Monthly Archives: March 2019
Why Game Developers Are Talking About Unionization
If you’ve ever felt like one of the sequels to your favourite games didn’t seem to quite click, or that something was missing, or maybe even that a game changed between when you first saw the trailer and when it showed up in stores, well - chances are you were right.
Job security in the games industry is widely regarded as poor. The average game developer changes jobs (either voluntarily or otherwise) every two years, and many of them leave the industry altogether after only five. With games taking many years to develop, it's a simple mathematical fact that the team that made one game for a studio probably won’t be there for the next.
First Look at Hulk in Avengers: Endgame
Two new magazine covers give us our first look at Hulk and a fixed Infinity Gauntlet in Avengers: Endgame.
The two covers are a part of Empire Magazine’s latest Endgame special issue. The first shows off the entire original Avengers, but notably showcases Hulk. The second cover features Thanos in full armor and, apparently, a fixed Infinity Gauntlet. Both Empire covers can be seen below.
Credit: Marvel, Empire Online.
Kevin Feige Assures Captain Marvel Will Have an Achilles’ Heel
Spoilers ahead for Captain Marvel.
Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has confirmed that while Captain Marvel appears to be unstoppable, she will in fact will have "limitations and there will be Achilles heels" for Carol Danvers.
In an interview with Slashfilm, Feige answered a question in regards to Captain Marvel's extreme power that Feige had previously said makes her the "most powerful hero the MCU has ever seen."
Dune Explained: What to Know Before the New Movie
Dune is one of the most beloved and celebrated science fiction novels ever published. It's also an incredibly dense book, with many rival factions and characters set against the backdrop of a futuristic human civilization. And that's even before factoring in the many sequels, prequels and spinoffs that have cropped up over the years. Dune movie director Denis Villeneuve definitely has his work cut out for him as he becomes the latest filmmaker to attempt to bring this sprawling saga to life on the big screen.
If you have a hard time making sense of the Dune franchise and its many heroes and villains, we're here to help. Here's everything you need to know about the original book, its follow-up stories and the various attempts at adapting the story to film.
Thanos’ Snap Almost Happened in Avengers: Endgame
Warning: Spoilers follow for Avengers: Infinity War.
The Thanos snap that wiped out half of all life in the universe at the end of Avengers: Infinity War was originally discussed for the upcoming Avengers: Endgame in early drafts.
In a new interview with Empire magazine, co-writer Stephen McFeely revealed that early on in the writing process, the original placement of the snap was going to take place after Avengers: Infinity War.
Gearbox Just Teased Another Game for PAX East
Gearbox Software is teasing another game for PAX East 2019 with a photo featuring Duke Nukem and Ishi Sato from Bulletstorm.
Posted on Gearbox’s Facebook page with the caption “Time to tease another game for PAX!” the photo shows Sato staring at a device on Nukem’s wrist. It’s uncertain precisely which game the company is teasing, though it owns the Duke Nukem property and published the remastered Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition released on PC, Xbox One and PS4 in 2017.
Photo credit: Gearbox Software
Warner Bros. CEO Stepping Down Following Scandal
Kevin Tsujihara has resigned as chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. following a scandal involving actress Charlotte Kirk, whom he acknowledged having had an extramarital relationship with. He had been under an internal investigation over allegations that he used his influence as boss to attain Kirk roles in studio projects, notably 2016's How to Be Single and 2018's Ocean's 8.
Tsujihara, who was the first Hollywood studio boss of Asian descent, had run Warners since 2013 and had worked for the company for over two decades.
“It is in the best interest of WarnerMedia, Warner Bros., our employees and our partners for Kevin to step down as Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros.,” said WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey on Monday (via THR). “Kevin has contributed greatly to the studio’s success over the past 25 years and for that we thank him. Kevin acknowledges that his mistakes are inconsistent with the Company’s leadership expectations and could impact the Company’s ability to execute going forward.”
What We Want in Borderlands 3
Borderlands is one of the most celebrated franchises in recent gaming history, and it's nearing 5 years since we last got a new, first-person game with Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. Gearbox has been working overtime teasing... something... at PAX East next week, and everyone on Earth is hoping we finally get the true Borderlands 2 sequel we've been craving since 2014.
The original Borderlands showed it was possible to blend first-person shooter and RPG elements, while the second Borderlands took that formula and perfected it. What could the third game in the series offer? Time will tell, but here's what we want from Borderlands 3:
Portal Writer, League of Legends Designer Open New Studio
Chet Faliszek and Dr. Kimberly Voll have created the new game studio Stray Bombay to focus on making Co-Op games.
Announced in an official blog post, the two detailed their reasoning for creating the new Seattle-based studio, and what they hope to achieve. Faliszek is known for writing popular Valve games including Portal 1 & 2, Left 4 Dead 1 & 2 and more, while Voll previously worked with League of Legends studio Riot Games as a principal technical designer.
Faliszek said that after the release of Left 4 Dead, he received a letter from a soldier stationed in Iraq who said Left 4 Dead saved his marriage by letting him and his wife forget they were apart and “just exist in the moment.” Voll, described by Faliszek as an “expert in AI and human-centric design,” left Riot a few weeks ago with support from her former coworkers.
Bethesda Gives the First Details of Its E3 2019 Showcase
Bethesda has announced details for E3 2019, which will take place on Sunday, June 9 in Los Angeles and will give an in-depth look at DOOM Eternal and other games.
The theme surrounding the 5th annual event for Bethesda seems to be featured as, "Be Together" which is prominently shown on their Save the Date, alongside a silhouette image of humans and creatures standing together.
