Monthly Archives: July 2017
This Year’s Gamescom to be the Biggest Yet
This year's Gamescom, already touted as the biggest event for video games, will be even bigger.
In a press release from Gamescom's marketing team, it was revealed that more than 900 expected exhibitors are expected this year, a 20% increase from 2016. The show will also extend into hall 1 of the Cologne, which sees it stretch across 201,000 square meters - a 4 percent size increase from last year.
This year's Gamescom will also include a new developer event, Devcom, beginning August 20. Devcom will offer a classic conference component, international speakers, summits, masterclasses, and workshops.
Gamescom 2017 will be held in Cologne, Germany, and will run from August 22 to August 26. While you wait for all the coverage, check out our cosplay gallery from Gamescom 2016.
Greater Gender and Age Diversity in Game Characters Wanted, Finds Survey
Australia’s Interactive Games & Entertainment Association (IGEA) has released its latest Digital Australia report, which shines a spotlight on the number of Australians playing games, who they are, and how they’re doing it. The research, produced in conjunction with Bond University, is the latest in a series of audience studies that date back to 2005.
Considering the 2.7% margin for error, a lot of the key stats remain roughly the same as the previous report released in 2016. Digital Australia 2018 found that 97% of homes with children have computer games (98% in Digital Australia 2016) and that 67% of Australians play video games (68% in Digital Australia 2016). 89 minutes is the average daily total of all play, and one in three Australian gamers has chosen not to download games due to download limits.
Justice League Reshoots Encounter Scheduling Issues
A new report detailing Justice League's reshoots suggests the Joss Whedon-directed portion of filming has run into scheduling issues, and that Whedon himself may not receive a co-directing credit for his work.
Sources have told Variety that the reshoots cost a reported $25 million and have gone on for two months, in part due to scheduling conflicts for the cast.
Possible spoilers for Justice League and spoilers for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them follow.
According to Variety, both Ezra Miller's work on the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them sequel, which has begun shooting, and Henry Cavill's shooting for the sixth Mission: Impossible film have both factored into the reshoots. While WB can reportedly better accommodate for Miller's schedule, as Fantastic Beasts is a WB film, Cavill has had to jump back and forth between the two productions with more scheduling difficulties.
New Harry Potter Ride Coming to Universal Orlando
A completely new Harry Potter ride is coming to Universal Orlando's Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
According to Universal, the new attraction will be a thrill ride located around Hogsmeade where you encounter some fan-favorite characters and creatures from the series.
The ride promises to be one of the most highly-themed coaster experiences Universal has ever done, combining a "new level of storytelling with an action-packed adventure."
The production design team from the Harry Potter movies will be working closely with the Universal Creative team on the attraction. No word yet on when the ride will open.
ABC Announces Fall Premiere Dates
ABC has revealed the premiere dates for its 2017-18 season lineup, which features several returning shows and five new series, including Marvel's Inhumans.
As previously announced, Marvel's Inhumans will premiere on Friday, September 29, just a few weeks after IMAX theaters screen the first two episodes on September 1.
ABC's other new drams include The Good Doctor, which premieres on Monday, September 25, Kevin (Probably) Saves the World, which premieres on Tuesday, October 3, and Ten Days in the Valley, which premieres on Sunday, October 1. The network's new comedy, The Mayor, will premiere on Tuesday, October 3.
Windows 10 Update Signals the End for Microsoft Paint
Today, Microsoft released a list of features and functionalities that are set to be removed from Windows 10 in the Fall Creators Update. The list is mostly made up of underutilized or non-functioning programs, but one application in particular stuck out on the list: Microsoft Paint, the beloved drawing/editing program.
According to Microsoft's official update notes, Microsoft Paint is tagged as "deprecated," meaning it is "not in active development and might be removed in future releases." Based on that wording, it sounds like Paint isn't going away just yet, but Microsoft would recommend finishing up any MS Paint masterpieces sooner than later.
How Thor: Ragnarok’s Valkyrie Cuts Thor Down to Size
Valkyrie makes her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut later this year in Thor: Ragnarok, and IGN had an opportunity to speak with star Tessa Thompson this past weekend at San Diego Comic-Con about her role in the upcoming film, including her dynamic with Chris Hemsworth's Thor.
"She cuts him down so to size, and that's so exciting because Chris Hemsworth is a big person," Thompson told IGN. "To be able to cut someone down to size and you can't even look them in the eye is just so fantastic."
Thompson went on to jokingly add that "it's good because as an actor sometimes when you're tasked to do something on-screen you can kind of do it in daily life, so I just like to do that to Chris all the time."
The Biggest Movies and Shows Missing From Comic-Con
San Diego Comic-Con 2017 ended yesterday after four days of showcasing some of the biggest upcoming comics, movies, and TV shows fans can look forward to. But there were several high-profile genre movies and TV series in the works that were no-shows at this year's SDCC. Here are the most notable ones.
With the movie now in production and its director David Leitch and Cable actor Josh Brolin already coming to SDCC for separate movies, it was surprising to see Deadpool 2 completely absent from 20th Century Fox's movie presentation. (The studio exclusively showcased Kingsman: The Golden Circle instead.) And since Deadpool 2 has a June 1, 2018 release date that means the film won't have a presence at next July's annual SDCC either. There wasn't even a pre-recorded greeting from Ryan Reynolds, an installation of any kind, or even a viral video or teaser image released on social media.
Microsoft’s Phil Spencer on Xbox One X Pre-Orders
It won't be long before Microsoft opens pre-orders for Xbox One X, according to head of Xbox Phil Spencer.
"Our plan is set for this," Spencer said on Twitter when asked when the console will be available for pre-order. "All approvals are done so now just landing the announce with all the info, won't be too much longer."
Last month, Microsoft confirmed that all Xbox One games that feature 4K support will download its 4K assets for all Xbox One X users, regardless of their TV.
James Bond 25 Release Date Announced
The next James Bond film's U.S. release date has been announced, while the film's cast and director will be revealed at a later date.
The 25th 007 film will officially be released in theaters on November 8, 2019, with "a traditional earlier release in the U.K. and rest of the world" according to Eon Productions and MGM. The companies behind the film, however, did not reveal any members of the cast or who will be directing the film, only saying those involved would be announced later on.
Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, who worked on Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, and Spectre, are returning to write the screenplay for the film, which currently has no official title.