Monthly Archives: February 2015
Xbox One March System Update Preview Adds Screenshot Feature
Xbox One preview program members are now able to take screenshots and dabble with other features planned for the March system update.
As outlined on the Major Nelson blog, players can capture screenshots by double-tapping the Xbox button on the controller and pressing Y to save the screenshot. Xbox One users with a Kinect have the option to say “Xbox Take a Screenshot” to snap and save a screenshot.
Microsoft is also updating the Upload app so players can manage screenshots as well as gameplay clips. The app allows players to upload and share images to their activity feed, in messages and on Twitter. Screenshots can be set as backgrounds in the Upload app by bringing the image in full-screen mode and selecting Set as background in the menu.
Australia Will be Restocked With Amiibos From Other Regions
On the back of news that Australia boasts the highest sell-through rate of Amiibos in the world, Nintendo is restocking the territory.
But the fact that the company is sourcing some figures from "other regions" speaks volumes of the scarcity of Amiibos in Australia.
"In the coming months, limited quantities of some amiibo figures will be replenished in stores, with some figures sourced from other regions that will feature non-AU/NZ packaging" Nintendo said in a press release.
Nintendo also revealed that the Amiibo range will be expanding in Australia on March 21 with the Super Mario Collection Amiibo becomes available, a range which includes new models of Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi and Bowser, and will introduce Toad.
Aykroyd Still Thinks his Ghostbusters 3 Might Get Made
Even though Ghostbusters is getting a hard reboot courtesy of Paul Feig, original 'buster Dan Aykroyd still hopes his more conventional sequel will see the light of day.
During an episode of Unmasked with Ron Bennington (reported by theinterrobang.com), Aykroyd explained that his old scripts contain salvageable material, which he hopes to spin into a sequel to 1989's Ghostbusters II.
"Oh I’ve written… well, we have…I’ve written, well, there’s three drafts of the old concept that exists. And we’re going to be able to salvage some of it and use it. Yeah, we’re gonna be able to use it some day. Let’s get this one (Feig's reboot) made and that will reinvigorate the franchise and then we’ll go on to maybe doing a more conventional third sequel as we were planning and another idea I have for it."
District 9’s Blomkamp to Direct the Next Alien
"Um... So I think it's officially my next film. #alien"
And with that Instagram posting, District 9 and Elysium director Neill Blomkamp set the Internet ablaze with news that he will direct the next movie in the Alien franchise. The image below is part of the Alien concept art posted by Blomkamp on social media in January.
TheWrap reports that Blomkamp has "signed on to direct a movie set in the Alien universe that will not be Prometheus 2 for 20th Century Fox." The events of the movie, the site claims, take place after Prometheus 2 and that Ridley Scott is producing both films.
Sunday is National Ninja Day in Japan
Japan will celebrate National Ninja Day on Sunday, February 22. While not an official holiday, the recognition of ninja and their place in history and pop culture seems like a no-brainer in the country that originated the art of ninjutsu.
According to Kotaku, the date "2/22" was selected as it's actually a play on words, with the number two in Japanese being "ni."
The cities of Iga and Koka are behind the holiday, according to the report, as both towns are historic ninja strongholds. And in case you're wondering, yes, the plural of "ninja" is "ninja."
Broken Age: Act 2 On Course For Q2 Launch
The second and final act of Double Fine’s Broken Age is currently in beta with a release window still set for Q2 2015.
Broken Age: Act 1 first came out in January of last year for PC, Mac, and Linux, then a few months later for Ouya and iOS.
The remainder of the game will be available on all the aforementioned platforms, plus PlayStation 4, PS Vita, and Android.
According to the game’s director and Double Fine founder Tim Schafer, all the dialogue for Broken Age: Act 2 is written, recorded, and implemented in both English and German.
It is currently in a “highly playable state” and has begun external QA testing.
A special edition game box for the retail version, a “Double Fine Adventure Book,” and a making-of documentary are all still in progress. Learn more about the progress of Broken Age on its Kickstarter page.
There’s a Bounty on Will Smith’s Head
Will Smith is reportedly being lined up to star in Paramount Pictures' action-thriller Bounty.
The studio has acquired the Sascha Penn script with Smith attached to star, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The Boston-set story follows a man (Smith) wrongly convicted of murder. When he escapes from prison to prove his innocence, the widow of the man he supposedly killed places a $10 million bounty on him, dead or alive.
Smith's Overbrook Entertainment will produce the film along with Adam Kolbrenner, and Robyn Meisinger will executive produce. There is no word on when the film will go into production.
Faster HTTP/2 Internet Protocol Approved
The next version of the HTTP web protocol has been approved, and the industry group behind it claims that HTTP/2 could help boost internet browsing speeds.
HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) is the system that tells your browser how to download a web page from a server. It's part of the foundations of the web, and without it you wouldn't be able to read this article. Switching to the new HTTP/2 could make that process faster and more efficient, improving the web both for consumers and bandwidth providers alike.
HTTP/2 was developed by the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) HTTP Working Group over a two year period, but it's based on a protocol created by Google known as SPDY - pronounced like speedy. SPDY is already at work in Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer, so most web users already benefit from it at least some of the time. The trouble is that SPDY hasn't been implemented accross the Web as it has for browsers,
Mortal Kombat X Could Include Spawn
Spawn could be included in the Mortal Kombat X line-up after a recent reveal by Todd McFarlane.
McFarlane, in an interview with GamerfitNation.com, says a new deal with Warner Bros. grants the company limited access to Spawn for use in its games.
With Mortal Kombat X coming up in April, a Spawn appearance could actually be possible.
Nothing is confirmed yet, however, with McFarlane adding: “I don’t know if they’re ever gonna use it. They just might squat on it.”
McFarlane wants to expand Spawn beyond just video games, so we may be seeing more of the character in general. A new Spawn writer was announced at the Image Expo last month.
Rumor: Predator Coming to Mortal Kombat X
According to a published report, Mortal Kombat X will include Predator as a playable character in a June DLC pack.
An unnamed source told VideoGamer.com Predator will be joined by Colonel Al Dillon, played by Carl Weathers in the original movie. Weathers has allegedly allowed for his likeness to be used for the game, the report further states.
Series co-creator Ed Boon has been dropping Predator hints in his Twitter feed, posting fan photos of Predator in the game. He even retweeted someone's suggestion that Predator should be joined by Friday the 13th's Jason Voorhees.