Xbox Live, Rocket League, NBA 2K17 All Free This Weekend
Xbox Live’s Multiplayer Access event has started, allowing Xbox One and Xbox 360 owners to play online without the need of Xbox Live Gold from February 16 to February 19.
Furthermore, there are also two limited time unlocks – Rocket League and NBA 2K17 – meaning you can play them for free from today through Sunday.
If you’re already a Gold subscriber and feeling a bit left out, it’s worth remembering as of today you can now grab two more Games with Gold. Project Cars is available from today through to March 15, while for Xbox 360 owners, The Force Unleashed is free until February 28. Force Unleashed is backwards compatible, too, so if you’re on Xbox One, it’s definitely worth checking out.
Dota 2 Just Had Its 3 Billionth Game
Dota 2 just hit a major milestone, as a whopping 3 billion game lobbies for Valve's free-to-play MOBA have now been created.
According to Dota 2 statistics resource DOTABUFF (via theScore eSports), the 3 billionth game, which was was played on the South East Asia servers, concluded with 86 kills and lasted just over 44 minutes.
The first game in DOTABUFF's records was on December 9, 2010.
Dota 2 was the most played game on Steam in 2016, outpacing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Team Fortress 2 with an average of 636,607 players per hour. For more on Valve's incredibly successful multiplayer online battle arena game, check out the 5 most popular Dota 2 heroes as well as our rundown of the 5 most annoying heroes.
American Horror Story Season 7 Will Cover the 2016 Election
The Trump-Clinton election will become the basis of the upcoming seventh season of American Horror Story.
Speaking on Watch What Happens Live, AHS co-creator Ryan Murphy said: “Well I don’t have a title, but the season we begin shooting in June is going to be about the election that we just went through. So I think that will be interesting for a lot of people.”
"Will there be, like, a Trump in it?" asked host Andy Cohen. "Er, maybe," was the only reply.
It's quite a shift in approach - American Horror Story has tended towards more abstract horror themes for each of its self-contained seasons, although Season 6's Roanoke did take on a historical situation (albeit one shrouded in mystery).
The First Nintendo Switch Bundle Is Now Available to Preorder
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The First Nintendo Switch Bundle Includes The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
GAME are the first retailer to release a Nintendo Switch Bundle. Luckily it includes The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which is arguably the most anticipated game for the Switch; "the open world Zelda we've always wanted" (read our preview on Breath of the Wild here).
Newest Pokemon Mobile Game Stars Magikarp
The Pokémon Company has announced a new mobile game will be coming to devices in Japan soon.
Whilst details are scarce, Kotaku is reporting the game - which is expected to release in spring/Q2 - "appears to star the weakest Pokémon around".
An image on a new teaser site - which is subtitled Hanero! Koiking (which translates to Splash! Magikarp) - shows a mock newspaper story telling the tale of a 27-year-old who discovered two mysterious Magikarp-shaped holes, and... well, that's it, really.
http://www.apppokemon.com/koiking
Injustice 2 Mobile Version Confirmed With First Screenshots
Injustice 2 is coming to mobile devices.
Ed Boon, co-creator of Mortal Kombat and creative director of NetherRealm Studios, confirmed the news via a tweet earlier today.
Yes #Injustice2 is coming to mobile! Brand new app with tons of new features, modes & all new combat system! More info soon! pic.twitter.com/C1GLWXhOgK
— Ed Boon (@noobde) February 15, 2017
As yet, no further details have been released, although Boon promises to get us know more "soon".
How Arrow’s Gun Control Debate Episode Impacts Oliver’s Future
Arrow offered up its first issue episode in "Spectre of the Gun," which used an attack on Star City's City Hall to launch into an exploration of the gun control debate.
Including an issue episode into an otherwise more entertainment-focused season is something executive producers Marc Guggenheim and Wendy Mericle have been itching to do for a while now, and they entered into Season 5 with the intention to touch upon a more topical conversation. IGN participated in a group interview with the EP to discuss the goal with "Spectre of the Gun" and how it will continue to impact Arrow going forward (along with some other teases of what's to come later this year). Read selected quotes from the conversation below.
Suicide Squad 2: Mel Gibson Approached to Direct
Warner Bros. is reportedly eyeing Mel Gibson to direct the sequel to Suicide Squad.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, no official offer has been made yet, but Gibson is currently in "early talks" with the studio and "familiarizing himself with the material."
The film star's latest directorial work was last year's WWII drama Hacksaw Ridge, which received several Oscars nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director for Gibson.
Warner Bros. is said to still be considering other directors as well, including Safe House and Life helmer Daniel Espinosa. Variety reports that Jonathan Levine (Warm Bodies, The Night Before) and Ruben Fleischer (Gangster Squad, Zombieland) are also being eyed. The trade added, "Insiders say that list could grow and that there is no front-runner at the moment."
New Hasbro Star Wars Toys Revealed
Hasbro is making three new Star Wars deluxe toys to help fans prepare for Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
The three new toys were revealed by Yahoo and include the Black Series Poe Dameron Electronic Helmet, Bladebuilders Path of The Force Lightsaber, and Nerf Glowstrike Stormtrooper Deluxe Blaster.
The movie-accurate Black Series Poe Dameron Electronic Helmet features a surround sound speaker system that emits X-Wing and TIE fighter noises as well as communications from BB-8. The helmet will retail for $80 USD.
The Bladebuilders Path of The Force Lightsaber ($50 USD) comes with an expandable hilt as well as Jedi and Sith connector pieces, which activate blue or red light effects, respectively. The lightsaber will also be compatible with previously released Bladebuilder components.
PAX Australia 2017 Dates Announced
This year's PAX Australia will take place between the 27th and 29th of October.
The gaming and gaming culture convention, now in its fifth year, will once again take place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Tickets are scheduled to go on sale on the 14th of March.
"Australia's gaming community has given PAX such an incredible home here," said Jerry Holkins, co-founder of PAX and Penny Arcade in a press release. "This year will see the fifth PAX Aus erupt in Melbourne, and there's every indication it will be the best one yet."
Friday, Saturday and Sunday Only tickets will cost $65 AUD, while Three Day Passes are going for $165.
For the sorts of games you can expect to see at PAX Australia, check out our highlights from years past.