Monthly Archives: October 2015
Video Game Voice Actors Vote Yes on Potential Strike
The SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) union has today confirmed its strike referendum was a “resounding success” with over 96% of its members voting in favour of a potential strike.
SAG-AFTRA notes that this result does not mean its members are currently on strike, but it does give the union the authority to declare a strike if they remain unhappy with their ongoing negotiations with the video game industry.
The union’s list of demands includes residuals for games that sell over two million units, stunt pay for vocally stressful recording sessions, and a stunt coordinator on set during performance capture. These demands can be viewed in full on their website.
Amazon Reportedly Putting Together Live TV Service
Amazon is reportedly working on an online television service that would exist alongside its current programs available through Prime Streaming.
According to a report on Bloomberg, Amazon has reached out to major media companies, including CBS and NBCUniversal, about carrying content from those company's channels.
Bloomberg's sources say the talks are preliminary, but some of them do go back several months. Analyst Dan Rayburn thinks its possible Amazon is sizing up the economics of such an undertaking "which would involve them talking with content owners about costs."
Tech Wizard Builds NES in an NES Cartridge
A glorious technical wizard has re-created a Nintendo Entertainment System built right into one of the system's cartridges for portability and convenience.
Reddit user KevlarYarmulke shared an image of the creation below in the subreddit r/gaming.
It's one of the finer examples of people taking older hardware and fitting it into a new casing or device, as was seen last year in the hacked Canon printer running a playable version of the classic FPS Doom.
Unlocked: Burnout Is Back!
DOWNLOAD UNLOCKED 215 (AUDIO VERSION)
On this week's Xbox show, we celebrate news that the creators of Burnout are bringing the series back (albeit under a new name), rejoice at the Stone Age setting of the just-announced Far Cry Primal, calculate the crazy value proposition of the Fallout 4 Xbox One bundle, take credit (not really) for making the icky Deus Ex: Mankind Divided pre-order campaign go away, check Destin into a rehab facility for his Destiny problem (also not really), and more!
Oh, and Unlocked now has its own snazzy new homepage! Bookmark this: go.ign.com/unlocked
Emperor Palpatine Has a New Codeword, Operation: Cinder
In today's Star Wars: Shattered Empire #2 by writer Greg Rucka and artist Marco Checchetto, which takes place after Return of the Jedi and before The Force Awakens, we learned that Emperor Palpatine has yet another special military codeword that triggers an evil plan.
Warning: beware spoilers for Star Wars: Shattered Empire #2!
Even though Emperor Palpatine is dead, we see that the Empire's forces are still active and desperate to restore their rule. On the Star Destroyer Torment, we see Captain Lerr Duvat clearing the bridge to receive the Messenger, who wears a red cloak not unlike the ones worn by Palpatine's personal guards. He plays a message from Palpatine, assumedly recorded before his death, which commands Duvat to begin "Operation: Cinder" in order to quell the resistance, rebellion and defiance in the galaxy. It definitely has a similar vibe to "Order 66," which was the secret command he gave the Clone Troopers to destroy the Jedi.
IGN’s Top 100 Games Ever Made – Behind the Scenes
Next week, on Monday, October 12th, IGN is publishing our selections for the 100 greatest games ever made. It's the result of months of meetings, planning, arguments, and lots and lots of old-fashioned hard work. The last time IGN made a list like this was over a decade ago - way back in 2005. We decided it was time to revive the tradition.
This project has involved virtually every single content creator at IGN, including global collaboration with our U.K. and Australian offices. As Executive Editor in charge of Features, it was my job to shepherd and project manage the whole shebang. You're always asking for it, so this time we decided it might be fun to give everyone a peek behind the curtain at how a list like this comes together.
The Coolest Things to Expect at New York Comic-Con 2015
New York Comic-Con 2015 is almost upon us, and IGN is preparing to hit the show hard. Though not quite as big as its San Diego sibling, NYCC 2015 still promises to deliver a ton of new info and footage of some of the most highly-anticipated television shows, movies, comics, video games, toys, and wacky crap of 2015 and beyond. Here’s what we’re most excited about during the October 8-11 convention.
We expect to see our first actual chunks of footage from Marvel’s upcoming Jessica Jones series. The brief snippets we’ve seen so far are pointing towards Krysten Ritter being the perfect casting for the role. Seeing her drunkenly smash an alarm clock, or walk through a bar after she’s completely obliterated a whole gang of goons provided incredible teases, but we’re looking forward to seeing what her character is like when she, you know, actually speaks. Likewise, though Jones is probably the focus at NYCC, it’d be rad to see some footage of season two of Daredevil, particularly of Jon Bernthal’s Punisher. Sticking with Marvel, we’ll be seeing a brand-new episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. before it airs, plus expect some news regarding the upcoming season of Agent Carter.
The Walking Dead Characters: Then and Now
The Walking Dead returns to AMC this Sunday, October 11th at 9/8c, and - man - what a long, strange trip it's been. From the moment Rick Grimes awoke from his coma to discover the world had fallen to a zombie plague to all of the hell he, Glenn, Carl, Daryl, Carol, Maggie and the others have been through in the years since.
Trials and tests that were wrought with mutilation and devastation. Crucibles that have cost everyone dear friends and loved ones. Experiences that have transformed the remaining survivors into hardened, weary walker-wasters. Badlands badasses who've now, since the end of Season 5, have started to become a bit domesticated within the walls of the Alexandria township. Though not as much as you might expect since the show, this many years in, is still about who's truly fit to survive in this new world.
The Marvel Multiverse Is Back
Marvel released their first wave of All-New, All-Different Marvel titles today, and a couple of these comics offer a glimpse as to the state of the Marvel multiverse in the aftermath of Secret Wars. Also, a familiar Daredevil character makes his return.
Warning: spoilers for All-New, All-Different Marvel Point One #1, Contest of Champions #1 and Amazing Spider-Man #1 follow!
Despite its complete destruction in the build-up to Secret Wars, the Marvel multiverse appears to be in better shape these days. Several comics showcasing characters travelling from one universe to another. One of the backup stories in Amazing Spider-Man #1 shows a team of alternate universe Spider-heroes (Spider-Gwen, Spider-UK, Spider-Man India, Spider-Man Noir, Spider-Girl and Spider-Ham) traveling to the 1602 universe to battle that world's incarnation of the Sinister Six. This story is designed to set the stage for Mike Costa and David Baldeon's ongoing Web Warriors comic, which will continue to span different worlds in the multiverse.
Major Character Returns in Amazing Spider-Man #1
Marvel relaunched their ongoing Amazing Spider-Man comic today, and the first issue brought about a number of new changes in Peter Parker's world.
Warning: spoilers for Amazing Spider-Man #1 follow!
Arguably the biggest twist in this issue didn't involve Peter at all, but the return of one of his most iconic villains. It seems Spidey will have to contend with the threat of Doctor Octopus once more. This issue closed with the revelation that a digitized backup of Doc Ock's brain is now hiding inside the body of his old robot assistant, The Living Brain.