note: Some game developers quoted in this article have been kept anonymous for their privacy.
Jen MacLean, Executive Director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) was invited to moderate the roundtable, officially titled “Union Now? Pros, Cons, and Consequences of Unionization for Game Devs.”
15 Movie Sequels That Dumped the Original Cast
Put yourself in the position of a filmmaker whose new job is directing a sequel to a massive blockbuster hit that everybody loves. Now, imagine you find out that the cast of the original film is unavailable, or too expensive to bring back, so you're practically going to have to start from scratch.
It's a tricky scenario that has, over the years, forced filmmakers to get creative. The new release Pacific Rim Uprising is just the latest in a long line of these types of projects. The original Pacific Rim starred Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy) as a giant robot pilot with a lot of baggage and a ton of unresolved issues and storylines that could have been mined for sequels. But when Hunnam was unavailable, they went in another direction, and the new film stars a whole new character, played by John Boyega (Star Wars: The Last Jedi), and a lot of new supporting cast too.
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Trailer
Nickelodeon has released the first trailer for Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
The trailer, which you can view below, shows fans what they can expect from this new take on the Ninja Turtles, which promises to completely reimagine the beloved characters. The series follows the four brothers discovering new powers and encountering a mystical world beneath the streets of New York City.
Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo will also go up against some new villains, including John Cena's Baron Draxum. He'll make his debut in the series' premiere episode and remain a recurring character throughout the show's 26-episode first season.
Green Lantern Concept Art of Yalan Gur Reportedly Revealed From Justice League
Alleged Green Lantern concept art from Justice League has surfaced online.
The concept art, via Reddit, features an alien-like creature donning a Green Lantern costume. According to a few Reddit users, Warner Bros.' All Access App identities this mysterious character as Yalan Gur, who made his debut in 1991's Green Lantern #19.
Yalan Gur, image via Reddit user Mephistopheles4Mirth.
Frank Millers’ 5-Project Deal With DC Includes Batman Spinoff for Young Readers
Frank Miller has signed a 5-project deal with DC, with the newest of the titles revealed to be a graphic novel for young readers starring the spunky Carrie Kelly who Miller introduced in The Dark Knight Returns.
Carrie Kelly joined the main DC Universe in 2013's Batman and Red Robin #19, taking up the mantle of the little rouge one.
“Frank is a creative force in this industry, not just with a transformative take on iconic characters like Superman and Batman, but also by tackling the young reader genre,” said DC Publisher Dan DiDio in a statement on DC Comics blog. “He is an icon. As a publisher, I’m thrilled—as a fan, I’m even more excited.”
DC’s Old Lady Harley Riffs on Classic Wolverine Story
Just like Old Man Logan and Old Man Hawkeye before her, DC's Old Lay Harley is coming to cause come chaos.
Comics Beat reports the older and crankier take on the beloved DC character and her partner in crime, Red Tool, are set to appear in Harley Quinn #42, which comes out on April 18. The issue is written by Frank Tieri with art by Mauricet. Amanda Conner did the main cover. Check out some of the art, via Comics Beat, in the image gallery below.
Editor Chris Conroy tweeted there could be more of Old Lady Harley beyond Harley Quinn #42 if the character and comic are well received. "Old Lady Harley is gonna be ridiculous, and we hope you like it," Conroy tweeted. "(Cuz we wanna do more.)"