This is Why Batman: Arkham Knight is M for Mature
The scenes earning Batman: Arkham Knight its M for Mature rating has been revealed.
Last month, we revealed Rocksteady's concluding chapter in the Arkham series would be the first to get a rating other than T for Teen by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). Now, the reasons for the decision have been revealed.
Please note, some SPOILERS for scenes from Arkham Knight follow.
The ESRB's explanation centers on a scene in which someone is tortured on "a bloody operating table", though also mentions moments where you can shoot unarmed characters and a hostage. This raises the question of whether you may play as another character as some stage, as Batman is renowned for his refusal to kill. The full text is as follows:
Valiant’s Comics Coming to Movies/TV
Valiant Entertainment has signed a deal with Chinese-based DMG Entertainment to turn their comic book properties into movies and television.
The New York Times broke the news with some insight on the deal:
Comic superheroes are profitable and highly sought intellectual properties for film franchises, said Dan Mintz, the chief executive officer of DMG, in a statement, “so taking a stake in the last independent massive comic universe is a strategic investment for DMG that will produce movies and TV that are both appealing and relevant to a global audience.”
NASA’s Dawn Arrives at the Largest Unexplored World in the Solar System
NASA's Dawn spacecraft became the first mission to achieve orbit around a dwarf planet last week when it was captured by Ceres’ gravity at 4:39 a.m. PST (7:39 a.m. EST) on Friday.
"Since its discovery in 1801, Ceres was known as a planet, then an asteroid and later a dwarf planet," said Marc Rayman, Dawn chief engineer and mission director at JPL, in a prepared statement. "Now, after a journey of 3.1 billion miles (4.9 billion kilometers) and 7.5 years, Dawn calls Ceres, home."
The Dawn mission will allow Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists "to look back in time to see how terrestrial planets are put together," director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division Jim Green said during a media briefing about the achievement.
Bryan Cranston Back as LBJ for HBO Biopic
HBO is adapting All the Way -- a Broadway play that starred Bryan Cranston as former President Lyndon B. Johnson -- as a biopic, with Cranston set to reprise his role as the lead, and Austin Powers director Jay Roach on board to direct.
According to TheWrap, HBO's adaptation of All the Way will chronicle the events of LBJ's first year in office, and will follow in the aftermath of John F. Kennedy's assassination, the looming Vietnam War and the burgeoning civil rights movement.
Bryan Cranston as Lyndon B. Johnson
Star Wars Adds 1st Official LGBT Character to Canon
In his upcoming Star Wars novel "Lords of the Sith," writer Paul S. Kemp is introducing the first official LGBT character to canon.
According to Big Shiny Robot, Star Wars' first official LGBT character is named Moff Mors, and is described by the site as "an Imperial who has made some very serious mistakes," but is still considered to be "an incredibly capable leader and spends much of the book working hard to prevent absolute failure." Finishing off their description, the site notes, "
also happens to be a lesbian."
Lords of the Sith by Paul S. Kemp.
Watch Us Fight Final Fantasy 15’s Behemoth Boss
After a standard-fare, instant-fail stealth sequence, Final Fantasy XV's hunt for the Behemoth turns into a terrifying, violent battle. It's the sort of encounter that forces main character Noctis to leverage his entire arsenal of abilities to fight, survive, and escape.
Check out this video for the first major boss battle we've seen in the upcoming Final Fantasy XV: Episode Duscae demo, in which Noctis, Ignis, Gladiolus, and Prompto team up to take down Dead-Eye, the half-blind beast. For more on Final Fantasy XV, check out our impressions of the incredible world and ferocious combat.
American Sniper Now Highest-Grossing Movie of 2014
American Sniper, director Clint Eastwood's biopic of U.S. Navy SEAL marksman Chris Kyle, became the No. 1 domestic release of 2014 this weekend.
Since its limited release in December, the movie has earned $337.2 million and counting at the North American box office. American Sniper finally dropped out of the Top 10 at the box office this weekend.
“From its record-breaking Christmas opening, American Sniper has been a box office phenomenon. The film’s A+ CinemaScore in every category has translated into enthusiastic word-of-mouth that continues to generate both first-time and repeat business," said distributor Warner Bros.' Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, in a statement. "We could not be happier for Clint Eastwood, Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller and everyone on the incredible filmmaking team on this remarkable achievement.”
Watch SNL’s Avengers 2 Skit With Chris Hemsworth
Actor Chris Hemsworth hosted Saturday Night Live this weekend, during which time the show inevitably did a skit about the actor's upcoming Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron featuring Hemsworth as a less than majestic Thor.
The skit follows a news broadcast in the wake of Earth's Mightiest Heroes' victory over the evil robot Ultron:
Avengers: Age of Ultron opens in the UK and AU on April 23 and in North America on May 1.
Chappie Arrests Top Spot at Weekend Box Office
District 9 director Neill Blomkamp's robo-cop movie Chappie debuted atop a lukewarm domestic box office this weekend with an estimated $13.3 million.
With a production budget of $49 million, Chappie's path to profit will have to rely heavily on eventual overseas returns.
On the opposite end of the box office spectrum, Unfinished Business absolutely bombed in 10th place with $4.8 million. That's the worst wide release opening of Vince Vaughn's career.
Vaughn's been on a run of flops in recent years, with The Internship, The Watch and Delivery Man all disappointing at the box office. Unfinished Business, it should be noted, was from the same director as Delivery Man, Ken Scott.
Tales from the Borderlands Episode 2 Has a Release Date
Gearbox Software confirmed that the next chapter in Tales from the Borderlands is coming next week, according to its Inside Gearbox Software panel at PAX East. Atlas Mugged, is slated to launch the week of March 17.
Scooter was recently revealed at PAX South to have a part in Tales from the Borderlands Episode 2 and the developer also mentioned Handsome Jack having a larger role as well.
IGN reviewed Tales from the Borderlands Episode 1: Zer0 Sum, calling it "a hilarious, fantastic start to Telltale's trip to Pandora."