Monthly Archives: July 2015
Five Nights at Freddy’s 4 Jump-Scares an Early Release
The fourth installment in the horror franchise Five Nights at Freddy's is now available.
Without fanfare or much to-do, the game appeared on Steam for $8 USD. The scheduled release date was originally August 8.
The game, which is fully titled Five Nights at Freddy's 4: The Final Chapter, was initially slated for a Halloween release. Developer Scott Cawthon teased the spooky Halloween release back in April. The release was then pushed up to August 8 to coincide with the anniversary of the release of the original Five Nights at Freddy's.
This Week in the Nintendo eShop
After a number of slow weeks, the eShop is actually kind of crowded this week. First up, we have a pair of games coming to both Wii U and 3DS. There is Binding of Isacc Rebirth, which is the remake/expansion of the critically acclaimed game that came out on PlayStation platforms last year. Note that the 3DS version is a rare New 3DS exclusive and this game isn't crossbuy. However, Dragon Fantasy: The Volumes of Westeria, is crossbuy on Wii U and 3DS. It also previously came out on PlayStation platforms. In addition to those games, which have a bit of retro vibe, a pair of honest-to-god retro games are launching as well. 3D Streets of Rage 2 is the latest in Sega's fantastic 3D Classics games on 3DS, and DK Jungle Climber is this week's Wii U Virtual Console game.
Sharknado 4 Announced
The blood has barely dried from the last Sharknado attack, and already another storm is brewing.
Syfy and The Asylum announced today that Sharknado 4 will come out in July 2016. Fans will influence a plot point for the sequel, as Syfy is leaving it up to those at home to vote on whether April Wexler (Tara Reid) will live or die after the events of Sharknado 3. You can vote by either visiting the official site or by using the Twitter hashtag #AprilLives or #AprilDies.
Syfy boasted that Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! received two billion Twitter impressions, double the number of Sharknado 2: The Second One. For the sake of comparison, it claims this meant more Twitter activity than the final season of Mad Men, the last season of The Bachelor, and the Hillary Clinton presidential announcement.
Persona 4: Dancing All Night Release Date Revealed
Atlus USA has announced Persona 4: Dancing All Night will come out September 29 on PlayStation Vita in North America.
Along with the regular version, Atlus is also releasing a special Disco Fever edition, which includes a two-disc soundtrack, 14 DLC outfits, and Vita case and skin. The story-driven rhythm game is set after Persona 4, with the Investigation Team searching for missing members of Kanamin Kitchen.
In addition, humanoid Hatsune Miku will appear in Persona 4: Dancing All Night, singing and dancing to the Persona 4 dungeon song Heaven. She will be available for download in mid-August in the Japanese edition of the Vita music game.
Comic Book Adaptation Wynonna Earp Is Coming to Syfy
Syfy has landed a deal with SEVEN24 Films and IDW Entertainment to air a 13-episode live-action series based on the comic book Wynonna Earp. The upcoming series, based on the work of comics veteran Beau Smith, is being developed by showrunner and executive producer Emily Andras (Killjoys, Lost Girl).
Wynonna Earp by Salvatore Aiala, Carlos Ferreira, and Silvio Spotti.
The TV version of Wynonna Earp is described in a press release as "a fast-paced, contemporary thriller that follows Wyatt Earp’s great granddaughter as she battles demons and other supernatural beings. Wynonna is a witty and wild modern day gunslinger, using her unique abilities and a dysfunctional posse of allies to bring the paranormal to justice.”
How to Prepare Your PC for Windows 10
Are you ready for the next iteration of Windows? If you’re planning to update your system as soon as Windows 10 launches next Wednesday, you’ve got some work to do. It doesn’t matter if you intend to do an upgrade instead of a clean install—you’ll still want to ensure a smooth transition. We've outlined the steps you should take to make it a painless switch.
In order to know how to properly prepare, you should weigh the following:
- What operating system do you use now?
- Which data do you want to preserve?
- Are you currently plagued by bugs and errors?
The first thing to consider is your operating system version—only Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 users can do an in-place upgrade, which means you don’t have to migrate your data and reinstall all your programs. Sorry, Vista users (and the XP faithfull!), you must do a clean install; skip on down to the next step to get on with your prep.
Daybreak CEO Steps Down, Will Return in a Different Role
Daybreak Game Company CEO John Smedley has stepped down from his position as Chief Executive Officer to take a leave of absence. In his place, former COO Russel Shanks will step in as president.
Previously called Sony Entertainment Online, Daybreak is the publisher behind open-world survival game H1Z1 and the fantasy MMO EverQuest and has played important roles in the development and publishing of others, such as Planetside 2 and DC Universe Online. Due to overwhelming online harassment, Smedley is leaving his position and the company for a short time and will later return in a yet-undetermined role.
Smedley helped the studio transition from the Sony-owned Sony Online Entertainment to becoming Daybreak Game Company once it was purchased by a private-equity group and made independent earlier this year.
X-Men Director Teases Fantastic 4 Crossover
If a recent tease by X-Men: Apocalypse director Bryan Singer is any indication, a Fantastic Four/X-Men crossover film could be on the horizon.
Singer spoke to Yahoo Movies and said he has been chatting with the team behind the Fantastic Four reboot about a potential collaboration in the future. "Those ideas are in play," he said. "That would be a natural match-up because they’re both ensemble films and there is a natural mechanism by which to do it."
When asked about his vision for how the crossover movie might play out, Singer added: "It deals with time. That’s all I’m going to say."
Sons of Anarchy’s Michael Beach Joins The 100
Michael Beach, known for his recent role as T.O. Cross in Sons of Anarchy, among many other credits -- including ER, Third Watch and Stargate Atlantis -- has been cast to play an Ark native in The 100: Season 3.
Michael Beach (seen here in Sons of Anarchy).
According to EW, Beach plays Pike, a "tough and charismatic member of the Ark with a staunch moral code." He will serve as a recurring guest throughout the show's third season.
NASA Discovers Earth-Like Planet, and It Could Have Life
NASA's Kepler mission has discovered the first confirmed Earth-like planet in the hospitable zone of its parent star. The planet, called Kepler-452b, is around 60% bigger than our Earth.
Kepler data analysis lead Jon Jenkins said "we can think of Kepler-452b as an older, bigger cousin to Earth." Jenkins and his team determined the planet has spent 6 billion years in its sun's hospitable zone," giving it "substantial opportunity for life to arise."
The planet orbits its star in the hospitable zone, a sort-of Goldilocks distance that is neither too hot nor too cold, but instead is just right for the hypothetical existence of liquid water. Don't pack your trunks just yet, though. While a promising candidate for Earth-like conditions, Kepler-425b is 1400 light years away in the Cygnus constellation.