Monthly Archives: March 2015
Play Dragon Age: Inquisition Free on Xbox One
Electronic Arts and Microsoft are offering people the chance to try out the epic fantasy RPG Dragon Age: Inquisition on Xbox One.
Available March 10-16, the trial is extended only to Xbox Live Gold members on Microsoft's current-gen console and will give people the chance to try out BioWare's RPG free of charge. Whether or not this allows access to the entire game or a limited section of it is unclear.
Alongside this free trial, Xbox One Gold members can also purchase Dragon Age: Inquisition and its deluxe edition at a discounted price as part of this week's Deals with Gold promotion. Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition and a number of other games are also currently on sale.
Secret Service Training in Defense Against Drones
We live in a time when unmanned aerial vehicles are everywhere. In fact, drones are so prominent these days you can even register the area around your home as a no-fly zone. And while sensitive regions in Washington, D.C. are clearly off-limits, it hasn't stopped some recent drone activity in the nation's capital.
According to the Associated Press, that's precisely why the Secret Service is now flying their own drones around D.C. in an attempt to train themselves to disrupt the potential security threat. Over the "next several weeks," government drones will fly over Washington between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. to conduct the training.
Xbox Live Down for 360 Users
Update: Xbox Live's service status page is now reporting that core services are up and running. However, purchasing new content, or downloading content you've already purchased is still limited.
Xbox 360 sign in & matchmaking is back! Tweet us if we can help with any current issues/questions & we'll check it out as quickly as we can.
— Xbox Support (1-5) (@XboxSupport) March 10, 2015
A Microsoft representative also told IGN they are "aware of an issue affecting access to some Xbox 360 services" and "are working to restore full access to these services as quickly as possible.”
Books Will Fill in Post-Return of the Jedi Story
Before Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theaters at the end of the year, there will be 20 new Star Wars books released.
The books will all be set in the 32 years that have passed between Return of the Jedi and the new movie, reports Entertainment Weekly.
Disney Worldwide Publishing and Lucasfilm have confirmed that the series -- which includes adult and young adult novels, comics, and children's books -- will be filled with clues to the new movies.
“The partnership with the story group and the editorial team always had to be true to the sanctity of the film while making sure that we find these moments to introduce hints, clues, and puzzle pieces,” said executive VP of Disney Publishing Worldwide Andrew Sugerman.
PlayStation Network’s Powers Premiere Photos
The PlayStation Network's original scripted series Powers, based on the acclaimed graphic novel by Brian Michael Bendis, had its big premiere last night in Hollywood. Now you can see all the images from the red carpet, featuring stars Sharlto Copley, Susan Heyward, Noah Taylor, Michelle Forbes, Adam Godley and Max Fowler. Check out the slideshow below:
Powers premieres its first three episodes today on PSN, with new episodes debuting each Tuesday. The first episode will be free for everyone, while the full first season will be free only to PlayStation Plus members.
Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love by following @Max_Nicholson on Twitter or MaxNicholson on IGN.
Dying Light: New Weapons, Hard Mode Now Available in Patch
Developer Techland has rolled out a new update for Dying Light that will give fans a few more things to play with while fighting zombies.
First is the titular Hard Mode, a difficulty level enhancing the challenge by making a number of different changes including a night time that lasts twice as long as in normal difficulty, more powerful and hard-to-kill zombies, volatiles who are invisible on the minimap, melee combat precision, and slower health and energy regeneration.
Hard Mode can be turned off and on at any point in the game, and Techland promises this will not be the last set of tweaks they'll make to the challenging difficulty level.
The update will also include some minor gameplay and graphical tweaks and a number of new items, including 20 new outfits, "dozens" of new weapons, and a new weapon rarity level called the Gold tier. Watch the video above to learn more about the details of the patch.
The Flash: New Trailer Shows Mark Hamill as The Trickster
Check out this new trailer for The Flash's March 17th return featuring Mark Hamill as DC's The Trickster - the villainous role he played in the original 1990 Flash series on CBS.
As a way of honoring the original series, Hamill's Trickster is an anarchist/terrorist con man serving a life sentence in Iron Heights who helps Barry and Det. West to foil the city-wide attacks of a new wannabe Trickster.
The trailer, which shows clips from the next few Flash episodes, also gives us awesome glimpses at Spartacus' Liam McIntyre as Weather Wizard and Peyton List as Lisa Snart - aka Golden Glider.
The Flash returns to The CW on March 17th with the episode "Out of Time."
Print a Tiny, Edible Garden in 3D
Three-dimensional printers are now readily available for consumer use, meaning any old Joe or Jane can buy one and include the z-axis in their printing projects. While the process is perfect for printing off things such as the housing for a custom-designed, touch-screen Pipboy, many people see the future of 3D printing as less science-fiction and more food-science.
Of course, 3D-printed food is not a new concept. At CES 2015, IGN even got a chance to try a pizza printed to order. Our intrepid team saw dinosaur candies printed to order from the same device that then printed out a pizza, as though the very laws of nature could bend to its whims.
Hyrule Warriors Helped Save the Dynasty Warriors Franchise
According to Koei Tecmo producer Akihiro Suzuki, the Wii U exclusive Hyrule Warriors played an important role in helping refresh the Dynasty Warriors franchise and bring new fans into the fold.
Speaking with MCV, Suzuki explained that sales for the Dynasty Warriors franchise have been on a steady decline over the last few years. According to him, the nature of Dynasty Warriors is very niche, built only for its core audience. This may well appease its fans, but it also means there's a possibility that few new players will be brought in as a result.
"The Dynasty Warriors series is targeted towards the core fans. But we’ve had a few collaborations recently that have given the franchise a second wind because they’ve brought in new fans that hadn’t given Dynasty Warriors a chance," he said.
Andy Serkis’ Directorial Debut
Production is underway on Andy Serkis' 3D Jungle Book adaptation, Warner Bros. Pictures announced yesterday. Serkis (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, The Lord of the Rings films, etc.) will make his feature directorial debut with the film.
Featuring a mix of live-action and performance capture, Serkis' take on The Jungle Book will explore Mowgli's human origins.
Mowgli will be performed by child actor Rohan Chand (Lone Survivor), with Benedict Cumberbatch, Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, and Serkis performing characters in the film, as well.
Jungle Book: Origins is produced by Harry Potter scribe Steve Kloves and Jonathan Cavendish (Elizabeth: The Golden Age), while Nikki Penny (Gravity) will serve as an executive producer.