Monthly Archives: January 2018
Marvel Tops 2017 Comic Sales
Diamond Comics' year-end sales figures for 2017 are in, and Marvel Comics was once again the top-selling publisher of the year. Marvel also holds claim to the best-selling single issue of 2017 thanks to Marvel Legacy #1.
According to estimates from Comichron, Marvel Legacy #1 sold a total of 305,427 copies through Diamond. Much of the top ten for 2017 was dominated by crossover events like Dark Nights: Metal and Secret Empire, though Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man proved to be Marvel's biggest debut for a new ongoing series.
Matt Hardy on Being ‘Woken’ in WWE: “Patience is Key”
On Tuesday, January 16th, WWE 2K18's Enduring Icons DLC drops and fans will be able to add Matt and Jeff Hardy, along with WWE Hall of Famers Beth Phoenix and The Rock 'n' Roll Express, to their game rosters.
I spoke with Matt Hardy, who's currently in the midst of a fantastical feud with Bray Wyatt, about appearing in his first WWE game in a long while, finally bringing his "Broken/Woken" persona to Monday Night RAW, and whether or not his current story could lead to a Final Deletion-style match in WWE.
IGN: It's been a long time since you've been in a WWE video game. What's it like for you to be a part of 2K18's Enduring Icons DLC?
Matt Hardy: Very exciting. Absolutely riveting. I'm looking forward to seeing it and I'm absolutely ecstatic to be in a 2K game again after seven years. Myself and my brother to be once again involved in a WWE video game is very special.
Theme Hospital Devs Launching Two Point Hospital in 2018
Two Point Studios - headed by Mark Webley and Gary Carr, two of the developers behind 1997's much-loved hospital sim Theme Hospital - has today announced it will be publishing its first game, Two Point Hospital, in partnership with SEGA Europe. The game will launch for PC on Steam, with a release date of "late 2018".
Although details are currently scarce (besides the fact the game will be a hospital sim), the studio cites the experience of its developers - who have worked on Theme Hospital, Black and White, Theme Park and Fable - as evidence they know what they're doing with the genre, promising the game will be "a compelling experience packed with the humour, charm and replayability fans of the genre have come to expect".
Battlefront II Gets Iden Versio’s TIE Fighter
Star Wars: Battlefront II's first patch of 2018 has dropped, and as well as bringing the usual bug fixes and stability tweaks, this one also adds a new ship to the Starfighter Assault roster, with the arrival of Iden Versio's TIE/In Fighter.
Versio's modified TIE/In Fighter comes with a range of special abilities, among them an Afterburner capable of providing a temporary boost and breaking enemy locks, as well as a rapid-fire laser barrage. In addition, dual proton torpedoes add to the ship's offensive capabilities while the Inferno Leader ability reveals all enemies within a specified radius to all allied players, and increases damage done to them for the duration of the ability. A range of new Star Cards have also been launched to support the TIE/In Fighter, with effects to enhance the Fighter's abilities as well as reduce cool-downs and increase weapon damage.
Warner Bros. Announces New Scribblenauts Game
Scribblenauts Showdown, a new party game from Warner Bros. Interactive, is coming to Xbox One, PS4 and Nintendo Switch March 6.
The game includes a versus mode and classic sandbox mode in addition to the new Showdown mode. Up to 4 players compete "and imagine their way to victory" playing one of several types of mini-games in Showdown mode, including "wordy" and "speedy" type games.
Wordy-type games require players to compete by pulling words from the in-game dictionary to "outsmart an opponent," while speedy-type games are a race to see who can complete a given challenge the fastest. Progress is tracked on a "board game style map."
Two players can duke it out in the versus mode using "more than 25 mini-games" and the game's built-in 35,000 word dictionary. Mini-games can also be played solo, if that's your thing.
Japan Has Super-Immersive Last Jedi Screenings
Some 4DX audiences in Japan have had the opportunity to immerse themselves even further in the Star Wars universe, with special screenings of The Last Jedi tailored to adjust the special effects for the Light and Dark sides.
As reported by the Hollywood Reporter, the two experiences are delivered in the same theatres and ask moviegoers to choose between Light and Dark sides. The in-house special effects - including vibrations, wind, tilt, fog and strobes - are tailored for each side of the room to highlight different aspects of the on-screen action, depending on whether you've chosen Dark or Light. Lightsaber battles have different reverbs for each side, and the atmosphere differs on First Order and Rebel ships.
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Creed 2: Romanian Boxer Cast as Ivan Drago’s Son
Sylvester Stallone has revealed the latest bit of casting news for forthcoming boxing sequel Creed 2, with Romanian boxer Florian Munteanu as the son of Ivan Drago.
Stallone made the announcement via Instagram, extending his congratulations to Monteanu, who he calls "6 feet four, 245 pounds of talent". Creed 2 will be the boxer's first acting role.
Florian Munteanu.
Ivan Drago, played by Dolph Lundgren, first appeared back in Rocky IV, where he killed Apollo Creed, the father of Michael B. Jordan's character. No plot details have been confirmed, but it seems fairly likely the movie will in some way feature a confrontation between the two younger characters; Lundgren is also set to reprise his role in Creed 2, although in what capacity isn't yet clear.
Final Fantasy XV: PC and Royal Edition Release Dates
Square Enix has announced the release date for Final Fantasy XV's Windows Edition, as well as confirming the existence of the previously-rumoured Royal Edition for consoles. Both versions will launch March 6 with a sizable amount of additional content.
In addition to the base game and all current Season Pass content - which includes character-specific Episodes Gladiolus, Prompto and Ignis, as well as the multiplayer Comrades expansion - both editions will feature all updates to the game, such as the recently added ability to switch between playable characters.
How Anime and Cosplay Can Lift Your Spirits
Welcome to Hero Makeover, our video series where professional costume designers and makeup artists transform real-world heroes into their favorite characters.
Yukio, who wished to be transformed into her favorite anime character, is our hero in Episode 3. She's a 17-year-old kidney-transplant patient, who, despite her medical condition, doesn't let anything bring her spirits down. So IGN teamed up with Make-A-Wish America to transform Yukio into Yūichirō Hyakuya from Seraph of the End. Check out her amazing cosplay transformation in the video player above.