Monthly Archives: February 2018
Naughty Dog Might Make a Non-Third-Person Game
While Naughty Dog is known for its third-person action adventure games, a future game from the studio might feature a different perspective for the player.
"We're totally open. The future, the next game that we do might not be third-person," Naughty Dog creative director Neil Druckmann said today during a panel at DICE Summit 2018.
When Naughty Dog was working on The Last of Us, Druckmann said the studio brainstormed whether the game should be first or third-person. While the team ultimately settled on a third-person perspective with a tight camera, Druckmann said they've kicked around the idea of making a Naughty Dog first-person game and even joked about how they might approach making Half-Life 3.
Naughty Dog Creative Director Weighs in on Uncharted Movie
During a panel today at DICE Summit 2018, Naughty Dog creative director Neil Druckmann shared his thoughts on the upcoming Uncharted movie and why he's pleased with the approach director Shawn Levy is taking with the project.
Rather than trying to retell the games, the Uncharted film will feature a storyline about a younger Nathan Drake, played by Spider-Man actor Tom Holland, which Druckmann believes is ultimately the better option.
"We've had some conversations with Shawn Levy, and he's really passionate, gets it, and I think he understands where we're at," he said. Druckmann went on to note that Naughty Dog's feelings about film adaptations of its games has evolved over the years, and now the studio would rather see new ideas on the big screen rather than a direct adaptation of one of its games.
Nintendo Switch Getting Outdated Version of Payday 2
Payday 2 publisher Starbreeze has confirmed the version coming to Switch is not the latest iteration of the game.
Polygon reports the revelation comes after fan outrage on Reddit after an early recipient reportedly streamed the game before release later this month.
Features such as the ability to speed up the end of heists screens and flashbangs were not present during the stream, keying fans into the apparently older software.
Starbreeze has since confirmed with Polygon that the version releasing on Switch is not the most recent 147 update.
“Payday 2 is releasing on Switch with content up to and including the ‘Most Wanted’ update, which is equivalent to the content released through mid-2017 on PC. PS4 and Xbox One received one additional update after that, the ‘Master Plan’ update, which released near the end of 2017,” Starbreeze told Polygon. “So Switch is one update behind other consoles, which are slightly behind PC.”
Bond 25: Danny Boyle Reportedly Developing New Script
Danny Boyle is reportedly developing a new script for the next James Bond film with Trainspotting writer John Hodge.
Deadline reports Boyle and Hodge have a specific idea for Bond 25, and the script they're developing is different from the one MGM and Eon currently have in the works from Neal Purvis and Robert Wade (Skyfall, Spectre, Casino Royale).
Hodge is months away from completing the script, and Boyle will reportedly only sign on to direct Bond 25 if MGM accepts this new screenplay. According to Deadline, MGM has three other candidates in mind if Boyle opts out: Dennis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049), David Mackenzie (Hell or High Water), and Yann Demange ('71).
Krypton’s Brainiac Is Gloriously Comics Accurate
The first look at Brainiac from Syfy’s upcoming Krypton show has been revealed and it’s incredibly accurate to the comics.
Check out this new image of the Collector of Worlds, played by Blake Ritson, which was revealed on USA Today.
Image Reveals 21 New Comics for 2018
Image Comics kept up their annual tradition of ringing in a new year with Image Expo. This one-day comic convention allows the company to spotlight many of the most promising and exciting new books in the pipeline. This year certainly didn't disappoint, with new books from big-name creators like Rick Remender, Annie Wu, Matthew Rosenberg and Todd McFarlane.
From Spawn's big 2018 push to Remender's first collaboration with Bengal, here are all the big announcements from this year's Image Expo.
Image isn't the only publisher with big plans brewing in the months ahead. DC has an ambitious Superman relaunch in the works as Brian Michael Bendis takes the reins of the franchise. And Marvel has begin shedding light on its "Fresh Start" initiative, one that will see relaunches for titles like The Avengers, Venom and Black Panther.
25 Movies Black Panther Outgrossed in 4 Days
Black Panther has made a lot of money at the box office already -- $242 million in its first four days of domestic (U.S.) release. It had the second-biggest four-day domestic debut of all time and set a new record for Monday box office numbers, surpassing The Force Awakens ($40.11 million) with $40.167 million.
There's also been some buzz about how BP has already made more money than Justice League did in its entire domestic run (JL ended up with $229 million in U.S. receipts). But the truth is, the latest Marvel film has actually beaten the domestic numbers of a bunch of superhero movies. In the following slideshow, we've broken down the top 25 grossers whose entire domestic run wound up being less than BP's four-day haul. But please note, we kept this list to superhero movies released just in the past 10 years. And also, these numbers are not adjusted for inflation. (All figures via Box Office Mojo.)
Super Mario Odyssey Balloon World Update Out This Week
It looks as though the Super Mario Odyssey Balloon World update is coming to Switch this week.
The Nintendo Australia website momentarily showed a listing saying the new free update would be available for download this Friday, February 23.
IGN has reached out to Nintendo for comment on this information.
Announced last month for a February release, the update boasts a new mini-game mode called Balloon World which unlocks after completing the main story. Players will need to find Luigi in each world to begin either hiding or finding balloons hidden by other players.
Fans Can Experience Westworld at SXSW
A Westworld theme park is coming to South by Southwest, HBO announced today.
HBO is building the entire town of Sweetwater, including the luxury hotel The Coronado and the Mariposa Saloon, to celebrate the upcoming second season of the hit series. SXSW conference and festival badge holders can visit the theme park from March 9 through March 11.
Those interested in attending can register at DiscoverWestworld.com. After your registration, you will need to make your way to downtown Austin’s EastSide Tavern to check in. A Delos Shuttle will then drive you to the two acres of custom-built parkland, located outside of Austin.
Angry Birds Takes On Esports With New Competitive iOS App
Angry Birds is coming to the esports scene with a new title aimed at competitive play.
Dubbed Angry Birds Champions, Games Industry reports the new game will allow players to pay an entry fee to enter competitions for the chance at winning a cash prize.
Typically, the fee is under $1 and winners are credited around $4 for their victory. Players can also opt out of the payment and compete, but will not be awarded a cash prize.
Champions is being developed by Angry Birds creator Rovio Entertainment in conjunction with WorldWinner, which is already known for work on skill-based tournament desktop games such as Tetris Burst and Bejeweled.