Assassin’s Creed III: You Can Expect Big Secrets

Alex Hutchinson, the creative director on Assassin’s Creed III, told us recently that players can expect some major gameplay secrets when they get their hands on Assassin’s Creed III later this year.

“We’ve managed to keep some secrets,” he said. “The games industry is terrible for secrets, and I’m kind of bored of working on things where everybody’s seen everything before we launch. So we wanted to keep a bunch of secrets… up to ship. There’s some cool stuff. If you buy the game there’s two or three really big systems that we won’t talk about unless I’m defeated by marketing in a pitched battle.”

The naval battles reveal at E3 was one such secret (and "amazing" that it didn’t leak, “given that was something we’ve been developing for two and a half years already”), so we can’t wait to find out what the rest are. Any guesses? Weigh in below.

Cam Shea is IGN Australia's Senior Editor. You can follow him on IGN here, and join the IGN AU Facebook community here. 

Source : ign[dot]com

Gran Turismo 6: What Polyphony Needs to Do

2012 is a lean year for racing fans, particularly on PS3. Outside of kart racers there’s little beyond F1 2012, Need for Speed Most Wanted and Forza Horizon – and the latter is obviously an Xbox exclusive.

Gran Turismo 5 continues to be supported by bursts of DLC at random intervals, but what’s really needed is a follow-up. GT is Sony’s flagship racing series and one of its most valuable brands, yet it’s only been spotted once this generation.

Gran Turismo needs to get back on the front foot. It needs to become a regular part of the racing game agenda; not a game that descends from Mount Olympus once every six years. Gran Turismo is a series that continues to enjoy incredible commercial success, but it can’t remain idle anymore.

This is what Gran Turismo 6 needs.

No more “standard” cars

GT6 cannot split its car range between highly-detailed “premium” models with full interiors and HD “standard” versions of PS2-era cars. It didn’t work in GT5; it was a horrible solution.

Dividing the cars into two tiers of quality is a poor idea.

Over on Xbox 360 Forza Motorsport 4 car nuts now have almost 700 highly-detailed cars, all with interiors. GT fans deserve the same. Sony and Polyphony need to find a way, and a development partner to help do so if need be.

Livery editor

A livery editor, combined with extensive customization options, empowers your community to build the cars they want without you. It allows them to take stock models and turn them into classic or contemporary racing cars, or rallying legends. It allows them to craft movie replicas, or beat up old wrecks, or even artistic originals.

A livery editor supports global car culture. People can build and buy designs that are relevant to them and their interests. GT6 needs one, and it needs the in-game economy that comes with it.

What you get in GT5, and what it can look like in its nearest competitor.

Lose the silly quirks

The whole concept of “paint chips” should have been patched out of GT5 in the first update. It’s ridiculous. Making paint colours a one use item and forcing players to earn them is brain-numbingly dumb. GT6 should not be saddled with this system.

Trapping vehicles behind driver levels is a dud idea too. Driver levels make sense for career progression, but they do not make sense for car purchasing. If players have the credits to purchase a car, let them purchase it.

On that note, ditch the used car lot in favour of a classifieds-style system. Used cars are one of GT’s cute idiosyncrasies and it’s actually kind of cool to get an old car with miles on the dial and need to recondition it to bring it back to new. But don’t hide the bulk of them; let people buy the ones they want when they want.

GT6 shouldn’t be full of ways to stop people buying the game’s cars.

Better audio

Audio is the one department GT needs to rapidly evolve. Engine notes need to be re-recorded, remixed or both; they sound false and electronic. There’s no snarl; no bark. The GT series may have historically been ahead of the curve in many areas, but sound is not one of them.

All cars drivable in Arcade Mode

There are 1000 cars in GT5. Whether GT6 has more or less, they have to all be drivable outside of GT Mode. There is little point to shipping with so many cars hidden away inside the code where few of them will ever be driven. Every car in the game should be drivable in Arcade Mode.

Let go of the current car roster, rebuild it

GT5’s car list is long but it’s flawed. It’s insular, it focuses on quantity over quality, and it was out-of-date the day GT5 was released.

Check out the following graphs.

As you can see, GT5 is dominated by Japanese cars. The huge commitment to Japanese vehicles creates huge holes in GT5’s international line-up. But it’s a Japanese game, right?

This is the breakdown by territory of the cars featuring in Forza Motorsport 4, GT’s Xbox 360 equivalent. It may be developed in the US but it’s a far more global game.

GT6 can’t make the same mistakes that GT5 did regarding the car list. It can’t continue to ignore the kinds of cars from Europe, the US and elsewhere that are making their way to its competitors in droves. It needs a better range of cult classics from around the globe. For a series that tends to get track selection so right (with Spa recently added and Bathurst's Mount Panorama rumoured to be joining the list in GT6) Polyphony's approach to cars outside of Japan isn't as comprehensive as it should be.

It can’t make do with manufacturer line-ups that tap out a few years before the release of the game. When GT5 launched the newest BMW in the game was from 2008, the newest Aston Martin was from 2006 and the newest Pontiac and Holden was from 2004. Those are just a few broad examples. That can’t happen again. GT6 needs to be fresh. Motorheads expect something more recent than a 2007 Ford Mustang in a game released in 2010. People expect the fastest production car in the world to be in a GT game, or at least the second fastest (as of now, neither are). People expect more.

GT should also not continue to go without the several world-famous brands it’s still missing. Koenigsegg. Gumpert. Ascari. SSC. Saab. Radical. Noble. Even Porsche. If Microsoft and EA can make nice for a Porsche sublicense for Forza, why can’t Sony do the same?

PS3/PS Vita Compatibility

Two words: combo pack. Anybody who buys GT6 on PS3 gets a copy on Vita, one that they can play on the go and transfer their progress between their Vita and their PS3.

Announce it at this year’s Tokyo Game Show

PS3 owners certainly could be forgiven for hoping for an official Gran Turismo 6 announcement a few weeks back at E3; the game is certainly in development. Unfortunately none was forthcoming. Given the precedent set by Gran Turismo 5’s lengthy development time it’s admittedly unsurprising, but GT fans don’t want GT to vanish again. Announce it at this year’s TGS. Give GT fans something to put on their calendars. Start the discourse around GT6; tell us what you’re focusing on and let fans worldwide push back with their most pressing requests.

GT fans: what do you want most out of GT6, and when do you want it?

Luke is Games Editor at IGN AU. You can chat to him about games, cars and A9X Toranas on IGN here or find him and the rest of the Australian team by joining the IGN Australia Facebook community.

Source : ign[dot]com

Watch the Weeds Season Premiere

Showtime aired the Weeds: Season 8 premiere Sunday night, but if you missed it during its initial airing, don't fret - you can watch it online right now, free of charge!

Last year ended on another huge Weeds cliffhanger, with an unknown person aiming a gun at Nancy Botwin and her family. Watch the premiere below to find out who the target was, whether or not they survived and more on who it was who fired that gun.

Source : ign[dot]com

The Newsroom: “News Night 2.0” Review

Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow.

The plot of tonight's episode, “News Night 2.0,” largely centered on Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels) and his news team attempting to reboot their show with a stronger emphasis on actual reporting and educated opinion, and less pop culture fluff and human interest stories. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned with the first episode of the rebooted series, and McAvoy ends up with a rather botched, embarrassing episode on his hands. Meanwhile, Mackenzie McHale (Emily Mortimer) accidentally sends an email to her whole staff informing them of her previous relationship with Will.

Good old Aaron Sorkin. You gotta love his lightning-fast dialogue and token wit. It was really on display tonight. “News Night 2.0” had a lot of ground to cover, with numerous subplots, new characters introduced (namely Olivia Munn, who gets some decent screen time), new news stories and new business to attend to. Speed was an absolute necessity here. Quite shockingly, even with the heavy story elements, the episode was really more about establishing character – specifically that of Will McAvoy and Maggie Jordan (Allison Pill).

Despite a liberal tone and general demeanor, it turns out McAvoy is a card-carrying member of the Republican party, with rather strong feelings about the party's many issues, and the misguided direction of politics as a whole. It would seem Sorkin made him a Republican to oppose those who would inevitably argue against the show's politics, and he made the right call.

Making McAvoy some sort of liberal messiah wasn't the right direction for the character, and the subtle insinuation McAvoy's beliefs are actually right-of-center adds a particularly interesting flavor to the overall narrative, not to mention his character. Hopefully it will help shape (and shake up) the show's central thesis as the series continues.

Alas, because of the somewhat contrived email story, we also delve a bit deeper in McAvoy's tainted relationship with Mackenzie – a plot thread that I worry will inevitably dominate the show in episodes to come. With clear shades drawn from the romantic elements of Studio 60, Sorkin is basically borrowing from himself here, recycling a story we've all seen before. It's cute and sometimes really funny, to be sure, but the whole “my boss is my former lover” subplot is a rather dry well, one I hope Sorkin only dips into for the first few episodes before moving on.

The rest of episode focused on Maggie Jordan who, through a mishap with a press liaison she once had a relationship with, is responsible for the botched first episode of News Night 2.0. Unfortunately, the show once again borrows a few cues from Studio 60 to get its point across. Thankfully, unlike Studio 60 – a quick little series that took a sketch comedy show and treated it like it was something of great political importance – The Newsroom actually has a much greater purpose in mind: to realign and refocus TV news journalism for the better.

Like the McAvoy plot, sadly, Maggie's story is also bogged down by relationship turmoil. The seed of a budding love triangle between her, Jim Harper (John Gallagher Jr.) and Don (Thomas Sadoski) is planted, which could prove ugly as the season progresses. However, where the McAvoy/Mackenzie relationship feels a tad stale, the Maggie/Jim/Don story does provide some freshness, mostly thanks to Pill's charmingly high-strung performance and Gallagher's low-key Clark Kent appeal. Only time will tell if this relationship will grow dull and tiresome, impeding on the show's true message, or whether it will somehow tie into the central thesis of the series.

I rather like how this show is shaping up thus far. In a world of corrupted TV news journalism, where news and slanted opinion change between networks (and sponsors), the idea of a news program that only delivers a sense of intelligence, integrity and purified news is downright novel.

On that same level, even shows critical of sensationalized, sanitized journalism like The Daily Show resort to some of the same tactics, wild theories and sensationalism they often heavily mock. Could a show like News Night really exist with TV journalism spiraling in the direction it's been for over a decade now? I hope Sorkin can answer that question throughout the series and – like News Night 2.0 – focus a little less on the fluff and human interest stories along the way.

Source : ign[dot]com

Weeds: "Messy" Review

Note: Full spoilers for the Weeds: Season 8 premiere follow.

I wonder how many mock Tweets we might see tonight saying, "Holy balls! Someone shot my aunt! Seriously!" (A visual joke I thought was pretty awesome)

We’ve reviewed Weeds off and on here at IGN through the years. There wasn't quite enough interest of late to continue weekly reviews, but now that we know Season 8 is indeed the final one for the show, I thought a season premiere review was appropriate – and certainly I’ll be reviewing the finale. And we’ll see if perhaps some reviews might pop up in-between…

I know plenty of people who haven’t really liked this show for several seasons, though personally, I still enjoy it. It’s not as strong as it was in the early years, certainly, but I still find it continually entertaining. The opening credits of the season premiere, bringing back “Little Boxes,” were wonderful, showing us, via animation, the history of the show. If nothing else, I have been impressed at how Weeds has reinvented itself over and over, changing settings and scenarios in a way few other shows have ever dared.

As for the premiere itself, it was a solid one. Nancy being the one to get shot was a good choice – the reveal of her with the blood running down her face was suitably shocking and I kind of love that she has now managed the Beatrix Kiddo-like feat of surviving a bullet in the head (come on – she’s obviously going to survive). I was sure that if someone was shot and killed, it would be Jill (I figured the regulars were safe and one of the kids would be too cruel), but Nancy herself being shot simply makes sense – as Shane and Silas noted later, discussing the semi-inevitability of something like this happening. The one funny thing about Nancy being in a coma though was that Mary-Louise Parker had so little to do after the first few minutes, literally just laying there. I'm guessing that'll change next week though.

Nancy Botwin: Human Target

This being the final season (even if they didn’t know 100% when they began filming), I’m not too surprised to see Andy’s feelings for Nancy rise up again – especially given the circumstances. And his scene with the chaplain/rabbi was a really good one, as he talked about his confusion, especially about what he’d do with his life without Nancy. And in the meantime, he's screwing Jill again, because, well, she'll have sex with him and Nancy's never been willing to go there. Oh, Andy...

The scene with Doug feeling up and peaking down the shirt of a comatose Nancy was pretty freaking gross. Yeah, Doug is Doug, but that was a pretty nasty place to go with a guy painted more as a lovable loser than, you know, a potential rapist – the fact that he was interrupted as he began to undo her clothes made it seem like he might doing more than Jenji Kohan intended… though hell, maybe she did intend it!

Another scene that just fell flat for me were the idiot cops showing up at the Botwins. They simply felt too cartoonish (Shane having to chastise them for standing in Nancy’s blood?!), on the heels of the already-goofy elderly neighbors.

However, the end reveal of just who it was that shot Nancy was a lot of fun. We’d already had Silas and Shane take us down memory lane, naming a ton of characters from the past who would have vendettas against Nancy. But no, I didn’t think of Tim Scottson, the son of the late DEA agent Peter Scottson. Yeah, they kind of had to do those quick flashbacks so we'd know who he was, given Daryl Sabara (Spy Kids) is so much older and bigger now, but the realization of who he was in the show’s history was quite a nice way to bring up events from Weeds’ history as we heard towards the end – in a season I would expect will continue to delve into Nancy’s past.

Oh, and two specific jokes I want to note: I have snarked quite a bit about the overabundance of the word vagina on every other comedy series this past year. Well, call me a hypocrite, because I laughed a lot at the whole “vaginal weight” bit – look, adding the word “weight” makes it a different thing!

Lastly, as a Jew who eats cheeseburgers and has had my share of Christmas trees, I appreciated Andy remarking that perhaps Nancy did finish converting to Judaism if she does those things.

Source : ign[dot]com

Falling Skies: "Young Bloods" Review

Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow.

Matt’s need to get himself in serious trouble is unrivaled. At this point, I’m more worried about Matt’s thirst for danger than Ben’s strange connection with the Skitters. Either way, Tom needs to teach his two younger children some discipline, something that isn’t necessarily the easiest thing to do in a world gone to hell. Matt has proven that he isn’t ready for any sort of mission so I’m hoping Tom keeps him out of harm’s way for now. I’m still not exactly sure why Tom, who has been very protective of Matt thus far, would suddenly let his youngest son go out on a mission without him. I’d rather not see Matt used as a plot device to setup a rescue every week. Maybe next season, kid.

As for Ben, this is the first time they’ve started to get his story right. Letting Hal in on Ben’s continued connection with the Skitters expands the story just enough that we can get some dialogue about what Ben is going through. Not surprisingly, Ben is afraid and it’s completely understandable why he doesn’t want to talk to anyone about his condition. But just like Matt, some bad decision making is undoubtedly going to get the 2nd Mass in trouble at some point down the line. I’d rather Hal make the right call and talk to Tom or Weaver, but I’ll be surprised if either happens, which is a shame because it could save a lot of people a headache, not to mention a few lives, down the line. Needless to say, if Hal wants to look out for his brother, he’d talk to someone.

Maybe the Skitters have put something into the air to make anyone under a certain age do something stupid that will lead to them getting caught? That’s what happens to the entire group that goes on a rescue mission to save a few kids from being harnessed. Weaver’s daughter, Jeanie, calls her father out on being a control freak prior to the mission. Well, stupid is still stupid, even after aliens have invaded the planet, and while Weaver isn’t the best of leaders, his idea of ‘formulating a plan’ before running into the alien facility made a lot of sense. It’s another frustrating situation of people not thinking things through. Weaver may have let his anger get the best of him, but he was absolutely right and I’m not sure why it was such a stretch for his daughter or even Diego to agree with him. Waiting five minutes more could have led to a completely different situation.

This series, and this episode in particular, are trying to stress the struggles of raising a family in the aftermath of an alien invasion. Still, there are logical leaps and some decisions being made that can be infuriating as a viewer. Diego’s decision to go in without a plan, Ben deciding to keep his situation quiet, Tom letting Matt go out on a mission and even Diego’s entire group leaving at the end all seem like the wrong decision in service of the plot. Obviously, this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Diego’s group or Ben’s situation as they are setting something big up down the line, but to get there we’re seeing some infuriatingly poor decision making. Not as infuriating as some of the decisions made in The Walking Dead Season 2, but still frustrating.

Despite my frustrations with some decisions being made, there are a few great moments that salvage this episode. Matt being used as bait did lead to a gruesome scene with two Skitters having their heads blown off. Matt covered in blood was a great visual as well.

The entire scene within the harness facility was creepy. We got to see the harness slugs moving a lot more than we have previously. Seeing one of them actually be applied was handled really well as we got to see the entire thing from Matt’s perspective. It’s an incredibly frightening scenario for a small child to have to go through and I thought the scene did a great job of capturing that. The rest of the rescue was pretty much by the numbers. I’d love to know how they got by the mechs but I’m going to assume that’s a budget saving measure. It will be interesting to see if there is any fallout from Weaver being bitten by a harness slug.

Both Weaver and Tom experience some tough family moments. At the end of the day Tom is at least able to still have his sons while Weaver is left with a note from his daughter who decides to leave with her boyfriend. I tend to give Weaver a hard time but he gets the short end of the stick this week. I get the sense the writers like dragging Weaver through the mud as much as possible. The pain killers last season, the death of Jimmy and now having him reunite with his daughter only to take her away in the span of an episode. His emotional breakdown at the end of the episode was well-earned and I’m starting to like the character a lot more this season.

Source : ign[dot]com

HD Remakes: Blessing or Bore?

One of the biggest trends in games over the last few years has been the HD remake phenomenon. Bringing games from previous generations back with high resolution visuals and other modern bells and whistles sounds like a great way to celebrate gaming past, but not everyone sees it that way. IGN AU’s Cam Shea and Adam Guetti fight it out.

For those that can't be bothered reading the text.

Adam: Nostalgia. As a gamer it’s that incredible feeling that turns our insides fuzzy after booting up an old classic and re-entering a simpler time. Yet, while we love to experience its warm embrace, is nostalgia actually beneficial for the gaming industry’s future? At the moment, I’m simply not convinced. I've tried ignoring it, but I just can’t shake the nagging feeling that, over the last few years, developers and publishers have begun exploiting this powerful emotion as both an easy means to an end as well as a tool for increasing their yearly release number. Where do you stand on the issue Cam?

Cam: Well, there are a few different ways of looking at the idea of nostalgia in games today. Personally I think that evoking nostalgia through a mix of old school game design and aesthetics with modern production values - think Super Meat Boy, Cave Story or New Super Mario Bros. - is a brilliant way to celebrate the heritage of our industry, and can actually lead to really fresh experiences. I've loved the resurgence of 2D gaming over the last few years. 2D games can have a level of precision and simplicity that leads to incredibly refined gameplay, and they're generally more affordable to make, so taking an old school approach can actually be a great way for indie developers to get a start in the industry.

That said, I don't think that's the nostalgia that you're driving at. What you're talking about is that you're sick of HD re-releases of old titles, right? Why so? What's so bad about bringing classic games back and putting them in front of today's gamers?

Adam: Yes, it's true - I’m not the biggest fan of the HD re-release. I’ve recently booted up titles like Halo Anniversary, and you know what the one resonating feeling was? Boredom. Sure I’m not necessarily the target demographic, but if a lover of the original like myself isn’t attracted to it, why would the younger generation bother?

The main issue that gets right under my skin though, is that I don’t think these titles are being released to educate those who might have missed them. I see them as a simple and relatively painless solution for an extra cash flow injection. I don’t need to handle Lara Croft’s aged curves. I want the newer, younger model!

Where do you stand on Halo Anniversary?

Cam: I don't really object to developers making the most of the titles in their portfolios. If you've got a classic franchise with an established fan-based, why not give it a new lease on life? Beyond Good & Evil is a perfect example of the benefits of HD remakes. The game did well critically but underperformed at retail on release. It then steadily garnered a reputation as a game that should have been huge but wasn't. It had a stellar rep but Ubisoft didn't see the returns on its quality. An HD re-release is the perfect way to give it another chance, and see if people who missed it the first time around - but had heard about its inherent quality - would put their money where their mouths were.

Where the argument falls down is games with a terrible HD port. It's not actually that simple to take a standard def game and make it look good in high definition. Publishers still need to allocate the time and resources to do it right, and if they don't, it ceases to be a loving re-release and becomes exactly what you're talking about - a grab for cash and a slap in the face for the legacy of the game or series in question. Spending the time re-working the textures, getting the tech right for consistent (or higher) frame rates and going over every element with a critical eye is key.

These titles should be a way for publishers to offer great value for classic gameplay with some (relatively) modern presentation. The God of War Collection and MGS HD releases are examples of HD remakes done right. The Silent Hill HD Collection, on the other hand, SHOULD offer a wealth of gameplay for a very reasonable price, but falls down technically. Sure, everything's in HD, but it’s been executed without sensitivity to the artistry that gave the original games so much atmosphere.

Adam: The God of War Collection might have been done right, but the rabbit hole inevitably leads to the question of ‘why’ these games are really here to begin with? Maybe I’ve become jaded, but I can't ignore the feeling that the principal reason for all these games is to simply fulfil the bottom line. Beyond Good & Evil wasn't given a HD treatment to share the love, but because somewhere, a sequel is in the works. The Silent Hill Collection wasn't an inspired choice that failed at the finish line; it was picked from the stables because Downpour was steadily waiting in the wings.

Ultimately, I know people are willing to buy into the HD hysteria. The sales and number of titles on the horizons proves that. It’s a reality that I understand and am growing to accept. I just refuse to believe that it's all under the guise of celebrating our past and indulging in classic gaming nostalgia for the future generations of gamers. This isn't nostalgia, nor is it the remixed approach we initially discussed. No, this is by-the-books marketing, pure and simple. Even when that might not be the case though, it remains superfluous. Do we really need Zone of the Enders again, for example?

Frankly, it looks like an HD re-release that wasn't all it should have been.

Cam: I'm sure there are quite a few Zone of the Enders fans out there who are absolutely looking forward to that release. And so what if it's marketing? Gaming is a business and almost every decision that gets made is filtered through a series of checks to ensure it either makes money or serves the publisher's interests. Do you think Microsoft greenlit Halo 4 because the company heads have a burning desire to tell more of Master Chief's story? Of course not. That doesn't mean Halo 4 won't be awesome though. It also doesn't mean that HD remakes are nothing but a cash-in. They can be good business, good marketing and good for gamers all at once. Why not bring the Silent Hill games back to build awareness of the new title waiting in the wings? Makes sense to me. As I said earlier, though, the issue is whether they're done well. If they've just been dashed out with as little effort as possible, then I'm with you - they are a cynical marketing and money-making exercise. If they're done well then I have no problem with HD re-releases whatsoever.

Case in point, I reviewed the Ratchet & Clank Trilogy for IGN recently, and had an absolute blast. The gameplay still absolutely stands up, and even though they looked fantastic first time around - and ran at 60fps - I loved playing through them at 1080p. Certainly preferable to simply playing them on PS2. And you know what? It was a great excuse for me to really immerse myself in a classic PS2 franchise that I hadn't really played that thoroughly first time around. I'd already played the Future titles, so this release couldn't have been any more perfect for me. Plus, PS3 faithful get trophy support and those that like playing in 3D can also do that (not that I'd recommend it - the frame rate drops to 30fps and the resolution to 720p). Point is - what harm does bringing Ratchet & Clank back do? It's not like Insomniac worked on this port at the expense of another project - it was handled by another team entirely (Idol Minds). We don't miss out on other games as a result of HD remakes. Final thoughts dude? Have I won you over with my relentless logic?

A re-release done right.

Adam: You may belittle my points, but you will never take my freedom!

Look, if publishers push out HD remakes like Ratchet & Clank that don’t detract from original projects and are handled delicately, I’ll wave my white flag in the air. But the reality is that so many aren’t given the same level of love and care. The Splinter Cell Classic Trilogy was labelled “A slapdash production,” while Resident Evil 4 HD was marred because “Upscaled graphics actually make the environments look worse than they did before” – both comments from this very site.

The Devil May Cry HD Collection may have been another not-so-great re-release, yet DmC on the other hand remains an approach I’m much more interested in. I’ll probably never play the original trilogy in HD, but Ninja Theory’s reboot I’ll surely give a crack. Why? Because it’s an attempt at simultaneously creating a fresh experience for current gamers as well as fans of the series.

Simply put though, don’t hide under the misguided pretence of gaming nostalgia and I’ll be happy. Besides, let’s face it; there may very well be eager Zone of The Enders fans, but I’m also sure there are those counting down the days for Naughty Bear 2. That doesn’t mean it’s necessary.

But hey, enough from us - what do you all think? Hit us with your thoughts below.

Cam Shea is IGN Australia's Senior Editor. You can follow him on IGN here, and join the IGN AU Facebook community here. Adam Guetti is an Aussie freelance games journalist.

Source : ign[dot]com

Beyond: Two Souls' Emotional Sucker Punch

Of Sony’s shooting stars at this year’s E3, Beyond: Two Souls is soaring towards the most ambitious goal: to deliver an emotionally-gripping interactive drama around death. Sony is clearly listening with great intent when Creative Director David Cage says innovation in video game narrative is something “the industry desperately needs.”

Cage has always been a somewhat peerless believer in the narrative power of the medium, but Beyond marks bold territory, even for a guy whose last game featured self-mutilation via quick-time-event. This is a deeply personal project for Cage, sparked by the death of a close family member and a subsequent lack of solace found in traditional religion. The game – centered around 15 years of the life of 'Jodie’ and her relationship with temperamental spirit companion ‘Aiden’ - is a result of his disillusionment and a creative outlet where he could fashion his own ideas about the afterlife.

As one would expect from a central relationship on which to hang such heavy themes, Jodie and Aiden’s relationship is complex and deliberately ambiguous. While we can make assumptions about Aiden’s identity and how he fits into the broader conversation, Cage is not explicit on his character, confirming only that he’s “the person Jodie loves the most and hates the most in the world.”

“He’s much more like a wild animal, you never know what to expect from him. He doesn’t understand the rules in our world. He doesn’t have the same references; he doesn’t understand morals at all. So he’s very possessive with Jodie and wants to keep her for himself, without understanding that this is not what she wants.”

Ethereal link notwithstanding, the pair share an emotional co-dependency.

“Depending on what happens to her in the story, Jodie will sometimes feel really close to Aiden, because he’s the only one who’s always there for her. But at the same time, he’s the only one preventing her from having a normal life.”

Cage has written the entire script himself, and the process took him a year. Like Heavy Rain, Beyond is a rare example of authorship in the blockbuster video game space with very few ‘auteurs.’ With mind to the enormity of the Quantic team, Cage suggests the production cycle would be thrown jarringly out of sync if he were to approach the narrative with more fluidity. The script is the backbone of Beyond, and that backbone was fashioned by Cage.

As one would hope, his vision is shared by many, including actress Ellen Page, whose performance drives Jodie. The demo presented at Sony’s conference, while subdued, was a very pointed example of the power of Quantic’s tech and the power of Page, who spends most of it emoting only through facial expression. Cage is putting a lot of stock in the subtleties of his cast’s performances, going so far as to capture six actors on a sound-stage at once.

Cage is more than confident that this intense focus on performance will deliver the necessary emotional clout. “(Playing it) will be like a punch to the face.”

Taken out of context, Cage’s words could be interpreted as egotistical, his steadfast grip on the project bull-headed. Yet his enthusiasm is anything but; bordering on childlike, his words tend to pour out of him like a shaken bottle of champagne. His utter faith in the video game medium itself is charming.

“In a movie, you’re just passive; you’re just watching a story that is told to you,” says Cage. “But in games, I saw that you could be the main protagonist, you could be in the shoes of the hero, and make the decisions. 15 years ago I saw it had become a very creative medium where you could create experiences like no other medium before.

So I worked on these (sorts of experiences) for 15 years, and I thought the rest of the industry would follow the same path very quickly. But actually, the industry’s stayed focused on shooters and more physical and violent experiences versus what I’d hope for.”

His cinematic approach is not without its detractors.  Unapologetically scripted, and with that Heavy Rain-esque quick-time-event-driven control scheme, Beyond raises familiar questions around the shaky balance of power between the player and Cage’s sleight of hand choreography. The E3 behind closed doors demo, though impressive overall, has already brought up concerns over the arbitrary implementation of gameplay mechanics.

Undeniably, Cage is still dancing like a gleeful madman along that line between movie and game. While his ability to present us with captivating and unique scenarios knows no bounds, he is still tied to interactivity and our expectations of it. It could be that those Heavy Rain players who found that critical fourth wall was shattered by the insistence on quick-time-controlled menial tasks, or those who lost interest after the branching narrative grew too convoluted, might have similar issues here. Cage’s interactive dramas are still video games, and by his own admission, the biggest challenge is to make people forget this.

“The second you forget you are sitting on a couch with a controller in your hands watching television, the second you forget about that, means we succeeded in creating this experience,” says Cage.  “You just need to forget where you are, and this is a program moving pixels on the screen, you need to see characters and situations on the screen. That’s the biggest challenge.”

But it's difficult to chastise before we're let in on Beyond: Two Souls' grand secrets. It's currently shaping up to be another remarkable experiment in pushing narrative boundaries, and by far one of the most intriguing games to come out of a sequel-studded E3.  Cage’s belief in risk-taking should be enough to pay attention to his projects, because he’s making them – not for the fortune or the glory - but for us.

“The thing is about the industry, there are many games that look the same today, if you go on the show floor at E3, you'll see many games about aliens, about monsters, about shooting. Sometimes you’ll even think they have the same art director because they look the same. And that’s fine, there's a market for that.

But at the same time I wish there were more options for gamers. I think it’s a mistake to limit ourselves to a certain audience, when we could reach everybody. Not everybody’s interested in shooting. I wish more people would be allowed to take risks, and try new things and new ideas, because new ideas are what this industry desperately needs. I mean, how many shooters can you make?"

Lucy O'Brien is Assistant Editor at IGN AU. You should talk to her about games, horror movies and the TV show Freaks & Geeks on IGN here or find her and the rest of the Australian team by joining the IGN Australia Facebook community.

Source : ign[dot]com

Amazing Spider-Man Opens Hot Overseas

Sony's 3D reboot The Amazing Spider-Man is off to a good start overseas, where it debuted in select international markets before its domestic opening July 3.

Deadline reports that Spidey grossed an estimated $50.2 million in its international bow, performing particularly strong across Asia and the South Pacific. In India, the Marc Webb-directed film reportedly "grossed $6.0M on 1,236 screens, the biggest opening ever for a Hollywood film, 74% bigger than Spider-Man 3, 73% more than Avengers, and more than double the lifetime box office of The Dark Knight."

Spidey also bowed strongly in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Holland.

Source : ign[dot]com

Comic-Con: Doctor Who Panel Will Say Farewell to the Ponds

While most of the big TV panels coming to San Diego Comic-Con were already announced, the release of the full Sunday schedule today did reveal one big panel previously only speculated about by fans – Doctor Who.

Yep, The Doctor is coming back to San Diego, as star Matt Smith and executive producers Steven Moffat and Caroline Skinner will take part in a panel to discuss the series, along with debuting new footage. They’ll be joined by Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill, who have finished filming their final episodes on the series, as their characters, Amy and Rory, are leaving in the coming season. No doubt that impending departure will be a big topic of conversation, along with info on the Doctor’s new companion.

The Doctor Who panel takes place from 1:30pm-2:30pm in Hall H on Sunday, July 15th.

Source : ign[dot]com

The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes - "Prisoner of War" Review

Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow.

The Avengers lineup highlighted in the title sequence became more pitiful than ever this week, as the team is down to two active members and a Skrull impostor. But "Prisoner of War" didn't concern itself much with Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Instead, this episode showed us what became of Captain America after being kidnapped by the Skrulls at the end of Season 1. But the Skrulls learned what Hydra and the Nazis did before them - Steve Rogers is a hard man to break.

The early portion of the episode focused on the attempts of the Skrulls to break Captain America's will, and by extension, learn how best to subjugate humanity. But Cap routinely proved that there's more to him than enhanced strength and a patriotic costume. He had plenty of moments to shine as he resisted the Skrulls' (mostly off-camera) attempts to torture him. One area of disappointment, however, was the Skrulls botched attempt to trick Cap with the staged Avengers rescue. Yes, it was cool to see Cap wipe the floor with Iron Man, Hulk, and Thor. But this scene could have worked better if Cap were at least momentary fooled and showed some evidence of his two months of emotional strain.

Things picked up from there as Cap escaped and began leading a Hogan’s Heroes-style prison breakout. The appeal however, was in seeing the eclectic bunch of heroes and villains at his side. A.I.M., Hydra, and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents fighting alongside superheroes? War makes strange bedfellows, indeed. Easily the strongest material here was the tense but palpable bond between Cap and Viper. The episode did a great job of humanizing the Hydra villainess (even revealing her facial scars in a rare lapse in vanity), without diminishing her deadly aura. I hope we continue to see this relationship develop as the Skrull invasion unfolds.

The episode culminated in a battle between Rogers’ Heroes and Kl’rt, the original Super-Skrull. I’m glad the show took the time to showcase the villain before Super-Skrulls of all types and combinations become as commonplace as they surely will in the next couple episodes. And while Cap using a random piece of debris as a de facto shield was about as silly and on the nose as it is every time it happens in the comics, the fight further cemented the bond between him and Viper. I only wish Invisible Woman could have been put to better use rather than spending 95% of the episode unconscious.

“Prisoners of War” didn’t introduce as many new faces as the last few chapters, which at this point is a good thing. But we did get a nice little Galactus cameo and the first appearance of Henry Peter Gyrich as Director of S.W.O.R.D. Why the writers chose Gyrich for the role instead of Agent Brand from the comics is unclear, but maybe Viper maxed out the quota on angry, green-haired women. I also suspect Gyrich’s emergence will play into the Dell Rusk conspiracy introduced last week.

All in all, this episode was a memorable start to the Skrull invasion conflict, one that will continue to play out for several more chapters. Despite having its fair share of action, “Prisoner of War” also offered some surprisingly effective character work. We’ll see if the Skrulls have any better luck next week when they begin their invasion of Wakanda (not bloody likely).

Jesse is a writer for IGN Comics and various other IGN channels. Follow Jesse on Twitter, or find him on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

TV Shows Coming to Comic-Con 2012

Update (7/1): And here it is, with the full Comic-Con schedule now revealed, we have the complete list of TV series -- plus webseries! -- coming to SDCC this year! The big addition on Sunday is Doctor Who, while we also have updated time/location info for Fringe, DC Nation, The Cleveland Show and more.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 11th:

6:00pm-9:45pm Pilot screenings for 666 Park Avenue, Arrow, The Following, Revolution, Cult (Ballroom 20)

THURSDAY, JULY 12th:

11am-12pm T.U.F.F. Puppy / The Fairly OddParents (Room 7AB) Panelists: Butch Hartman, Jerry Trainor, Grey DeLisle, Daran Norris, Tara Strong, Susanne Blakeslee, Matthew Taylor, Carlos Alazraqui

11am-12pm X-Play (Room 25ABC) Panelists: Morgan Webb, Blair Herter, Kristin Adams, Wade Beckett

12:00pm-1:00pm Dreamworks Dragons: Riders of Berk (Room 6A) Panelists: TBA

12:45pm-1:45pm MAD (Room 6DE) Panelists: Kevin Shinick, Mark Marek

2pm-3pm Power Rangers (Hilton Bayfront, Indigo Ballroom) Panelists: Elie Dekel, Paul Schrier, Tony Oliver, Brian Ward (moderator)

2:15pm-3:15pm PSYCH (Ballroom 20) Panelists: James Roday, Dule Hill, Corbin Bernsen, Maggie Lawson, Timothy Omundson and Kirsten Nelson

2:30pm-3:30pm Teen Wolf (Room 6A) Panelists: Tyler Posey, Dylan O'Brien, Crystal Reed, Tyler Hoechlin, Holland Roden and Colton Haynes, Jeff Davis

3:30pm-4:35pm Beauty and the Beast (Ballroom 20) Panelists: Kristin Kreuk, Jay Ryan; Jennifer Levin, Sherri Cooper, Brian Peterson, Kelly Souders

4pm-5pm How Stuff Works (Room 5AB) Panelists: Josh Clark , Chuck Bryant

4pm-5pm Wilfred (Hilton Bayfront, Indigo Ballroom) Panelists: Elijah Wood, Jason Gann, Fiona Gubelmann, Dorian Brown, David Zuckerman, Randall Einhorn

4:40pm-5:45pm Elementary (Ballroom 20) Panelists: Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu, Robert Doherty, Carl Beverly

5:00pm-6:00pm Archer (Hilton Bayfront, Indigo Ballroom) Panelists: Adam Reed, H. Jon Benjamin, Aisha Tyler, Chris Parnell, Judy Greer, Amber Nash

6pm-7pm Nikita (Room 6BCF) Panelists: Maggie Q, Shane West, Lyndsy Fonseca, Craig Silverstein

6:00pm-7:15pm Dexter Ballroom 20 Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, Yvonne Strahovski, John Goldwyn, Sara Colleton, Scott Buck.

6:30pm-7:30pm Workaholics (Room 24ABC) Panelists: Blake Anderson, Adam Devine, Anders Holm, and Kyle Newacheck

8:30pm-9:30pm Holliston Panelists: Adam Green, Joe Lynch, Corri English, Laura Ortiz, Oderus Urungus

FRIDAY, JULY 13th:

10am-11am Community (Ballroom 20) Panelists: Joel McHale, Alison Brie, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, Gillian Jacobs

10am-11am: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (Room 23ABC) Panelists: TBA

10:15am-11:15am Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Room 6BCF) Panelists: Jason Biggs, Sean Astin, Greg Cipes, Rob Paulsen, Ciro Nieli

10:30am-11:30am Dan Vs. (Room 6A) Panelists: Curtis Armstrong, Dave Foley, Paget Brewster, Chris Pearson, Dan Mandel, Brian Sheesley, Tom Kenny (moderator)

11am-11:45am The Venture Bros (Hilton Bayfront, Indigo Ballroom) Panelists: Jackson Publick, Doc Hammer

11:15am-12:15pm The Legend of Korra (Ballroom 20) Panelists: Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, Joaquim Dos Santos, Janet Varney, David Faustino, P.J. Byrne, Seychelle Gabriel, Andrea Romano

11:30am-12:30pm Cult (Room Room 6BCF) Panelists: Matt Davis, Jessica Lucas, Alona Tal, Robert Knepper, Rockne S. O’Bannon

11:45am-12:45pm Annoying Orange (Room 6A) Panelists: Dane Boedigheimer, Toby Turner

12pm-12:45pm NTSF:SD:SUV (Hilton Bayfront, Indigo Ballroom) Panelists: Paul Scheer, Jonathan Stern, Curtis Gwinn, Martin Starr, Rebecca Romijn, Brandon Johnson, June Diane Raphael, Rob Corddry (moderater)

12:05-1:05 The Big Bang Theory (Hall H) Panelists: TBA

1:00pm-2:00pm Regular Show (Room 6A) Panelists: JG Quintel, Bill Salyers, Sam Marin

12:30pm-1:30pm Firefly (Ballroom 20) Panelists: Joss Whedon, Tim Minear, Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk, Adam Baldwin, Sean Maher, Michael Fairman, Summer Glau, Morena Baccarin, Gina Torres

12:45pm-1:45pm 666 Park Avenue (Room 6BCF) Panelists: Terry O’Quinn, Rachael Taylor, Dave Annable, David Wilcox, Matthew Miller

1pm-1:45pm Childrens Hospital (Hilton Bayfront, Indigo Ballroom) Panelists: Rob Corddry, Jonathan Stern, Lake Bell, Erinn Hayes, Rob Huebel, Megan Mullally, Henry Winkler, Ken Marino

1:25pm-2:25 The Walking Dead (Hall H) Panelists: Andrew Lincoln, Sarah Wayne Callies, Laurie Holden, Norman Reedus, Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohan, Danai Gurira, David Morrisey, Glen Mazzara, Gale Anne Hurd, Robert Kirkman, Greg Nicotero, Chris Hardwick (moderator)

1:45pm-2:45pm Bones (Ballroom 20) Panelists: Hart Hanson, Stephen Nathan, David Boreanaz, Emily Deschanel

2pm-2:45pm Aqua Something You Know Whatever / Squidbillies (Hilton Bayfront, Indigo Ballroom) Panelists: Dave Willis, Jim Fortier, Matt Maiellaro

2:15pm-3:15pm Tron: Uprising (Room 6A) Panelists: Elijah Wood, Bruce Boxleitner, Charlie Bean, Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Tricia Helfer

2:45pm-3:45pm Game of Thrones (Hall H) Panelists: Alfie Allen, Emilia Clarke, Michelle Fairley, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Richard Madden, Carolyn Strauss, George R. R. Martin (moderator)

2:30pm-3:15pm American Dad (Ballroom 20) Panelists: Seth MacFarlane, Wendy Schaal, Scott Grimes, Rachael MacFarlane, Dee Bradley Baker, Mike Barker, Matt Weitzman

3:00pm-4:00pm Arrow (Ballroom 20) Panelists: Stephen Amell, Katie Cassidy, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg, David Nutter

3pm-3:45pm Robot Chicken / Robot Chicken DC Comics Special (Hilton Bayfront, Indigo Ballroom) Panelists: Seth Green, Matthew Senreich, Tom Root, Matthew Beans, Breckin Meyer, Geoff Johns

3:00pm-4:00pm Monster High (Room 24ABC) Panelists: Garrett Sander, Rebecca Shipman, Natalie Villegas, Eric Hardie, Ira Singerman, Debi Derryberry, Erin Fitzgerald

3:30pm-4:30pm Disney Channel Television Animation (Room 5AB) Maxwell Atoms, Justin Roiland, Kari Wahlgren, Alex Hirsch, Michael Rianda, Jason Morgan Ritter, Craig McCracken, Lauren Faust.

4pm-4:45pm Black Dynamite (Hilton Bayfront, Indigo Ballroom) Panelists: Carl Jones, Michael Jai White, Tommy Davidson, Kym Whitley, Byron Minns,Debra Wilson, Orlando Jones, Cedric Yarbourgh, Gary Anthony Williams (moderator)

4:00pm-5:00pm Bob's Burgers (Room 25ABC) Panelists: Loren Bouchard, Jim Dauterive, H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman, Kristen Schaal

4:30pm-5:30pm Falling Skies (Room 6BCF) Panelists: Noah Wyle, Moon Bloodgood, Will Patton, Drew Roy, Connor Jessup, Colin Cunningham, Sarah Carter, Remi Aubuchon, Wil Wheaton (moderator)

5:45pm-6:45pm Spartacus: War of the Damned (Room 6BCF) Panelists: Liam McIntyre, Manu Bennett, Steven DeKnight

6:00pm-7:00pm Optimus Prime: Up Close and Personal (Transformers Prime) (Room 23ABC) Peter Cullen, Larry King (moderator)

6:00pm-7:00pm Brickleberry (Room 6A) Panelists: Waco O’Guin, Roger Black, Daniel Tosh, David Herman, Tom Kenny, Jerry Minor, Kaitlin Olson

6:45pm-7:45pm Breaking Bad (Ballroom 20) Panelists: Vince Gilligan, Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, RJ Mitte, Jonathan Banks

6:45pm-7:45pm Defiance (Room 6DE) Panelists: Grant Bowler, Julie Benz, Tony Curran, Jamie Murray, Kevin Murphy, Nick Beliaeff, Rob Hill, Mark Stern

7:00pm-8:00pm Kaijudo (Room 24ABC) Panelists: Scott Wolf, David Sobolov, Phil LaMarr

7:15pm-8:15pm Dark Matters: Twisted But True (Room 6A) Panelists: John Noble

8:00pm-9:00pm The Aquabats! Super Show! (Room 7AB) Panelists: Ricky Fitness, Jimmy the Robot, Crash McLarson, EagleBones Falconhawk, and The M.C. Bat Commander

8:00pm-9:00pm Strike Back (Room 6DE) Panelists: Sullivan Stapleton, Philip Winchester, Rhona Mitra

SATURDAY, JULY 14:

10:00am-10:45am Warehouse 13 (Ballroom 20) Panelists: Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly, Saul Rubinek, Allison Scagliotti, Jack Kenny

10am-11am Attack of the Show! (Hilton Bayfront, Indigo Ballroom) Panelists: Candace Bailey, Sara Underwood, Matt Mira, Blair Butler, Vinny Rutherford, Joshua Brentano

10:30am-11:30am Marvel Television Presents (Room 6BCF) Panelists: Jeph Loeb

11am-11:45am Once Upon a Time (Ballroom 20) Panelists: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parrilla, Josh Dallas, Meghan Ory, Emilie de Ravin, Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz

11:15am-12:15pm Adventure Time (Room 6A) Panelists: Pendleton Ward, Jeremy Shada, Tom Kenny

12:00pm-12:45pm Futurama (Ballroom 20) Panelists: Matt Groening, David X. Cohen, Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche

12:30pm-1:30pm Phineas and Ferb (Room 6A) Dan Povenmire, Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, Vincent Martella, Alyson Stoner, Dee Bradley Baker

12:45pm-1:30pm The Simpsons (Ballroom 20) Panelists: David Mirkin (moderator), Matt Groening, Al Jean, Mike Anderson, Yeardley Smith

1:45pm-2:30pm Family Guy (Ballroom 20) Panelists: Seth MacFarlane, Alex Bornstein, Mila Kunis, Seth Green, Mark Hentemann, Steve Callaghan

2:00pm-3:00pm Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Room 6DE) Panelists: Dave Filoni, Matt Michnovetz

3:00pm-4:00pm Grimm (Room 6A) Panelists: David Giuntoli, Russell Hornsby, Bitsie Tulloch, Silas Weir Mitchell Reggie Lee, Sasha Roiz, Bree Turner., David Greenwalt, Norberto Barba, Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner

3L00pm-4:00pm Being Human (Hilton Bayfront, Indigo Ballroom) Panelists: Sam Witwer, Meaghan Rath, Sam Huntington, Anna Fricke

3:30pm-4:30pm Disney Channel Television Animation (Room 5AB) Maxwell Atoms, Justin Roiland, Kari Wahlgren, Alex Hirsch, Michael Rianda, Jason Morgan Ritter, Craig McCracken, Lauren Faust.

3:30pm-4:15pm The Vampire Diaries (Ballroom 20) Panelists: Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Michael Trevino, Zach Roerig, Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec

4:00pm-5:00pm The Following (Room 6BCF) Panelists: Kevin Bacon, James Purefoy, Kevin Williamson, Marcos Siega

4pm-5pm Shameless (Hilton Bayfront Indigo Room) Panelists: William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum, Justin Chatwin, Jeremy Allen White, John Wells, Mike O’Malley (moderator)

4:30pm-5:15pm True Blood (Ballroom 20) Panelists: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Alan Ball, Ryan Kwanten, Rutina Wesley, Nelsan Ellis, Deborah Ann Woll, Kristin Bauer van Straten, Joe Manganiello. Chris Meloni

5:15pm-6:00pm Person of Interest (Room 6BCF) Panelists: Jim Caviezel, Michael Emerson, Taraji P. Henson, Kevin Chapman, Jonathan Nolan, Greg Plageman

5:45pm-6:45pm Metal Hurlant Chronicles (Room 6DE) Guillaume Lubrano, Michael Jai White, James Marsters, Darren Shahlavi, Larnell Stovall, Jesper Kyd

6pm-7pm Glee (Hilton Bayfront Indigo Room) Panelists: Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Darren Criss, Kevin McHale, Jenna Ushkowitz, Naya Rivera and Executive Producer Brad Falchuk

6:00pm-7:00pm Revolution (Room 6BCF) Panelists: Billy Burke, Giancarlo Esposito, Tracy Spiridakos, Eric Kripke, Jon Favreau

7:15-8:15 Mythbusters (Room 6BCF) Panelists: Adam Savage, Jamie Hyneman, Tory Belleci, Grant Imahara, Kari Byron

7:15pm-9:15pm Kevin Smith / Comic Book Men (Hall H) Panelists: Kevin Smith

8:15pm-9:15pm Lost Girl (Room 6BCF) Panelists: Anna Silk, Kris Holden-Ried, Ksenia Solo, Jay Firestone, Emily Andras

SUNDAY, JULY 15:

10:00am-11:00pm Fringe (Hall H) Panelists: Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, Lance Reddick, Blair Brown, Jasika Nicole, John Noble, J.H. Wyman

10:15am-11:15am Level Up(Room 6A) Panelists: Peter Murrieta, Gaelan Connell, Connor del Rio, Jessie T. Usher, Aimee Carrero, Lonny Ross, David Schneiderman, Derek Guiley

10:30am-11:30am Merlin (Room 6BCF) Panelists: Colin Morgan, Katie McGrath, Johnny Capps, Julian Murphy

11:15am-12:15pm Supernatural (Hall H) Panelists: Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Misha Collins, Jim Beaver, Mark A. Sheppard, Jeremy Carver, Ben Edlund

12:00pm-1:00pm Jane Espenson/Husbands (Room 7AB) Panelists: Jane Espenson, Brad Bell, Sean Hemeon, Jeff Greenstein

12:30pm-1:30pm Doctor Who (Hall H) Panelists: Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, Steven Moffat, Caroline Skinner

1:00pm-2:00pm DC Nation (Room 6BCF) Panelists: Glen Murakami, Mitch Watson, Michael Jelenic, Aaron Horvath, Jeff Prezenkowski,

1:45pm-2:45pm Ben 10: Omniverse (Room 6DE) Panelists: Yuri Lowenthal, more TBA

1:45pm-2:45pm The Cleveland Show (Hall H) Panelists: Seth MacFarlane, Mike Henry, Sanaa Lathan, Kevin Michael Richardson, Reagan Gomez, Rich Appel

2:15pm-3:15pm SpongeBob SquarePants (Room 6A) Panelists: Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke , Mr. Lawrence, Vince Waller, Seamus Walsh, Mark Caballero

2:45pm-3:45pm Sons of Anarchy (Hall H) Panelists: Kurt Sutter, Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal, Ron Perlman, Maggie Siff, Kim Coates, Mark Boone Junior, Tommy Flanagan, Theo Rossi, Ryan Hurst, Dayton Callie

Source : ign[dot]com

Ted Breaks Records at Box Office

We have a new champ for the highest-grossing opening for a non-sequel, R-rated comedy (yes, this is really how Hollywood does things). Seth MacFarlane's Ted performed way beyond box office expectations to finish in first place this weekend with $54.1 million. The previous record holder was The Hangover with $45 million.

Steven Soderbergh's Magic Mike was another R-rated overperformer this weekend, debuting in second place while Pixar's Brave, last weekend's champ, dropped to third place. This was also the weekend The Avengers dropped out of the Top 10.

Here are the weekend estimates via Rentrak:

1. Ted $54,107,495

2. Magic Mike $39,155,000

3. Brave $34,011,000

4. Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection $26,350,000

5. Madagascar 3 $11,815,000

6. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter $6,000,000

7. Prometheus $4,925,000

8. Moonrise Kingdom $4,872,878

9. Snow White and The Huntsman $4,405,245

10. People Like Us $4,306,000

Check out last week's Keepin' It Reel podcast to see how we fared with our box office predictions!

Source : ign[dot]com