Monthly Archives: February 2016
The 100’s Alycia Debnam-Carey on Lexa, Clarke and Grounder History
Since her debut in Season 2, Lexa (Alycia Debnam-Carey) has been a standout, highly popular character on The 100. That being the case, many fans were thrilled to learn she would be back in Season 3, following negotiations with AMC that allowed Debnam-Carey to return to the CW show, even while she’s a series regular on Fear the Walking Dead.
Debnam-Carey took part in a panel for The 100 last month at the TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour, comprised of female cast members from the show, along with executive producer Jason Rothenberg. Shortly before the panel began, I sat down with the actress to talk about Lexa’s reunion with Clarke this season, the evolution of the romantic attraction between the two powerful women, Lexa's history and more.
9 DC Comics You Should Be Reading
DC Comics publishes dozens of comics, which can be a bit daunting, so we read ‘em all to find all the ones worth your hard-earned dollars. These are the 9 DC Comics you should be reading.
By Ming Doyle, James Tynion IV & Riley Rossmo
The latest take on this beloved occult character keeps the macabre sorcery and dark seediness we all love about Hellblazer, yet the brighter color palette and inhibitions of a younger Constantine give it a style all its own. This comic fully explores the romance, pain, and magic that made Constantine the premiere madcap magician of the DC Universe. It’s not afraid to “go there,” whether that means taking him down, down, down into all of Dante's nine circles of Hell or merely having him flirt with a hunky guy.
The Divergent Series: Ascendant Director Leaves the Project
Robert Schwentke will no longer be directing the final installment of the Divergent Series, Ascendant.
According to Deadline, Schwentke simply "needed a break" after filming Insurgent and Allegiant in quick succession.
Lionsgate will now be rushing to find a new director, as Ascendant's release date of June 9, 2017 is just over a year away.
Instead of being called "Part 1" and "Part 2", the final two films in the Divergent series were recently renamed. The next one, The Divergent Series: Allegiant, is due for release on March 18.
Will Smith Film to Open Against Star Wars: Rogue One
Collateral Beauty, an upcoming drama starring Will Smith and Helen Mirren, will open against Rogue One: A Star Wars Story later this year on December 16, New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures announced today.
As The Hollywood Reporter states, Warner Bros. is expecting Collateral Beauty to "serve as counter-programming" to Rogue One -- much like the Tina Fey-Amy Poehler comedy Sisters set out to do last December against The Force Awakens.
Will Smith in 2015's Concussion.
Grifball Game Type Headed to Halo 5
A bunch of new game modes are being introduced to Halo 5: Guardians this month, and among them, an old favorite—Grifball.
343 Industries has tweaked the game type to perfect its performance in Halo 5. With the help of leading Grifball expert Jeffrey "Nokyard" Fischer, Halo Waypoint reports that this version is the "most exciting Grifball yet," with its "thrusting Grif, ground pound kills, and ball throwing."
Assault and Fiesta, two other classic game types, have been reimagined for Halo 5. The changes in each new mode are worked around a few new ball-handling mechanics. With the faster player movement in Halo 5, 343 had to make changes to the ball carrier. Melee attacks from the ball carrier are now an instant kill, and 343 has "implemented the same 'spotting' mechanic present in Capture the Flag" to help even things out. Ball carriers will also get an extra thrust to "stay alive or close the gap on the enemy and beat them down."
Metal Gear Solid 5 Online Expansion Content Confirmed
Konami has officially announced that the upcoming DLC campaign for Metal Gear Online will be called Cloaked in Silence.
We first caught wind of the expansion a couple of weeks ago, when we discovered Quiet will be added as a playable character. She can take out targets from a distance with her sniper rifle, plus she can move extremely quickly and use her unique jumping abilities to scale high places which would normally require a ladder. Quiet also has a temporary cloak she can use while sprinting which boosts her movement speed.
Three new maps have been announced, too. Coral Complex is a Motherbase environment, mixing open areas and hiding opportunities. Rust Palace is set in Afghanistan and is a large multi-level building with little cover. Azure Mountain is an outdoor plain in Africa, with just a handful of buildings providing hiding places.
Jackie Earle Haley Joins Preacher TV Series
Academy Award-nominated actor Jackie Earle Haley has joined AMC's upcoming series Preacher.
Haley, whose many credits include Little Children, Watchmen and the Nightmare on Elm Street remake, will play Odin Quincannon, a notable villain from the DC/Vertigo comic book the series is based on.
The TV incarnation of Odin is described as “a small, decrepit man with the unscrupulous iron will necessary to be the most powerful man in Annville County, Texas. The chief employer in town, Odin runs Quincannon Meat & Power, a 125-year-old family run cattle slaughterhouse business.”
Jackie Earle Haley (seen here in 2014's RoboCop) will play Preacher's Odin Quincannon.
WildStar Gets New Game Director, Upcoming Changes Detailed
WildStar has a new game director, Chad "Pappy" Moore, and he has written about what fans can expect from the game this year.
Moore outlined the plans for the upcoming year in a blog post on the WildStar website. The recently announced update Destination Arcterra adds a new max-level zone that features "unique design mechanics, great rewards, eye-popping art, and an epic storyline."
The update will also include the second chapter in the Nexus Saga, Vault of the Archon. This will be WildStar's first story-based instance that's multiplayer, as you can choose to play solo or with up to five people.
Amazon Releases Game Engine for Free
Amazon has released its own game engine, Lumberyard, for free.
Lumberyard is based upon the CryEngine, which Amazon purchased from developer Crytek in 2015 for a reported $50-$70 million.
Interestingly, fees only come into effect when a developer utilises Amazon Web Services (AWS) for multiplayer.
“Amazon Lumberyard is free,” reads the website, “including full source code. You can deeply customize Lumberyard for your team, vision, and project today, and for future projects in years to come. There are no seat fees, subscription fees, or requirements to share revenue. You only pay for the AWS services you choose to use.”
Buy Physical Copies of Your In-Game Firewatch Photos on PC
The PC version of Firewatch offers the opportunity to purchase physical copies of your in-game photographs.
TechnoBuffalo shared a selection of photos taken on the in-game disposable camera you find - a purchasable option available only when you've completed the game. The photographs even ship with the branding of the fake in-game photographic company, Fotodome.
Publisher Panic, Inc co-founder Cabel Sasser confirmed to Eurogamer that the service costs around $15/£10, and the price remains roughly the same wherever you are in the world.