Monthly Archives: February 2015
JJ Abrams Talks Star Wars Rumors
Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams recently opened up about the film's plot rumors circulating the internet.
"We did the best we can to preserve the story for the audience, but it doesn't always work," Abrams told BBC News in response to leaked rumors and speculation.
"There are a ton of rumours - some true, some false," he said. "But I'm grateful for everyone who would want to read a spoiler because it means that they care and want to see the movie.I know what it feels like, as an enormous Star Wars fan myself."
Abrams made the comments at the Irish Oscar Wilde awards, during which actress Carrie Fisher was being recognized for her career achievements. Fischer - along with Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford - will reprise her role in The Force Awakens.
Oscars 2015: We Predict the Winners
The 87th Annual Academy Awards are this Sunday so naturally we're engaged in the guessing game of who will go home with an Oscar. But will the winners be the ones we truly wanted to see get the nod? There are precious few shoo-ins in this year's Oscars race as 2014 was a particularly fine years for films.
Also, we'll be live-updating and live-blogging the show on Sunday, so keep and eye out for that and let us know what you think of the Oscar wins and misses as it's happening!
Below you'll find a list of the Oscar nominees in the biggest categories, along with our picks of who we think should win and who we think will win in the following categories: Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Director, Animated Film, and Visual Effects.
Two and a Half Men: Why Charlie Sheen Wasn’t in the Finale
Despite plenty of buildup, Charlie Sheen did not make an appearance in last night's Two and a Half Men series finale. However, according to creator/executive producer Chuck Lorre, the tiger-blooded actor was offered a role, but turned it down when the two sides couldn't agree on the script.
The following is from Lorre's vanity card seen at the end of the series finale:
"I know a lot of you might be disappointed that you didn't get to see Charlie Sheen in tonight's finale. For the record, he was offered a role. Our idea was to have him walk up to the front door in the last scene, ring the doorbell, then turn, look directly into the camera and go off on a maniacal rant about the dangers of drug abuse. He would then explain that these dangers only applied to average people. That he was far from average. He was a ninja warrior from Mars. He was invincible.
Exploring the World of Black Sails
Last month, I had the opportunity to visit the South African sets of Black Sails and found myself transported into quite the impressive pirate world.
The sets are really incredible, including the docks, beachside encampments and the village, including the brothel and tavern where a lot of crucial dealings on the series take place. Unlike many productions, where seemingly connected areas are actually built separately, Black Sails has many interconnected sets that are just as they appear on the show – you can walk from one to the next with nothing from the modern world interrupting your journey and the interiors, such as Eleanor’s office or the rooms in the brothel, are all actually right there behind the doors where you’d expect to find them, not inside soundstages.
Want to Help Build the Next Battlefield 4 Map?
DICE announced its plans to build a new Community Map with the help of Battlefield 4 players.
Through feedback, testing, and tweaking in what DICE calls the Community Test Environment, the multiplayer map will be a collaborative effort between the Battlefield 4 team and fans.
While only Battlefield 4 Premium members have access to map testing during the development process, the finished product will be made available to all players on all platforms.
This Battlefield 4 Community Map Project is one part of a larger list of "game updates and tweaks" headed to Battlefield 4, says DICE.
Is This Photo From a Live Action Halo 5 Commercial?
It looks like the tradition of Halo live-action commercial spots will live on with Halo 5: Guardians, at least if a photo that surfaced on reddit is to be believed.
The photo, which shows Master Chief collapsed beneath a bullet-riddled stone monolith with an engraving that reads "duty and honor above all," has not been confirmed as authentic by Microsoft.
Evolve: Nearly 6M Matches Have Been Played Since Launch
Just over a week after its release, Evolve has turned in some impressive statistics.
According to developer Turtle Rock Studios, people have collectively played nearly 6 million matches in Evolve, and almost 5 million people have tuned in to watch live streams.
Turtle Rock points out that the amount of time people have spent playing Evolve totals about 108 years.
In addition, the win ratio between hunters and monsters appears to be close, with hunters succeeding 48.1 percent and monsters edging out a slight lead at 51.9 percent.
Check out all of Evolve's Week 1 stats in the infographic below, and read IGN's Evolve review to learn more about the 4v1 shooter.
Parks and Rec Co-Exec Producer Harris Wittles Dies
Harris Wittels, a co-executive producer and writer on NBC's Parks and Recreation, died at his home on Thursday from a suspected drug overdose.
TMZ reports that Wittels, who also had a recurring role on Parks and Rec as "Harris" from Animal Control, was found on his couch and was officially pronounced dead at 1pm PT. The comedian, who had been struggling with drug addiction, was 30 years old.
Harris Wittels on Parks and Recreation.
Bandai Namco Launches Mysterious Countdown
Bandai Namco launched a teaser page counting down to a "new title" reveal next week.
The teaser site is blank except for a logo in the center that seems to say "Ray Gigant," and the countdown, set to conclude next week.
Fan speculation points to a possible Ultraman game, interpreting "Ray Gigant" as a reference to the Ancient Giants of Light in Ultraman lore.
We'll update you once we know more.
Bandai Namco recently revealed new artwork for their upcoming Godzilla the Game.
Chloi Rad is a Staff Writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @_chloi.
Your SIM Card Has Probably Been Compromised by NSA Hack
In its increasingly wider net, the NSA and its British equivalent Government Communications Headquarters have captured the keys to the SIM cards used by 450 wireless providers the world over.
The Intercept report, based on leaked documents it received from whistleblower Edward Snowden, says that the agencies targeted Gemalto, a multi-national firm based in The Netherlands that produces SIM cards. Last year alone, the company made 2 billion cards.
With the keys in their possession, the spy agencies no longer need help from potentially unwilling companies or governments to intercept and decrypt cellular communications. The information also allows for "no trace on the wireless provider’s network that the communications were intercepted," according to the report.