Monthly Archives: September 2015
Buyers of ‘Emotional Robot’ Pepper Must Promise Not to Use It for Sex
Japan-based telecommunications company SoftBank Mobile is making purchasers of “emotional robot” Pepper sign a contract stipulating that they won’t commit any lewd acts with the robot.
The ownership contract states that using the robot for “the purpose of sexual or indecent behavior” breaks the rental agreement, The Daily Mail reports. This includes “having sex” with it, reprogramming it to stalk people and developing “any sexy, obscene, or violent apps or actions for Pepper.”
The first batch of Peppers sold out when one thousand people pre-ordered it in June for 198,000 yen (approximately US$1,610). Ownership involves an additional US$380-a-month in rent.
Kenan and Kel Reunite for Good Burger Sketch on Fallon
90s kids got a huge dose of nostalgia Wednesday night, thanks to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, as Good Burger returned. On the episode, Fallon performed a sketch about his supposed past working at a fast food restaurant, in the process reuniting Good Burger stars Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell, who originated the popular sketch on the Nickelodeon series All That, before starring in a Good Burger movie in 1997.
Fallon's YouTube channel also posted a backstage video of Thompson and Mitchell, having some fun in-character - and swapping characters.
The new Good Burger sketch comes right on the heels of the recent news that Nickelodeon is launching a new programming block, The Splat, devoted to their series from the 1990s.
Netflix Knows What Episode of a TV Show Hooks You In
Netflix has unveiled the results of a study that proves it's not the pilot episode of a show that gets viewers invested.
In an analysis of viewer behavior, Netflix has found a consistency in the episodes that keep viewers hooked until the season ends. Generally, it's an early episode, but never the pilot. Considering Netflix's unique business model is to release whole seasons at once, this is of course, its point.
"Given the precious nature of primetime slots on traditional TV, a series pilot is arguably the most important point in the life of the show," said Ted Sarandos, Netflix's Chief Content Officer in a press release. "However, in our research of more than 20 shows across 16 markets, we found that no one was ever hooked on the pilot. This gives us confidence that giving our members all episodes at once is more aligned with how fans are made."
The Road to Putting Women Into FIFA 16 (And Why It Matters)
Since its debut in 1993 (innocuously titled FIFA International Soccer), the FIFA video game series has become an institution; its appearance on end-of-year best seller lists as reliable as death and taxes.
This year, EA announced the biggest change to FIFA since its inception. In a series expected to be improved annually through small technical increments, the announcement that women’s teams would be playable in FIFA 16 arrived with a surprisingly progressive thud. It has been talked about ever since.
“We made the announcement months ago, yet at at Gamescom, it was still one of the first topics brought up,” says FIFA 16 producer Nick Channon. “And that to me is really important. That’s how big it is.
Unlocked: Phil Spencer On FFXIV, Killer Apps, and More
DOWNLOAD UNLOCKED 213 (AUDIO VERSION)
Head of Xbox Phil Spencer joins our show this week for a conversation about all kinds of happenings in the world of Xbox, from Final Fantasy XIV's absence on Xbox One to whether or not existing Xbox One owners should upgrade to the upcoming Elite console to whether or not he thinks the "killer app" is dead, and much more! Plus: we discuss the Hitman delay, among other timely topics.
Inside the Year PlayStation Changed Video Games Forever
Welcome back to IGN's History of Awesome - a year-long look back at all the coolest and most influential games, movies, TV shows, comic books, toys, and tech that have shaped pop culture, and shaped the lives of an entire generation. Up this week is 1995 - the year of many consoles: the PlayStation, the Sega Saturn, and the Neo Geo CD.
Catch up on IGN's History of Awesome:
Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls PS4 Dates Coming Soon
The release dates for Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls on PS4 will be revealed soon, Quantic Dream has revealed.
"Hi everyone, Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls PS4 release dates will be revealed soon now. Thank you for your patience!" the studio teased in a post on Twitter.
Hi everyone, Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls PS4 release dates will be revealed soon now. Thank you for your patience!
— QUANTIC DREAM (@QUANTIC_DREAM) September 23, 2015
T-Mobile to Start Selling Apple Watch on September 25
T-Mobile will begin selling the Apple Watch this Friday, September 25, just in time for the arrival of the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus.
The carrier announced the news today, and further detailed their retail plans. For a limited time, people interested in picking up Apple's wearable will be able to do so for $0 down and with zero-financing when shopping at any of the company's 200 physical stores.
Once there, customers will have the option to either pay full price for the devices or subscribe to a monthly plan. This breaks down to paying $14.54/month for two years for the 38mm Apple Watch Sport models, or $16.62/month for the 42mm models.
Fable 4 Not in Development at Lionhead Studios
It doesn't look like Xbox gamers will be getting a proper sequel to Fable III anytime soon, as Lionhead Studios has confirmed it's not working on a fourth entry.
Instead, the developer is focused on the upcoming multiplayer-centric Fable Legends, which will remain the studio's priority for the "foreseeable future," which Lionhead confirmed in response to an inquisitive fan on Twitter.
Hiya @justinmorgan57 :) We're not working on a Fable 4, #FableLegends is our priority and will be for the foreseeable future. Thanks!
Sasquatch Secret Uncovered in GTA 5
A reddit user has uncovered the secret of Grand Theft Auto V's Sasquatch peyote, allowing the player to transform into the missing link sometimes known as "Bigfoot."
The thread, titled "Holy mother of God I found the Sasquatch Peyote," lays out the complex circumstances that need to be in place to find the mysterious peyote button that triggers the Sasquatch transformation.
User rkRusty posted to subreddit /r/chiliadmystery with the discovery. The subreddit is dedicated to unraveling the mystery behind the phrase "come back when your story is complete" found within GTA 5, referring to Mt. Chiliad.