Monthly Archives: February 2016
Why Daniel Bryan’s Retirement Is a Good Thing
This week on Monday Night Raw, former WWE heavyweight champion Daniel Bryan formally announced his retirement from the sport of professional wrestling. Though Bryan has been off TV for months due to a concussion, the news still came as a shock. Many were hoping the man once known as the “American Dragon” and the founder of the “yes” movement would make a surprise comeback just in time for Wrestlemania XXXII.
Daniel Bryan posing in front of the WWE 2K16 sign.
Target Sorry for Phallic Star Wars Toys
Target has issued an apology regarding a set of phallic-shaped Star Wars toys that were spotted—and subsequently shared on social media—by one of its customers.
According to Pop Goes the News, a woman named Joni Jones contacted Target on Facebook last week, providing photos of a set of helmeted Star Wars: The Force Awakens pool toys that bear the tagline: "Fun in and out of the pool."
In her message to the retailer she said: "Are we sure these are children’s toys, Target? Looks a little questionable to me."
Star Wars: The Force Awakens "Dive Character" pool toys.
Watch the First Four Minutes of Walking Dead’s Midseason Premiere
AMC has released the first four minutes of The Walking Dead's midseason premiere, and you can watch it right here.
The shows opens with Daryl, Sasha, and Abraham stumbling upon Negan's crew, who claim all the trio's property as their own—including Alexandria. And though we have yet to see Negan, it was announced in November that the Walking Dead baddie will be played by Watchmen star Jeffrey Dead Morgan.
Executive producer Greg Nicotero recently revealed that The Walking Dead writers almost killed off Carol in the third season, which would've changed the current story tremendously. Come this weekend, we'll see how Carol and the rest of the crew fare in Negan's world.
More Time Periods We Want to Play Far Cry In
Welcome back to Game Scoop!, IGN's weekly video game talk show. This week we're discussing Far Cry Primal, Titanfall 2, Oculus Rift, and more. Watch the video above or download the podcast below.
Download Game Scoop! Episode 377
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Break Your Brain Deciphering This Super Mario Maker Calculator
Super Mario Maker can help you with your homework, thanks to one intrepid level designer.
The Cluttered Chaos-Calculator stage by Reddit user Helgefan is a literal calculator. It only does simple addition, but there doesn't appear to be anything simple about how it accomplishes the feat.
Only the beginning of the stage is interactive, with players taking Mario through columns to select the two numbers they'd like to add. You can skip learning how to make that work yourself by watching our video playthrough.
Bruce Wayne Makes Terrible Sacrifice in Batman #49
Batman #49 delivered new dramatic twists in the ongoing "Superheavy" storyline today
Warning: this article contains spoilers for Batman #49!
Now that Bruce Wayne has started piecing together his forgotten past, this issue explored Bruce's decision to activate his fail-safe machine and restore his lost memories of being Batman. Unfortunately, Alfred was having none of that.
Art by Yanick Paquette
Tesla Hopes Tax Incentives Will Put Model 3 at $25,000
The Tesla Motors Model 3 will retail for $35,000, though buyers will actually get it for much cheaper.
Pre-orders for the electric car start as early as next month. The cost at time of purchase, however, does not include the significant tax breaks offered by the U.S. and state governments, according to Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Bloomberg reports "these tax incentives can knock off as much as $10,000," which is significant in that it helps fulfill Tesla's objective of affordable electric vehicles. That's significantly cheaper than the Tesla Model S sports sedan. Though it's important to note that tax incentives are not equal in every state. Meanwhile the base, federal income tax incentive begins at $7,500.
Star Wars: Episode 8 Begins Filming
Star Wars: Episode VIII has started filming, Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed during an investor call. Principal photography was delayed along with the film, which opens December 15, 2017.
In addition, Iger said that "production of Episode IX, a 2019 release, has also begun.” Presumably he is referring to pre-production or the opening of the Episode IX offices, and not actual shooting on the picture.
“Filming of Rogue One is virtually completed and we absolutely love what we’ve seen so far." Iger also stated, while adding that "EA's launch of Star Wars Battlefront was the biggest video game release in Star Wars history."
The Flame in the Flood Gets a Release Date
After spending a few months on Steam Early Access, The Flame in the Flood has an official release date: February 24, 2016 on PC and Xbox One.
A new trailer for the Southern gothic survival roguelike shows off some handy wildlife tips. In summary, everything wants to kill you. Check it out below.
The Flame in the Flood is set in the rickety backwaters of a post-society America. As the player character Scout, accompanied by her dog Aesop, you'll have to scavenge for supplies, craft items, and keep on moving down river to survive the constant threats of starvation, dehydration, and cold.
Our preview of The Flame in the Flood from last March called it both challenging and complex while remaining accessibly manageable. Be sure to check out our let's play of The Flame in the Flood for a look at the upcoming game in action.
Four New Finding Dory Posters Revealed
Four new posters from Disney Pixar's Finding Dory have been released. Each poster asks viewers to find the little blue tang fish, though she's fairly easy to spot.
Dory's story picks up six months after Finding Nemo, as the forgetful fish sets off to learn about her past. With the help of friends Nemo and Marlin, Dory will meet a whole new cast of characters on her journey, like Bailey, the beluga whale with sonar problems, and Destiny, the whale shark who thinks she's an actual shark.
The film will answer a few major questions—where did Dory learn to speak whale? And where are her parents?