Assassin's Creed Returns to Comics

I think we can all agree it’s difficult to find good comics based on video game properties. It’s like picking a needle out of a haystack. That’s why 2010’s Assassin’s Creed: The Fall stuck out like the best kind of sore thumb. Written and drawn by Cameron Stewart and Karl Kerschl, Assassin’s Creed: The Fall was a fantastic offshoot from the main Assassin’s Creed mythology, catering to both longtime AC fans and newcomers alike.

Now the duo is back to continue the stories of Daniel Cross and Nikolai Orelov in Assassin’s Creed: The Chain. We caught up with Stewart and Kerschl to chat about their goals with the new book and find out what’s so enticing about working in the AC universe.

IGN Comics: Let me start by saying that I was floored when a sequel to Assassin’s Creed: The Fall was announced; I was a huge fan of that first book. So how soon after its release was it decided that there would be a sequel?

Karl Kerschl: When The Fall was finalized, we didn't have any intention of going back to this story and these characters. We felt like we had told the story we wanted to tell with them and were ready to move on and explore another period in the Assassin's Creed mythos. Ubisoft really wanted to do a follow-up to The Fall though, and after a short meeting with the writers and producers of AC, they basically told us to think about it; if we come up with a story worth telling then we'll go ahead, otherwise we'd explore something new. On our way back from the meeting (about a 5 minute walk from their offices to our studio in Montreal) we came up with an idea that got us excited and gave them a call back right away letting them know we were in.

IGN: Okay, that kind of answers my next question, then. So it was Ubi pushing for a follow-up to this specific story, not the other way around?

Cameron Stewart: We had always discussed the potential of several volumes right from the planning stages of The Fall, but it was shortly after The Fall was completed that we were asked by Ubisoft to come up with an idea for a follow-up. With the introduction of Daniel Cross and Nikolai Orelov into the AC universe, Ubisoft was keen for us to expand and deepen those characters.

IGN: Assassin’s Creed: The Fall was published under DC’s Wildstorm banner, which unfortunately is no longer around. So who will be publishing The Chain?

Stewart: Although initially published by DC Comics in monthly issues, Ubisoft publishes both The Chain and the deluxe collected edition of The Fall in-house, through their Ubi Workshop department. 

IGN: What I love about both The Chain and The Fall before it is that they don’t require prior knowledge of the Assassin’s Creed franchise to be enjoyed. If you have it, you’ll have more context going into these stories, but it’s not essential. Is that something that was important to maintain with The Chain, keeping it new-reader friendly?

“

I hate seeing comics that are impenetrable to audiences not already exhaustively familiar with past continuity...

Stewart: I hate seeing comics that are impenetrable to audiences not already exhaustively familiar with past continuity, so it was important to us to make the books accessible to readers new to the Assassin's Creed universe. Much of Karl's and my existing readership comes from outside the gaming world so we wanted to be able to have a book that would appeal to them as well as long-time Assassin's Creed fans, and also act as an entry point to the game series. Obviously the experience is richer if you are a fan of the games, but new readers should have no problem picking it up and understanding the story. We tried to include everything you need to know.

IGN: Both Daniel Cross and Nikolai Orelov return for The Chain and have interesting character arcs in the story. They might share the same ancestry, but they represent two very different sides of the same coin – the idea of being alone versus being surrounded by family seems to be the main theme at play here. Was this something you really wanted to explore with this sequel? Do you feel this is the distinguishing factor between the Templar and Assassin orders in the Assassin’s Creed universe?

Stewart: We invert the positions of Cross and Orelov -- in The Fall, Daniel is very much the outsider, and Orelov is with his "family" of the Brotherhood, but by the time the events of The Chain occur, Orelov has both lost his family and estranged himself from the Order of Assassins, and Daniel is no longer alone, allowing himself to be drawn closer to his kindred. We also had fun subverting the audience's perceptions of both the Assassins and the Templars, and readers might find their sympathies shifting.

IGN: Much like with The Fall, The Chain is a gorgeous looking book from top to bottom. Both of you guys are credited with the book’s art, so could you maybe detail the process of how you divvied up art duties?

Stewart: As with The Fall, we didn't split the art duties in the traditional method of penciller and inker - Karl and I worked on the pages collaboratively.  Both of us would choose scenes we were interested in drawing or suited to our individual strengths, and then in many cases handed them off to the other for polishing. For example, Karl might lay out a page, which I would then draw finished art over, and then he might go back in and refine parts of  it.

IGN: Without going into spoilers, I thought the book’s somber ending was an interesting choice. Instead of ending with a knock-down-drag-out brawl, you wrap things up with a quiet moment in a church. What was the thought process to ending the book in this fashion?

Kerschl: Daniel's connection to Nikolai Orelov is concluded in this story, for better or worse, and since they never physically meet we wanted to do the next best thing by giving Daniel a quiet moment with his closest actual living relative.

IGN: Should readers expect any connections to the much-anticipated Assassin’s Creed III with The Chain?

Stewart: I'm not sure what we can reveal, but there is definitely a link, which was planned in close collaboration with the AC3 team, and we expect that fans who play the game will be very interested in going back and reading The Fall and The Chain.

IGN: If you guys have the time and motivation to do more stories set in the Assassin’s Creed universe, would you jump at the chance?

Stewart: It's very fun to contribute to this universe and with such a huge archive of history to draw from, new stories will continue to feel fresh and exciting for us to explore, so I'm sure we'll be on board for a while.

Assassin's Creed: The Chain is currently available for pre-order from Ubi Workshop and is scheduled to ship late Summer 2012.

Erik is a writer for IGN's Comics channel and co-host of the IGN Assemble! podcast. You can follow Erik on Twitter, or find him here at IGN. Fair warning: prepare for suspect shenanigans.

Source : ign[dot]com

PEGI Ratings Official on July 30th

The new PEGI age ratings system for video games goes live in the UK on July 30th.

Video games are currently monitored by two different regulatory bodies, with the BBFC doubling up on titles that contain mature content. But at the end of this month, PEGI will take full control of video game censorship in the UK.

Also for the very first time, PEGI ratings will be legally enforceable. This means disreputable retailers who sell games to minors will now face prosecution.

“We welcome the news from government that July 30th is now looking the likely date for the implementation of PEGI as the single age rating system for video games in the UK,” said UKIE CEO Jo Twist.

“To prepare for the transition to the new system, we’ve already held PEGI briefing sessions to make sure that the industry is clear about what these changes will mean for them.

“We very much believe that the sole adoption of PEGI will provide clear and consistent direction on age ratings for parents and will be a vital tool in helping them to understand the types of games that their children should be playing.”

Daniel is IGN's UK Games Writer. You can be part of the world's worst cult by following him on IGN and Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

Adventure Time Creator Dishes on the Season One DVD and More

Mathematical! Fans have been asking, and Warner Home Video and Cartoon Network have finally answered. Adventure Time: The Complete First Season will come to DVD this week (look for our review tomorrow).

In honor of this exciting release, we sat down with Adventure Time creator Pendleton (Pen) Ward to discuss what it takes for young prospective artists to break into the industry, the direction of the show, as well as Ward's amusing contribution to the DVD bonus features.

Before Ward was famous, he visited Simpsons creator Matt Groening to discuss what it took to make it in the animation industry. While Ward could not recall what transpired during that chat, he did offer some inspiration for young artists.

“My advice comes off as generic, but I think it's important advice – and that's to keep drawing.” Ward suggests. “I think if you persist, you keep drawing, you're already one step ahead of anybody who's quit. And that's probably the biggest challenge when you're learning, whether you're drawing, or really anything at all – is to keep doing it.”

Even in the show's early days, Pen Ward was always working hard at the series, attempting to craft a show that was not only fun and funny, but also refreshing and original.

“Every day I'm just focused on trying to keep the ideas fresh and interesting.” Ward states. “For example, I wanted to put a monkey in an episode, and one of the writers, Jesse Moynihan, told me not to. He thought it was jumping the shark, that is was just cheap humor. I told him, you're right, you're right. So we took it out.”

It's this sense of originality that's turned Adventure Time from a cult series into something of a phenomenon. But Ward isn't really phased by the show's new found mainstream stardom. “I don't have a real concept of it, honestly,” Ward said. “We just work on the show every day and keep doing it. But I see how much people really like it at Comic-Con, which is a lot of fun.”

Instead, Ward spends his time focused on the story. “We're always trying to top ourselves and make each episode better than the last,” Ward said. “We don't want to become stale.”

Ward is currently putting the finishing touches on season four, while also drafting episodes for the show's upcoming fifth season. While he remained mum on all the juicy details, he did offer hints as to what fans can expect. “In future episodes you'll get to see more of the history of Ooo.” Ward offers. “There's also a few more origin stories for some of the characters. There's going to be another Fiona Cake episode coming up, which features Marshall Lee more.”

In the meantime, fans can explore the various bonus features found on the season one DVD. One special feature was actually shot on Ward's own iPhone, using a handy $150 Steadicam unit. “I wanted to put something cool on the disc,” Ward explains. “I wanted to interview everybody and put it all in one shot. Then we decided to put animation on it.” The end results are nothing short of bizarrely humorous, with the featurette almost playing like a bonus episode of the show.

But the featurette isn't the only goodie Ward was excited about. Playing as sort of a complement to the “Mom-entary” from the Will Ferrell/Mark Wahlberg film, The Other Guys, Ward sought out another helper to add some flavor to the supplemental material. “There's a commentary from my mother with Polly Lou Livingston, who voices Tree Trunks,” Ward admits with a laugh. “It's pretty funny.”

Obviously, because this first season took quite a while to make its way to DVD, fans might be worried it'll be a few more years down the line before future seasons arrive, but Ward attempts to put those worries to rest. “I'm positive they'll be coming,” Ward assures. “I'll have to stay up and do some more special features, too.”

With the release of Seth MacFarlane's Ted in theaters, naturally the thought of doing something live action came up. Ward was fascinated by the idea of doing a feature-length movie. “I think it would be great.” Ward said. “I want to do a live-action movie with the Adventure Time characters, actually. That would be interesting.”

We certainly hope he gets the chance to do that in the near future. But, in the meantime, you can check out Adventure Time on Cartoon Network, or pick up the show on DVD or digital download.

"A long time ago, when I was a baby, I went boom boom on a leaf. Then I fell backwards and sat in my own boom boom and cried for a day, but no one came to help me. That day I vowed to help anyone in need, no matter how small their problem! And that's why I need to go." Follow R.L. Shaffer on Twitter, Facebook andMyIGN for quotes, rants, reviews, news and more!

Source : ign[dot]com

Kirkman: FPS Walking Dead "Would Be Pointless"

Last week, Activision announced its own take on the zombie-infested world created by Robert Kirkman. The Walking Dead Video Game is a first-person shooter based on the TV show scheduled for a 2013 release. The announcement caught many off guard as Telltale Games just put out the second  of five The Walking Dead: The Game episodes.

However, now the FPS announcement is odd for a different reason. Back in March, Kirkman was interviewed about the Telltale title and asked at the 1:47-mark why the game wasn't a first-person shooter.

“

But to do a Walking Dead game that's just that would be pointless.

"You can play Left 4 Dead," Kirkman said. "You can play Dead Rising. You can play Resident Evil -- those are all great games and I do that, and I think other people should do that. But to do a Walking Dead game that's just that would be pointless. I think that you would always be compared to that, and you'd either be better or you'd be worse -- but you'd be the same kind of game, and that's no fun."

Kirkman goes on to say that The Walking Dead isn't about shooting and killing, it's about the interaction between characters and their personal evolutions. "It has heart" and that's something Telltale is able to incorporate in the game.

"Which they wouldn't be able to do if it was just a run-and-gun, like 'I like to cut people up' kind of game, which again are great but that's not what Telltale does," he said. "And that's why they're doing The Walking Dead game."

IGN reached out to Kirkman's publicist for a comment from the author, but an email was not immediately returned. Of course, Kirkman was talking in broad strokes about the first-person shooter genre, so perhaps Activision and developer Terminal Reality came to Kirkman with an idea that broke the "run-and-gun" mold.

We'll find out as we learn more about The Walking Dead Video Game in the coming months.

Greg is the executive editor of IGN PlayStation, cohost of Podcast Beyond and host of Up at Noon. Follow IGN on Twitter, and keep track of Greg's shenanigans on IGN and Twitter. Beyond!

Source : ign[dot]com

First Look: The Hunger Games Bonus Features

In anticipation of the August 18, 2012 home video release of The Hunger Games (details here), Lionsgate and Summit Entertainment have unveiled a trailer for the disc's bonus features. Check it out:

Here's a breakdown of all the bonus features:

• The World is Watching: Making of The Hunger Games: An eight-part documentary covering the "making of" the film in all aspects from the pre-production process all the way through the theatrical release and fan reactions


• Game Maker: Suzanne Collins and The Hunger Games Phenomenom


• Letters from the Rose Garden featurette: Insights from Donald Sutherland on the development of his role as President Snow


• Controlling the Games: Stories and concepts behind creating the control center


• A Conversation with Gary Ross and Elvis Mitchell


• Propaganda Film (in its entirety)


• Marketing Archive


• Both the DVD and Blu-ray include a Digital Copy


• Preparing for The Games: A Director's Process (Blu-ray Exclusive)

Suggested retail for the Blu-ray is $39.99. You can pre-order the Blu-ray on Amazon for $22.96. The DVD suggested retail is $30.98. Amazon's pre-order price for the DVD is currently set at $18.96.

Stay tuned for more news, and look for a Blu-ray review of The Hunger Games in August!

"May the odds be ever in your favor." Become a friend of R.L. Shaffer on Twitter, Facebook or MyIGN for quotes, rants, reviews, news and more!

Source : ign[dot]com

Did Michael Bay Steal From David Fincher?

Check out the video below that compares early music videos directed by David Fincher with later ones directed by Michael Bay and then weigh in on the Comments if you think Bay ripped off Fincher's work:

Thanks to Vulture for the head's-up!

Source : ign[dot]com

Rambo Game Out This Year

The Rambo video game announced last year now has a title. It's called... Rambo: The Video Game. And it's due for release on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 sometime later this year.

The game's being produced by UK-based publisher Reef Entertainment. Speaking last year, CEO of Reef Entertainment Peter Rezon said, "I am a big fan of Sylvester Stallone movies, and when we had the opportunity to secure the video game rights from StudioCanal for the Rambo franchise, we had to grab it with both hands."

So why it's been so long since we've heard anything on the project?

Reef's marketing boss Craig Lewis explained: “We have been quiet since we acquired the Rambo license last August. During this time we have been dedicated to creating a videogame for consoles and PC that will allow Rambo fans and gamers across the globe to really get under the skin of Rambo and wield his iconic weapon-set in battle.”

Rambo: The Video Game will be shown off for the first time at Gamescom next month. In the meantime, check out the game's new artwork. Helicopters and explosions!

Daniel is IGN's UK Games Writer. You can be part of the world's worst cult by following him on IGN and Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

Did Uncharted 3 Change Too Much?

Video games often mean more to us than we realise or have the language to explain. Playing a franchise’s next instalment is filled with as much nervous anticipation as reading a new book from a favourite author or watching a film from a beloved director.

At the same time, video game technology is changing much faster than other media. The intervening time between two games often sees new techniques, technology and even new platforms on which developers can create their experiences. There is a danger of falling for the trap of bigger is always better.

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception introduced all sorts of changes. The amount of animation, number of polygons, environment interaction and player control were all significantly enhanced. Some of these, like the refined aiming, caused an instant reaction in the community. Other changes were more subtle; Elena’s new appearance and Nate’s penchant for touching door-frames have taken longer to process.

Naughty Dog Producer Richard Lemarchand talked us though these changes before his recent departure from the studio, starting with the visual differences in Uncharted 3’s main characters. “We made a huge number of improvements to our character modelling processes for Uncharted 3 – too many to list, really! The characters in our games are really important to us, of course, and making sure that their character models are top-notch is a major focus.”

“ We made a huge number of improvements to our character modelling processes for Uncharted 3 – too many to list, really!

“For instance, one of our Senior Character Artists made Drake’s beard stubble by first creating a dynamic hair simulation of Drake’s whole beard in 3D Studio Max. We used this simulation to get the hair follicles in his beard looking exactly how we wanted them to look by combing them in the simulation.  Then we exported perfectly matching texture maps which we used for his in-game model.

“We applied similar techniques to Sullivan’s moustache – in previous Uncharted games Sully’s ‘tache was just painted into his texture maps, but this time we set it up using planes of geometry, and painted in every single strand of the moustache hair individually!”

Unsurprisingly, all this enhanced facial hair had less of an effect on Elena, but she was still significantly different from the androgynous young woman of the first Uncharted game. In Uncharted 3 she has a more feminine gait and is facially much closer to character actor Emily Rose – indeed, her new persona came dangerously close to eclipsing her remembered identity from the previous games.

Perhaps it’s Naughty Dog’s ability to create such believable people that makes even subtle changes so noticeable. It’s not just a videogame character they are tweaking, but someone we know and understand.

“What’s most important for us is our focus on the people in our games as individuals, as unique characters. It’s all too easy, with any kind of writing, to fall back on clichés and stereotypes, but if you can avoid doing so then I think it helps your character’s voices sound fresh and authentic, and that’s the key to populating a story with interesting, believable people,” says Lemarchand.

Lemarchand turns to the contribution of actors and motion capture studios to pull this off. “Of course, writing and game design is only half of the equation: it’s the performances created by the talented actors we collaborate with that literally bring characters like Elena Fisher to life. We’re very lucky to be able to work with Emily Rose, who plays Elena, as well as Nolan North, Richard McGonagle and the rest of our cast. They work very hard in rehearsal and on our motion-capture stage, when we’re capturing their performances to put into the game, and they also contribute a huge amount to the game in terms of the ideas that they bring to the table, many of which we’ll work into the dialogue or even the game design.”

It’s interesting that while Naughty Dog would find it hugely problematic to switch actors, the studio is happy to substantially alter how they look in the game. The actor is there to speak up if they are asked to say or do something out of character, but their virtual alter-egos can’t stand up for themselves. An interesting comparison is the Toy Story series: while there has been similar progression in terms of fidelity and depth of animation during the life of those three films, there is much less of a jarring difference in terms of how the characters look from one film to the next.

“ It’s all too easy, with any kind of writing, to fall back on clichés and stereotypes, but if you can avoid doing so then I think it helps your character’s voices sound fresh and authentic.

Other changes in Uncharted 3 were more quickly identified by players – the aiming mechanics in particular. Where other developers may have become defensive over such criticism, Naughty Dog engaged with its community and introduced a patch that rectified these specific issues.

Lemarchand comments on the tension between perfectionism and continuity that can lead to these problems. “We made lots of improvements to the way that Nathan Drake controls between Uncharted 2 and Uncharted 3. We’re constantly working to refine and improve the controls of our game, even though we’ve always been pretty happy with the feel that Drake has… Of course, in turn, the expanded ability to fist-fight has a relationship with Drake’s traversal gameplay, and changes how you move around the levels when enemies are present.”

This traversal technique was another big change, and it wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Did these changes make Uncharted 3 felt different to play? Lemarchand doesn’t think so. “The mechanics you mention – the way that Drake puts out his hand to touch a wall or a door jamb as he runs past it, or the unprecedented twelve-minute idles that we were able to include in Uncharted 3 thanks to our new in-game animation streaming system – these mechanics add something special to the game, I think, but they don’t interfere in any way with the player’s control of Drake.”

There were noticeable changes in Uncharted 3’s storytelling too, with much less time spent with the female characters and an increased focus on Nate’s personal quest. “The way that Drake’s friends fall away over the course of Uncharted 3, finally leaving him alone, is an important and deliberate part of the game’s intertwined storytelling and game design technique,” explains Lemarchand.

“In part, Uncharted 3 is about how relentless Drake can be when he’s pursuing a goal, and the dangers of that single-mindedness.  He’s so fixated on following the chain of clues that the story puts in front of him, and in such disregard of the growing danger around him, that he barely notices as his friends drop out of the adventure one by one. Even Chloe, who is normally so reckless, won’t go along for the ride beyond a certain point.

“So when he ends up alone for one of the later sequences of the adventure, he’s really facing one of his deepest fears. We all fear being alone, but it’s a particular demon for Drake, given what we learn about his background early on in the game.”

These efforts to stretch and change the sort of story Naughty Dog is telling with Uncharted 3 actually feel very comfortable. It goes without saying that a new episode in a drama needs to find fresh themes to address. Even when there is outrage at a particular game’s ending (Mass Effect 3 for instance), these are the creative decisions we expect story tellers to make.

But videogames are still mapping out what can and can’t be altered from one franchise outing to the next. How closely are players paying attention to movement, visuals, character modelling and controls? How much do they care about them, and how much change is too much?

Perhaps it’s inevitable for a maturing medium to accept more change than older, more established art forms. It will be interesting to see if technology continues to be the main driving force for change in videogames, or if other considerations will come to the fore as the pace of technological advancement slows down.



Source : ign[dot]com

E3 2012: Brave hands-on

Movie-based video games aren’t always that great, especially when they’re based on an animated film. Disney Interactive Studios has been breaking that trend, especially when it comes to Disney-PIXAR movies. Both Cars 2 and Toy Story 3 were really good games. Now, they’re trying to continue their success with their upcoming release of Brave, based on the Disney-PIXAR film. I got some hands-on time with Brave at E3 this past week.

Brave is going to be released on all major platforms, but when I tried it out it was on Xbox 360. Brave is a third-person action game that puts you in the role of Merida. It’s your standard fare of melee and ranged attacks, with melee assigned to the face buttons and ranged attacks handled by the right analog stick—giving it a twin-stick shooter feel. With all off your attacks, you can scroll through four different elements to use with your attacks, such as fire, wind, and earth. These elements will help you against certain enemies. For instance, an enemy that is made of ice will be susceptible to fire.

The other element of the game, besides action, is puzzles. As Merida or the little, cute bear cubs, you solve puzzle segments based on logic or the elements you can equip. The ones I encountered were easy, but seeing as this game is geared toward a younger audience, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

As you progress through the game, you will be able to unlock new attack combinations, swords, bows, and outfits. You will also be able to upgrade the effectiveness or your abilities and elements. However, I didn’t see a difference in the weapons besides the obvious visual difference.

Co-op is available with a friend. The first player will play as Merida and the friend as a Will O’ the Wisp. It’s pretty much a wisp—a mystical blue cloud that can do attacks and cycle through elements just like the first player. The unfortunate part is that the camera only follows the first player, so sometimes your friends won’t be able to see where they are.

While the platforming is solid, the game doesn’t quite have the visual flair that Toy Story 3 and Cars 2 had. By no means is it bad, but it doesn’t live up to movie trailer or other Disney Interactive Studios games. As vibrant as Merida’s hair is in every piece of advertisement you see with the movie, the video game just doesn’t have that same vibrance.

Brave the Video Game also comes with Kinect of PlayStation Move functionality with an archery mini-game.

If you’re looking for a kid-friendly third-person action game, Brave is more than capable of filling need. It has fun platforming segments, puzzles, action, multiplayer, and the charm of the movie. Brave is scheduled to release on June 19, 2012 on all major platforms.

Source : gamezone[dot]com

E3 2012: Iwata Comments on User-Created Content for Wii U

Yesterday's Nintendo Direct video presentation was packed with new information for Wii U fans to absorb, delivered so quickly that it was hard to catch every detail in just one viewing – the footage that teased a New Super Mario Bros. game for Wii U, for example, came and went in just a few seconds. In that spirit, here's one more interesting comment that company president Satoru Iwata slipped into his dialogue, and which might not have fully registered for you the first time around:

That quick phrase mentioning "game content they have created themselves" is what we're pointing out here. Mr. Iwata was so busy discussing the different applications of the Miiverse social network that it was hard to notice him basically confirming that user-created content will be a focus for Wii U.

It's not all that surprising, really. Nintendo has pushed user creativity in several high profile projects in recent years, like the "make your own video game" interface of WarioWare: D.I.Y. and the shareable custom puzzles you can build in Pushmo. Just before making that comment in the video, actually, he mentioned two other examples – Flipnote Studio and Swapnote, both recent applications that built their foundations on the creation and sharing of personal drawings.

So the question now becomes, which Wii U games will take advantage of this piece of the Miiverse, and emphasize the creation and sharing of user-created content in the next generation? It's possible we'll see one or two examples showcased in tomorrow's Tuesday morning press conference, but to give you all something to chew on until then, consider this: just a few seconds after Mr. Iwata spoke that sentence in the Nintendo Direct video, the footage for New Super Mario Bros. began.

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/04/e3-2012-iwata-comments-on-user-created-content-for-wii-u

Watch: IGN's Chronicle Contest Winning Video

A couple of weeks ago, IGN hosted a short video contest in honor of Chronicle's Blu-ray and DVD release. Participants were asked to submit their own 30-90 second clips sharing something awesome they'd seen or showcasing their own superpower. Chronicle director Josh Trank would then select the winner, who would be flown out to Hollywood to meet Trank and receive some invaluable filmmaking advice as well as a Canon Digital SLR camera, zoom lens and portable audio recorder.

And now, Trank has chosen his favorite video: "'Scavenger Hunt' wins for sure," he said. "Like, by a mile. So good."

So there you have it! Congratulations to Samgoma and Samtubia Edwards, who directed the winning clip "Scavenger Hunt." Check out the video below, as well as the shortlist of other top contenders:

Shortlist of other top contenders:

For more, check out the official Chronicle Contest YouTube channel.

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/04/watch-igns-chronicle-contest-winning-video

E3 2012: New Video Applications Heading to Xbox 360

During Microsoft's E3 2012 press conference, the company announced it will be partnering with four new video services, all of which will be available soon for Xbox 360.

These partnerships include Nickelodeon, Paramount, Machinima and Univision.

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/04/e3-2012-new-video-applications-heading-to-xbox-360

Win IGN's Top 10 Games of 2011

2011 was one of the greatest years for big-budget, quality video games yet. But if you missed out on any of the great games, fear not: Blockbuster is giving away five collections of IGN's top 10 games of last year, from BAFTA winners – Portal 2 and Arkham City – to record-breakers – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and FIFA 12.

The full collection includes:

1. FIFA 12


2. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim


3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3


4. Battlefield 3


5. Uncharted 3: Drake's Fortune


6. Gears of War 3


7. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword


8. Batman: Arkham City


9. LA Noire


10. Portal 2

How To Enter

To win this great prize, head over to the Blockbuster site, sign-up for the VIP Gamer service, and answer the following questions: 

Simple. Just make sure you get your answer in by 25 June, 2012.

As an added bonus, anyone who signs up through IGN gets 10% off any Marketplace pre-owned game, so you could pick up a copy of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception for as little as £13.50, or Batman: Arkham City for £12.60. Simply enter the code IGN10J to get the money off. Be quick though, the offer expires on June 5th.

Blockbuster VIP Gamer is a free-to-join club that rewards its members with the chance to win money-can’t-buy prizes, as well as offering deals on the latest games. And with so many awesome games coming out in 2012, getting them for a bargain always feels good, right?

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/30/win-igns-top-10-games-of-2011

E3 2012 Preview

With mere days to go until the Electronic Entertainment Expo opens its doors on June 4th, the biggest video game event of the year is officially upon us. Time to start getting incredibly excited, absurdly optimistic and irrationally terrified. OK, scratch that last part, but this thing is gigantic and packed with thousands of awesome video games. Get ready!

IGN will be in Los Angeles covering every second of it, playing every secret demo behind closed doors, kidnapping developers for exclusive intel and attending every event and industry party. And through the magic of the internet, you'll be right there with us and probably wearing your pajamas. Lucky you! So what can we expect to blow the roof off the L.A. Convention Center this year?

Exclusives are nice, but let's be honest: The best games every year come out on a bunch of different platforms. Your Call of Duties, your Resident Evils, your Pac-Mans, all of this wonderful stuff is available for everyone. E3 2012 is bringing some titles that'll knock millions of pants and/or socks off. Keep a sharp eye out for these multiplatform monstrosities.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II

Let's be honest: the next Call of Duty game could be a glorified map pack with a minimal single player campaign and it would still sell millions of copies and be critically well received just on the basis of its core shooting mechanics being so fantastically solid. But not content to just bank off the franchise's previous accomplishments, Black Ops 2 developer Treyarch is bringing a ton of new ideas, story content and gameplay mechanics (including horses!) to the table this time. The story branches through time periods, from 1970 to 1980 to 2025 with the weaponry scaling to match the respective settings, meaning you'll jump from the traditional Call of Duty war settings you're used to, to battles against cybernetic unmanned aircrafts in massive bouts of futuristic robo-warfare. We expect to see the lid fully blown off this game in the weeks to come, but until then, here's us getting excited for the future of HORSE WARFARE:

Assassin's Creed III

Assassin's Creed III brings us out of the Renaissance and into the American Revolution. It's interesting to see Ubisoft giving each numbered Assassin's Creed game its own unique angle, cast of characters, unique abilities, and disparate settings. The frontier isn't like any other area we've explored, and swinging through trees, climbing cliffs, and sauntering through cities should be as entertaining as ever with the new main man, Connor. Hunting animals and hiding in the wild gives us even more stuff to do in early-era USA, too, as we search for answers for Desmond. 

Tomb Raider

We haven't seen a ton of new information slip out about the new Tomb Raider aside from it's upsetting delay to 2013, but that's not stopping us from getting excited over what we expect at E3. This gritty reboot puts Lara in the realest and most humanistic survival situations the franchise has yet to see. The game is still a bit of a ways away, but some amazing new screens and trailers will go a long way in holding us over.

Lost Planet 3

Lost Planet 3 surprised us all when it was unveiled at Capcom’s Captivate event earlier this year. That’s not because it existed – let’s face it, what game doesn’t get a sequel these days – but because it was so polished and so unlike anything we’ve seen from the franchise before. Make no mistake, we’re still talking mechs walking around icy tundra, but the emphasis on a hybrid of first and third-person combat combined with a focus on the game’s lead character has us impressed. Let’s hope the game plays as well as it looks.

Resident Evil 6

The announcement of Resident Evil 6 at the beginning of this year sucked the oxygen out of the IGN office. For days all we could talk about were zombies, survival horror, Leon Kennedy and Chris Redfield. Through our sources we learned more about the game than we ever expected, and the notion that Leon, Chris and series newcomer Jake will each be playable alongside their partners has us excited about the scope of the game. We still haven’t played the thing though. Let’s hope Capcom changes that at E3.

Hitman: Absolution

Agent 47 is up to his old tricks, which involves strangling, setting traps, and blending in. Absolution is arguably the most violent Hitman game to date, with the marketing material and early in-game footage showing a particularly vicious bald guy massacring everyone in messed-up ways. Whatever works. Hopefully he keeps up with the sneaking during his slaughtering.

Microsoft's press conference is bound to bring up entertainment, social, and Kinect, but this is also a huge year for some of the Xbox 360's most important exclusives. First-party developers are cranking away on huge stuff, but the third party studios could bring some excellent stuff as well.

Halo 4

After months of trickled information and minimalist reveals, Halo 4 will finally get some spotlight at the press conference. Expect to learn more about the campaign, especially the new threat, and the more personal story of Master Chief. In addition, we’re expecting to finally play Spartan Ops co-op stories, as well as the new competitive multiplayer mode, Infinity. Microsoft won’t pull any punches – 2012 will absolutely be the year of Halo, and getting 343’s efforts in front of everyone in a grand fashion will be priority one.

Fable The Journey

Peter Molyneux's final project with Lionhead Studios is the nuttiest yet, scrapping action/adventure for a more serene experience on Kinect. The Journey isn't just about the titular quest, though, as there's enough enemy encounters and combat variables to keep it interesting. Whether or not Fable ultimately works as a first-person Kinect action game is TBD, but we're likely to learn more about its true goal -- rather than just its broad ambition -- at E3.

It's been a curious buildup to E3 for the PlayStation brand. With about a month to go, the company blew the lid off of God of War: Ascension, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, LittleBigPlanet Karting and The Last of Us. Why? Our reasoning: it's time to announce some cool stuff for the PlayStation Vita.

The handheld debuted in February around the world (except for Japan, which had it in December), and since then, poor sales figures have stolen the headlines. Sony needs to come out at E3 and pimp the PlayStation 3 exclusives and at the same time show you why you should believe in this handheld. So what do we think takes the press conference stage and knocks your socks off? Well, smart money's on...

The Last of Us

Yes, IGN has already seen the game in action, but that was an old build. Developer Naughty Dog has already said that it has new stuff in the works for E3 2012, and with PlayStation's affinity for massive screens and awesome demos, the press conference sure seems like Joel and Ellie's next stop. Will we find out about the inclusion or exclusion of multiplayer or an exact release date? Probably not -- but expect some huge moment probably packing those infected mushroom people we haven't seen since the debut trailer.

Call of Duty Vita

Here's what we know about Call of Duty Vita -- it is coming. That's it, and that sucks. With Resistance: Burning Skies about to become the first true dual stick shooter to arrive on a handheld, expect Activision to roll out this follow-up at E3. Will it be Black Ops 2? Will it be an original game? Will it nail everything BobbyA1984 put in his COD wishlist? We bet we find out next week.

Assassin's Creed Vita

Again -- we know that there's an Assassin's Creed game in the works for the PlayStation Vita, but that's all we know. If you missed the memo, Assassin's Creed III looks awesome and is going to blow the doors off of E3. Seems like Ubisoft would be silly not to show what the Vita developers have been toiling away on. Is it a tie-in to AC3? Is it a port of AC3? Is it a brand new tale? Let us know!

God of War: Ascension

Colin and Goldfarb have already seen a ton of God of War: Ascension, but they've only seen multiplayer. In fact, when Sony confirmed the game, the spokespeople made a point to only talk about multiplayer. With all that info out of the way, PlayStation's E3 conference is the perfect place to talk about what Kratos is up to in the single-player campaign, because, well, that's what we all care about, right?

Quantic Dream's Next Game

Perhaps it's a pipedream, but Heavy Rain developer made a big deal of its Kara short film at GDC. This video wasn't the studio's next game, but it was a demo of the tech its next game will use. Normally, we'd say that means Quantic is toiling away at the new game on the engine it showed and that an E3 appearance would never happen, but in interviews, developer David Cage said that Kara film was a year old. So... what was Quantic Dream doing for that last year? Perhaps getting ready for this big day? We can hope.

New Exclusives

Well, it's our website and we can be as general as we want. The fact of the matter is PlayStation has the most impressive stable of first-party developers in the industry, and a lot of them have been quietly chipping away at projects. What are the Killzone devs up to? What does 2012 look like for Vita releases? Chances are we're going to have one hell of a roadmap when the PlayStation conference is said and done.

Nintendo has a lot riding on this year’s E3. It’s where the company plans to fully unveil its next generation of home console, Wii U. It’s also the Big N’s big chance to convince hardcore and casual gamers alike that its tablet controller truly is the future of gaming. We expect tons of new info about what this new system can do, and at least some vague idea of what kind of software we’ll see once it launches. We also expect updates on a few 3DS titles the company has kept mum about, like Luigi’s Mansion 2, Paper Mario 3DS and Animal Crossing 3DS, as well as the recently announced New Super Mario Bros. 2. If things work out, we’re also hoping to get some new game announcements, and perhaps some global release dates for some of those awesome Japan-only games we’ve been missing out on (we’re looking at you Fire Emblem: Awakening, Project X Zone and Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle).

New Super Mario Bros. 2

 

Hitting store shelves this August, Mario’s New side-scrolling adventure will see the return of some beloved staples from Super Mario Bros. 3 - particularly a more traditional Raccoon Suit, the P-Wing and the power meter.

New Super Mario Bros. Mii

 

It seems our first real taste of HD Mario will be based on the New Super Mario Bros. Mii tech demo from E3 2011. As such, expect it to be a 2D side-scroller with multiplayer support and, most likely, the incorporation of Mii characters.

Pikmin 3

 

The game that’s been about five years in the making, this year we’ll finally get to see the third entry in Shigeru Miyamoto’s Pikmin franchise. Now that it’s on Wii U, expect it to make clever use of the Wii U tablet and continue the story of Olimar and his little Pikmin slaves/buddies.

 

Years ago, back when Bill Gates would walk on stage and Live Anywhere was a new and exciting thing, Microsoft’s E3 press conference usually had some interesting news for PC gamers. That’s no longer the case these days, and that’s just fine. To some degree the PC gaming community seems to have moved on from this particular event. Blizzard no longer attends, Valve isn’t doing anything for E3 this year, and many interesting PC games like Firefall and Guild Wars 2 won’t be there. E3 in 2012 is more about new console hardware hysteria and what the big three are doing to ensure their next big steps into the increasingly decentralized, rapidly changing future of video games are smart ones. In many ways, these companies will be trying to capitalize on what’s happening in the PC gaming scene right now, where payment models, distribution strategies and game design experimentation are as wild and exciting as they’ve ever been.

Electronic Arts

A highlight here, aside from whatever announcements are made at EA’s press conference, will be more information on the promising Maxis-developed, PC-only SimCity. EA also has Star Wars: The Old Republic, and though the recent 1.3 patch reveal shows BioWare will be adding in a group finder, it’s likely E3 will be the venue for much larger-scale reveals  as to how they plan on stopping subscriber loss. Also, it’s hard to imagine EA’s executive walking off the E3 stage without mentioning something big about Battlefield, Crysis 3 and Medal of Honor, which won’t be PC-exclusive, but barring any programming catastrophes, will look best when played on a PC.

E3s MMOs

No console maker has really figured out how best to integrate an MMO into their platform (though, mysteriously, an Xbox 360 version of Final Fantasy XI still exists), so this genre is still almost entirely PC-based. Perfect World will show up with Cryptic’s Neverwinter and the Monster Hunter-like Raiderz, Sony Online Entertainment will be showing off a multitude of online games, including Planetside 2, which looks especially awesome. Trion will bring Defiance, Rift and End of Nations to the show, and maybe we’ll hear something positive about Square Enix’s beleaguered Final Fantasy XIV as it progresses toward Version 2.0. And ideally we should be able to get a first look at Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls Online, which beyond Guild Wars 2, World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria and The Secret World is the next major MMO on the horizon.

Cross-Platform Overload

Most games on display at E3 will be promoted on consoles, but for many PC versions do, in fact, exist. You just don’t see them at the show, because it’s kind of hard to fumble around with a keyboard and mouse while standing up and presenting a new game to a crowd that’s more than eager to erupt with laughter over any mistakes. Over the past few years Capcom has appealed to PC gamers with versions of its fighting and action games, and it seems as though that will continue with Resident Evil 6 and Lost Planet 3. THQ is bringing Darksiders II and Metro Last Light, Square Enix will show off Hitman: Absolution, Tomb Raider and Sleeping Dogs (and for the love of everything holy, where is Thief IV?), Ubisoft will showcase Assassin’s Creed III and Far Cry 3, and the fan-requested Dark Souls: Prepare to Die edition PC version will be on display from Namco. 2K Games has an especially cool lineup this year with Borderlands 2 and XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and there’ll certainly be more surprises at the press conferences.

The trickiest part of covering mobile games is how incredibly fast the platform moves. Unlike consoles, where members of the press and the public know about a game for months or years in advance, iOS and Android games are revealed for the very first time one week and then released the next.

This means it’s impossible to predict all the iOS hotness that will be at the show. With that in mind, two games stand out as titles all gamers should keep their eyes on:

Infinity Blade Dungeons

Although we’ve already gone hands-on with Infinity Blade: Dungeons once, we’re very keen to see more of the dungeon-crawling spin-off at The Big Show. That first demo showed off the basics of combat and weapon forging. With any luck we’ll get a peek at more loot, more enemies and more environments at E3.

The Act

The Act is one of the most intriguing mobile games I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen hundreds. The game’s hand-drawn 2D animation immediately catches everyone’s attention, but their first question is always the same: “It looks great, but how does it play?”

It’s a fair question – older gamers will remember Dragon’s Lair and other barely-playable interactive movies. So far The Act seems much more like the real deal. Gamers control protagonist Edward via a variety of touch-controlled swiping gestures, making The Act more of a true interactive, playable cartoon. Hopefully at E3 all of the questions surrounding The Act will be put to rest.

As you can see, E3 is going to be a totally fantastic, insane week for gamers. What are you looking forward to most? Which company do you think will have the best show? Sound off in the comments below, and keep it locked to IGN between now and E3 as we continue to dominate E3 2012 coverage.



Source : http://www.ign.com

Road to E3: Halo 4

The biggest video game trade show in the country, E3, bombards Los Angeles with gaming love starting on June 5th, 2012. With the biggest names in gaming gathering in one spot, it takes a lot of effort to keep track of it all. Every day, we'll cover a different game we expect (or know) will flex its digital muscles in LA.

To celebrate Craig and Smokey’s favorite day of the week, we’re talking about what will arguably be the biggest game of the year: Halo 4. We haven’t heard from Master Chief since 2007, leaving us plenty of time to ponder the possibilities for the the future of everyone’s favorite Spartan. Why did Cortana wake him up? What gives with that giant iris that’s tractor-beaming his ship into its maw? And why was he missing his codpiece in the debut trailer, only to have it appear later? All questions needing answers!

Halo 4 

• Developer: 343 Industries


• Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios


• Release Date: November 6, 2012


• Genre: Cyber-warrior battle fest

Under the guiding hands of 343 Industries, Halo 4 is the first game in the series-proper made by Bungie. With shades of reboot and origin story shaping the narative, it promises a deep dive into John-117’s world -- territory Bungie historically left to the supporting fiction, comics and novelizations until now.

The first entry in the brand new Reclaimer Trilogy, a trifecta of titles 343 says will take 10 years to complete, Halo 4 will feature a direct connection between the single-player story and multiplayer modes for the first time via an in-game mechanic -- or giant spaceship, specifically -- called Infinity. Aboard this UNSC ship of ships, the galaxies finest warriors will continue the endless red versus blue, using wit, charm, firearms, sticky grenades, and an all-new persistent progression system that’s similar  to the perks in Call of Duty.

We should learn the first Halo 4 story details at E3, along with a full introduction to the new antagonist race (other than the leaks from Todd McFarlane’s Halo toys, of course). We know we’ll see the return of the Covenant, but we’ll likely find out what role they’ll play, and if any other enemies like the Flood or the Brutes will return. E3 should also provide our first hands-on time with multiplayer, and likely will include the introduction of new maps, a detailing of the new aforementioned persistent upgrades, and more details on Spartan Ops -- a new cooperative mode that 343 will update every week with new content and objectives.

IGN will begin its domination of E3 on Monday, June 4th. Until then, tune in for our continued coverage as we travel down the road to E3.

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/18/road-to-e3-halo-4

Community: "Introduction To Finality" Review

Looking for reviews of the other two Community episodes that aired Thursday night? You can find the review of the video game-themed "Digital Estate Planning" here and check out the review of "The First Chang Dynasty here!

Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow.

Our Community cup runneth over - three episodes in one night to sign off on Season 3! One can hardly complain, now can one? Where "The First Chang Dynasty" was a great way to bring the season to a close, "Introduction to Finality" felt a little out of place, with a tagged on series final ending, you know… just in case. This hurt the episode a bit, especially after two such notable outings.

The timeline of the last few episodes has been a bit of a problem for me. We've been skipping months at a time, and with "Digital Estate Planning," we seemed to leave the timeline altogether. The group got expelled, then months later learned that Chang might be behind the whole thing, then took a break to play a video game, then got reinstated to Greendale, and then months later are taking summer classes. Ultimately this isn't really a big deal, but it did hurt the flow of storytelling. When "Introduction to Finality" began, it was another episode that felt out of place, as if it could have been the first episode of next season.

And perhaps it was intended to be. "The First Chang Dynasty" gave us some great endings to multiple arcs and also supplied us with an interesting cliffhanger, having Troy sacrifice himself to the air condition repair school to save the group. As a first episode to Season 4, "Introduction to Finality" would have restarted the story telling be showing us the aftermath of Troy's departure (Abed cracking into Evil Abed) while also putting things back on track be quickly putting an end to Troy's air conditioning journey. Meanwhile, it started a storyline for Shirley and Pierce and their sandwich shop. But this was still Season 3.

So even though the laughs were there -- Evil Abed making Britta 10% darker, the quirky alternate reality of the repair school -- the whole thing felt very disjointed. And the Summer Fun Court storyline was very average, with Jeff's speech at the end being tedious and overwrought. And then the ending montage started and the purpose of this episode became very clear. This was shot months before anyone knew the fate of the series, and Dan Harmon and the writers had put together an ending to give us some closure on the series, if in fact this was going to be the last episode.

It was a nice montage, set to Community's theme song. Had this been the last ever episode, we would know that Jeff was one step closer to graduating and that he was ready to seek out his dad. We'd know that Abed was ready to grow up a bit, though not entirely. We'd know that the future for these characters looked hopefully. And we'd know that Star-Burns lives. But tacking this ending on to what was already an average, out of place episode simply added to the anticlimactic feel following the season true finale, "The Last Chang Dynasty."

But who can really complain? We get a Season 4!

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/18/community-introduction-to-finality-review

Community: "The First Chang Dynasty" Review

Looking for our reviews of the other two Community episodes that aired Thursday night? You can find our review of the video game-themed "Digital Estate Planning" here. The season finale review will be up later this morning!

Full spoilers for the episode follow.

I love me a good heist movie. Heck, I love me a mediocre heist movie. So as it became clear where "The First Chang Dynasty" was going to take us, I was grinning from ear to ear. Sure, it was mostly a riff on Ocean's 11 and not the genre as a whole, but since said movie falls squarely in the "good" category, why complain? Where "Digital Estate Planning" faltered by feeling so out of place as an episode, "The First Chang Dynasty" continued (and ended) the story arcs we've been following for weeks.

Chang's rise to power had been a background story for much of the season. And I like that it's been in the background. Too much Chang can really wear thin. Tonight, we got some full on Chang, and since things have been leading to this, it was nice to give him free reign for a while. Britta perfectly summed up his leadership: "He's just like Stalin back in Russia times." The Chang posters around the campus, the aggressive security, the prescription throne-- all were exactly what we'd hope for once we got a clear look at Chang's rule.

Click on Chang's fearsome face to enter for your chance to win a Chang poster signed by Ken Jeong!

Watching the study group figure out a way to free Dean Pelton was a hoot. Once Troy got his inside info from the air conditioning repair school, the plan was put in place. Things unfolded perfectly, with Jeff going over the steps while split screens showed the action that was taking place. It was a delightfully perfect Community spin on Danny Ocean breaking into the Bellagio. And it was funny. This series always does an amazing job of smartly, often meticulously mimicking countless genres while never forgetting to make the audience laugh.

And even get emotional on occasion. After the failing plan that was all part of the plan actually failed, the study group found themselves locked up without a way out. This is where Troy stepped up and made his wordless pact with the AC school: "A man is only as good as his nod through a camera to a guy with a button." This brought us back to another storyline carrying through mush of this season. It took a while, but Troy was now promised to the repair school.

IGN TV Executive Editor took this pic of Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs and Jim Rash on the set of "The First Chang Dynasty"

Really, "The First Chang Dynasty" brought some pitch perfect closure to numerous storylines running through Season 3. The Ocean's 11 riff was a fun way to wrap the package, but the gift on the inside was seeing how everything would come to an end. There was still one episode left, but "The First Chang Dynasty" worked perfectly as a conclusion to the season.

Source : http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/18/community-the-first-chang-dynasty-review

Sons Of Anarchy Creator Reveals Console Game Plans Ads By Google » Blog Tags Today's Most Popular Videos »

The previously mentioned possibility of a video game based on FX's biker gang series, Sons of Anarchy, looks to be moving forward for a console release, as confirmed by the show's creator, Kurt Sutter, on Twitter. Sutter writes in a new tweet that he "had a great meeting with a big distributor" and that he along with "everyone at FX and Fox is committed to making this happen."

This whole affair started back in February 2012 when the outspoken Sutter mentioned on Twitter that he was going to be taking meetings for a possible game adapation of the FX series. The plan at the time was for a "high-end browser game" since, as he put it, "to do a quality [console] platform-based game costs tens of millions and takes years." If I had to guess, I'd say that someone set him straight at the aforementioned meetings on the reach of a console game versus a browser game.



It's still very early on in the planning process, but Sutter confirmed his commitment to doing a proper console game in a subsequent tweet. "Yes, we definitely wanna do a REAL game. Console based. Not some slapcrap browser MP thing. It'll take awhile, but it's the right way to go," he wrote.

He had nothing to say about what fans might expect from the Sons game, though yet another tweet nods to another recently released title with ties to a popular cable TV series: The Walking Dead. Sutter wasn't a fan, explaining that he "really wanted to love it... but it felt rushed and a bit unsatisfying" without showrunner Glen Mazzara's "magic touch." Whether or not his words are an indication that the Sons game won't be going in an adventure game direction is anyone's guess, but it's all we have to go on right now.

Regardless, a proper biker gang game of some kind would be pretty nifty, and all the better if it's one that let's you cruise around the streets of Charming in a SAMCRO kutte. Aren't Deep Silver and Eutechnyx working on a open-world biker game, Ride to Hell? Since, like, forever? Wouldn't it be sweet if that project magically transformed into a Sons of Anarchy game?


Source : http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/723654/sons-of-anarchy-creator-reveals-console-game-plans/

Pokemon Pick-Up Lines -- Dat Ash Would Be Proud Ads By Google » Blog Tags Today's Most Popular Videos »

If you need help creeping out girls with you vast Pokemon knowledge, check out this video. Simple Pickup has put together a compilation of their best, and worst, Pokemon pick-up lines. I assume they were inspired by one of my favorite memes, Dat Ash. Prepare to be amazed and offended.

Warning: Some pickup lines are NSFW-ish.

Source : http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/723532/pokemon-pick-up-lines-dat-ash-would-be-proud/