By Anonymous on Jul 18, 2015 12:00 am
Over on Bethesda's online store, a new Fallout 4 lithograph is now available for preorder, but you'll likely need to act fast if you want the larger, special-edition version. The lithograph, which shows one of the scenes we've seen from the game before, is available in standard and limited editions. If you opt for the limited edition, you'll be paying a premium--$65 compared with $25 for the standard one. But you'll also be getting a bigger version; the standard edition is just 24" x 11", while the limited edition measures in at 37" x 16". The latter is also individually numbered, with foil embellishments on the title and Fallout logos.       Only 500 of the limited edition version are available. While they (like the standard edition) won't begin shipping until September 10, you can place an order now to ensure you get your hands on one. You should know that you'll be charged in full now, though you'll be able to get a refund if you cancel the order before it ships. Fallout 4 is due out not long afterward, on November 10. It'll be available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. It won the Best of Show award at E3 last month, and may end up a better game thanks to Skyrim's technical issues.
By Anonymous on Jul 17, 2015 11:34 pm
Developer Wargaming has announced a limited-time event for World of Tanks where you'll get to drive a laser-shooting tank on the moon. The Russian developer is bringing back the Lunar Mode for the free-to-play tank game to commemorate the 46th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing in July 1969. This year's Lunar Mode is available now for the Xbox 360 version of World of Tanks. Everyone who logs into the game will receive the M24 Lunar, a Tier 9 medium tank "built exclusively for combat in space." Instead of a traditional cannon, the M24 is outfitted with a blaster that shoots lasers. While battling on the moon, players will find that gravity is reduced to one-sixth that of earth. This should allow for some insane combat scenarios, a sampling of which you can see in the trailer below. Lunar Mode will be available through Monday, July 20. It is unclear if the Lunar Mode is also coming to the PC or Xbox One versions of World of Tanks. We have followed up with Wargaming in an attempt to find out. The Xbox One edition recently launched in beta and will roll out widely at the end of the month. In other Apollo 11 commemoration news, check out what Buzz Aldrin had to say in his tweet below. And if you're looking for a good documentary on Apollo 11, and the entire early NASA space program, you should check out the terrific When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions. Unfortunately, it's no longer on Netflix streaming, but you can buy the entire series on Amazon for $8.
By Anonymous on Jul 17, 2015 11:03 pm
The Batman: Arkham Knight PS4 bundle can be had for just $370 on eBay. Green Man Gaming's summer sale continues, offering discounted prices plus an additional 20 percent off when you use the promo code GMGSUM-MERSAL-E20OFF. Certain purchases come with a free "mystery game," including the Valve Complete Pack for $20 and the BioShock Triple Pack for $14. Walmart is selling the Halo Master Chief Collection Xbox One bundle with a free second controller for $349. You also get a free copy of Watch Dogs, Titanfall, NBA Live 14, or Rabbids Invasion, or you can pay a bit more to replace it with Battlefield 4 ($5), Evolve ($20), Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition ($20), Need for Speed: Rivals - Complete Edition ($20), Battlefield Hardline ($30), or Batman: Arkham Knight ($30). The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD is $39 at Amazon and Walmart. GOG's weekend sale has quite a lot of solid games for cheap, including Wasteland 2 for $20, Luftrausers for $2.49, Risk of Rain for $2.49, Pillars of Eternity for $30, and much more. You can preorder a number of games through Dell and receive either a $15 or $25 gift card: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ($25), Mad Max ($15), Rare Replay ($15), and Until Dawn ($15). At Best Buy, all Disney Infinity single figures are marked down to $10. Below you'll find the rest of today's best deals divided by platform. PlayStation 4Buying a PS4 at Best Buy this week gets you a free PlayStation Silver wired headset and allows you to save $5 on a 12-month PlayStation Plus subscription and $10 on a DualShock 4. Gamers Club Unlocked members can save $20 or more on a few PS4 games at Best Buy right now, including MLB 15: The Show for $16, The Order: 1886 for $16, and Bloodborne for $32. The standalone version of The Last of Us' Left Behind DLC is just $5 on the PlayStation Store. The PlayStation Store has a sale centered around fighting games going on. The list of discounted games includes Mortal Kombat X, Ultra Street Fighter IV, and Guilty Gear Xrd. Other PS4 game deals: The free PlayStation Plus games for July are now available and include Rocket League and Styx: Master of Shadows. Xbox OneGet a free copy of Assassin's Creed: Unity with the purchase of an Xbox One at the Microsoft Store (500 GB/1 TB). Buy Rory McIlroy PGA Tour at Best Buy and save $10 on an Xbox One controller. You can buy a year of Xbox Live Gold on eBay for $37. This week's Deals With Gold include offers for games like Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, Battlefield 4, and RBI Baseball 15. Other Xbox One game deals: July's free Games With Gold games are now available and include Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and So Many Me. PCThe latest Humble Bundle consists of a few games, but primarily focuses on game-making tools. The new Humble Weekly Bundle features now-completed games that were funded through Kickstarter, including Guns of Icarus Online and Among the Sleep. You can play Ultra Street Fighter IV on Steam for free this weekend, and then pick it up for cheap. If you have a free Green Man Gaming account, you can access the VIP area of the site where you can find some nice deals, including SimCity for $10, Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin for $25, and Project Cars for $35. Zuma's Revenge is free on Origin. Other PC game deals: - Pillars of Eternity: Hero Edition -- $30 (GOG) / $30 (Humble Store)
- Wasteland 2 -- $20 (GOG)
- Cities: Skylines -- $20 (Humble Store)
- Alien: Isolation -- $12.49 (Steam)
- Age of Wonders III -- $13.39 (GOG)
- The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited -- $40 (Best Buy)
- Master Reboot -- $6 (Steam)
- Batman: Arkham Origins -- $12 (Amazon)
- Aliens vs. Predator -- $3.74 (Steam)
- Psychonauts -- $2.49 (GOG)
- Luftrausers -- $2.49 (GOG)
- Risk of Rain -- $2.49 (GOG)
- The Longest Journey -- $4 (GOG)
- Diablo III -- $25 (Amazon)
- Diablo III: Reaper of Souls -- $26 (Amazon)
- StarCraft II: Battle Chest -- $22 (Amazon) / $24 (Best Buy)
- Tropico 5 -- $24 (Amazon)
- Dying Light -- $48 (Amazon) / $35 (Walmart)
- South Park: The Stick of Truth -- $18 (Amazon)
- Battlefield Hardline -- $33 (Amazon)
- The Crew -- $30 (Steam)
- Assassin's Creed Rogue -- $30 (Amazon)
- Evolve -- $28.50 (Amazon) / $35 (Best Buy)
- Watch Dogs -- $10 (Amazon) / $12 (Best Buy)
- Dragon Age: Inquisition -- $27.83 (Amazon) / $30 (Best Buy)
- Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag -- $16 (Amazon)
Wii UIf you don't mind a refurbished system, Nintendo's online store has a Wii U bundle with Nintendo Land for $200, or Nintendo Land and Super Mario 3D World for $225. The eShop has an indie game sale going on, discounting Shantae and the Pirate's Curse to $8, Guacamelee to $6, Runner 2 to $6, and more. - The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD -- $39 (Amazon) / $39 (Walmart)
- Bayonetta 2 -- $45 (GameStop)
- Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker -- $32.60 (Amazon) / $32.60 (Walmart)
- The Wonderful 101 -- $30 (Nintendo Store)
- ZombiU -- $9 (Best Buy)
- Rayman Legends -- $17 (Walmart)
- Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze -- $40 (Amazon)
- Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut -- $14 (Amazon)
- Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two -- $11.39 (Amazon)
- Hyrule Warriors -- $49 (Amazon)
- Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition -- $14 (Amazon)
- Watch Dogs -- $18 (Amazon)
- Sonic All-Stars Racing Transformed -- $20 (Amazon)
- Scribblenauts Unlimited -- $16 (Amazon)
- Transformers Prime: The Game -- $12 (Amazon)
3DSWalmart is offering a New 3DS XL bundle with Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and your choice of select Amiibo figurines for $239. At GameStop, you can get a new Nintendo 3DS XL for just $100 when you trade in a qualifying system. This week's eShop sale features deals like Persona Q for $30, Etrian Mystery Dungeon for $30, and Etrian Odyssey IV for $15. - Mario Party: Island Tour -- $26 (Amazon) / $24 (Best Buy)
- Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance -- $20 (Walmart)
- Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 - Record Breaker -- $41.07 (Amazon)
- Pokemon Alpha Sapphire -- $30 with bonus figure (Walmart)
- Pokemon Omega Ruby -- $30 with bonus figure (Walmart)
- Pokemon Y -- $30 (Amazon)
- Pokemon X -- $34 (Amazon)
- Steel Diver -- $6 (Best Buy)
- Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate -- $11.67 (Walmart)
- Scribblenauts Unlimited -- $8 (Best Buy)
- Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion -- $12.55 (Amazon)
- Code Name: Steam -- $26 (Amazon)
- Crosswords Plus -- $6 (Best Buy)
- Lego Marvel Super Heroes -- $15 (Amazon)
- Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars -- $22.42 (Amazon)
- Sonic All-Stars Racing Transformed -- $22.40 (Amazon)
- Hometown Story -- $15 (Amazon)
PlayStation VitaThe PlayStation TV is available for $40 at Best Buy and GameStop. The PlayStation Store's superhero sale also includes some Vita games, including Injustice: Gods Among Us for $12, Mega Man Maverick Hunter X for $4, and Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate for $10. - God of War Collection -- $25 (Amazon)
- Persona 4: Golden -- $20 (Amazon)
- Gravity Rush -- $18 (Amazon)
- Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time -- $5 (Best Buy)
- Freedom Wars -- $15 (Amazon) / $15 (Best Buy)
- The Wolf Among Us -- $13 (Amazon) / $15 (Best Buy)
- Borderlands 2 -- $20 (Amazon) / $20 (Best Buy)
- The Walking Dead: Season Two -- $15 (Best Buy)
- Mind Zero -- $22 (Amazon)
- Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed -- $18 (Amazon)
- Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F 2nd -- $22 (Amazon)
- Xblaze Code: Embryo -- $20 (Amazon)
- Arcana Heart 3: Love Max -- $20 (Amazon)
- Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars -- $21.45 (Amazon)
- Resistance: Burning Skies -- $5 (Best Buy)
- Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational -- $10 (Amazon)
- 16GB Memory Card -- $40 (Amazon)
- 32GB Memory Card -- $65 (Amazon)
The free PlayStation Plus games for July are now available and include Geometry Wars 3 and Entwined. Hardware- PowerA Charging Station for Xbox One -- $30 (Best Buy)
- PDP PS4 Afterglow Kral Wireless Headset -- $70 (Best Buy)
- PDP Xbox One Afterglow Karga Wired Headset -- $70 (Best Buy)
- PlayStation 4 Camera -- $45 (Amazon) / $45 (Walmart)
- Logitech G402 Hyperion Fury Gaming Mouse -- $40 (Amazon)
- Logitech G502 Proteus Core Gaming Mouse -- $58 (Amazon)
- Logitech G602 Wireless Gaming Mouse -- $50 (Amazon)
- Logitech G700s Gaming Mouse -- $61 (Amazon)
- Wireless Xbox 360 Controller for Windows -- $39 (Amazon)
- Wired Xbox 360 Controller for Windows -- $28 (Amazon)
- Black Xbox One Wireless Controller -- $49 (Amazon)
- PlayStation Gold Wireless Stereo Headset -- $80.49 (Amazon)
- PlayStation Silver Wired Stereo Headset -- $25 (Amazon)
- Turtle Beach Ear Force PX22 Amplified Universal Gaming Headset -- $56 (Amazon)
- Logitech Wireless Gaming Headset G930 -- $88 (Amazon)
- Free Silver Headset with purchase of any PS4 console (Best Buy)
- Save $10 on a PS4 DualShock 4 controller when you buy a new PS4 console (Best Buy)
- Save $10 on an Xbox One controller with the purchase of Rory McIlroy PGA Tour (Best Buy)
Amazon prices are accurate as of publishing, but can fluctuate occasionally throughout the day. GameSpot's gaming deals posts always highlight the best deals we can find regardless of retailer. We also occasionally use retailer affiliate links, which means that purchasing goods through those links helps support all the great content (including the deals posts) you find for free here on the site.
By Anonymous on Jul 17, 2015 11:02 pm
The latest patch for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will be available sometime in the next day, developer CD Projekt Red has revealed. In a post on Twitter this afternoon, community lead Marcin Momot announced that the patch will be available in the next 24 hours. It will be available on all platforms--PC, Xbox One, and PS4--and brings the game up to version 1.07.  As revealed last week, this is a major update for the game. Among other things, it offers a new "alternative movement style" for Geralt, a stash for players to store items in, and a wide variety of fixes for everything from game performance to typos. The Witcher 3 continues to receive free DLC, with the latest batch including a new outfit for Ciri. Officially revealed earlier this week, this is the same content that accidentally went live ahead of schedule. You can check out the full list of 1.07 patch notes below. - Introduces an alternative movement style for Geralt. To enable, go to the Gameplay\Movement Response submenu.
- Fixes a rare issue where the player's horse would not fall to the ground properly.
- Fixes a rare issue where the player could be locked into the aiming animation if hit while throwing a bomb on horseback.
- Fixes a rare issue with an infinite loading screen in the Ladies of the Wood quest.
- Includes a variety of collision fixes.
- Fixes an issue where Wild Hunt warriors would remain present even after the player completed the main storyline.
- Fixes an issue where players could repeatedly buy foreign currency from a loan shark and sell it at the Vivaldi Bank.
- Fixes an exploit whereby players could loot gold from a single chest more than once.
- Fixes an issue whereby some skills were not properly removed after the player used the Potion of Clearance.
- Fixes an issue with target locking, which should now be more responsive.
- Introduces a number of changes in selected game-world areas to prevent players from unexpectedly progressing quests or leaving the playable area by climbing certain elements of the landscape.
- Fixes an issue where sometimes players could not use Signs after reaching Skellige for the first time.
- Fixes an issue where damage from certain sources was incorrectly calculated.
- Fixes an issue where the durability of alternative weapons did not drop as intended.
- Fixes an issue where the game would remain in slow motion if the player had used manual targeting.
- Fixes an issue whereby meditation could be blocked by certain quests.
- Fixes an issue where Stamina did not always regenerate properly.
- Fixes an issue where Geralt's statistics could be multiplied if the player stood in a Dimeritium bomb cloud while the Cluster skill was activated.
- Introduces a number of fixes, improvements and clarifications in the map-pins and objectives for multiple quests.
- Fixes an issue where in certain circumstances gravity ceased to apply to the player's horse.
- Adds a stash for player convenience. Players can now store loot in their stash, access to which is available in different parts of the world. Stash locations are marked on the map.
- Fixes an issue whereby the player's horse would often stop abruptly before bridges or other narrow passages.
- Fixes an issue whereby encumbrance was not updating correctly, resulting in players being overburdened where in fact they were not.
- Fixes a rare issue where players were unable to choose different Signs.
- Fixes an issue where the player was sometimes unable to craft glyphs.
- Fixes an issue where not all merchants would accept junk loot.
- All crafting components and alchemy ingredients now weigh nothing.
- Fixes an issue where certain armor/hairstyle combinations interacted incorrectly.
- Fixes an issue where instances of the Quen Sign would occasionally burst during dialogue scenes.
- Fixes a rare issue where the player could not play gwent with Madame Serenity at the Passiflora.
- The Zoltan gwent card should now always be present beneath the Hanged Man's Tree if the player does not win it earlier in White Orchard.
- Fixes a rare issue where players could not talk to, or play gwent with, the innkeeper at the Inn at the Crossroads.
- Includes a number of wording and spelling fixes in multiple localized versions.
- Introduces a number of improvements in the game streaming system. Players should experience fewer blurred textures, NPC spawn times should be markedly reduced, and there should be an overall improvement in the speed with which game assets are loaded. Streaming system improvements should be most noticeable on consoles and systems with non-SSD drives.
- Improves performance in the swamps of the No Man's Land region.
- Fixes an issue whereby the presence of fog could adversely affect game performance.
- Optimizes various FX which should result in improved performance during the Battle of Kaer Morhen quest.
- Introduces a number of optimizations that improve overall performance throughout the game.
- Improves overall game performance.
- Fixes an issue where Keira's magic bubble could adversely affect performance.
- Fixes an issue whereby the mouse cursor would remain visible during in-game video playback.
- Adds a warning if the user runs out of disk space and wants to crate a new game save.
- Fixes an issue whereby Colorblind mode was not properly saved.
- Fixes an issue whereby Zoltan would sometimes appear in the incorrect location after the Novigrad, Closed City quest.
- Fixes an issue during the Last Wish quest whereby Geralt would continue his conversation with Yennefer after they parted.
- Fixes an issue where two simultaneous instances of some characters would appear in a scene in the Broken Flowers quest.
- Fixes an issue whereby some objectives were not available to the player and would be automatically failed during the Battle of Kaer Morhen quest..
- Fixes an issue where in certain circumstances Lambert did not board the boat during the Final Trial quest.
- Fixes an issue where in certain circumstances Madame Serenity was improperly placed during the Deadly Plot quest.
- Fixes an issue where the Fake Papers quest would be failed if the player did not mention that one of the brothers was dead.
- Fixes an issue whereby players would sometimes be unable to start the final horse race, The Heroes' Pursuits: For the Goddess' Glory! in Skellige.
- Fixes an issue where unintended objects were present in Novigrad after the Battle of Kaer Morhen quest.
- Fixes an issue where a progression break could occur if Geralt was knocked out by guards while following the Bloody Baron during the Family Matters quest.
- Fixes an issue where players were sometimes unable to interact with a torch in the Get Junior quest.
- Fixes an issue where players could sometimes experience an infinite loading screen during the Iron Maiden quest.
- Fixes an issue where in certain circumstances players could encounter a blocker during the Contract: The Apiarian Phantom quest. Players who have encountered this bug need to backtrack to the frozen hive and examine the footprints around it again.
- Fixes an issue whereby the player could get locked inside a room during the Through Time and Space quest.
- Fixes an issue where on rare occasions players were unable to progress the game after the Get Junior quest, specifically upon reaching Vernon Roche's camp.
- Fixes an issue whereby purchasing wine during the It Takes Three to Tango quest would not always progress the quest properly.
- Fixes an issue where the In Wolf's Clothing quest did not progress properly after the player read Morkvarg's journal.
- Fixes an issue where on some rare occasions players were unable to interact with the Wild Hunt soldier's body during the Echoes of the Past quest.
- Fixes an issue whereby Keira would not always properly use the portal during the For the Advancement of Learning quest if asked to go to Kaer Morhen.
- Fixes an issue where the Scoia'tael from Novigrad was not always available to play in the Gwent quest.
- Fixes an issue where the player could get blocked inside a cellar during the King's Gambit quest.
- Fixes an issue where in certain situations the player was unable to find Triss during the Final Preparations quest.
- Fixes an issue where occasionally the Kingfisher tavern was left without an innkeeper after the Now or Never quest.
- Fixes an issue where Yennefer was not spawned in Oxenfurt during the Great Escape quest.
- Fixes a rare issue where Captain Wolverstone was not at the Golden Sturgeon when intended.
- Fixes a rare issue where the bodyguards in the Reason of State quest were not hostile.
- Fixes a rare issue where the griffin would not always appear in the Contract: The Creature from the Oxenfurt Forest quest.
- Fixes an issue where the wyvern would not appear in the Contract: Phantom of the Trade Route quest.
- Fixes an issue with enlisting Sukrus from Skellige to be Hattori's bodyguard in the Of Swords and Dumplings quest.
- Fixes a rare issue whereby the visions in the Echoes of the Past quest were not displayed.
- The Contract: Devil by the Well quest no longer counts towards the Geralt: The Professional achievement.
- Fixes a rare issue when the player could not speak with Lambert at Kaer Morhen during the Final Trial quest.
- Fixes a rare issue where players could not always complete the Hey, You Wanna Look at my Stuff? quest.
- Fixes an issue where players were sometimes unable to summon a horse after the Fencing Lessons quest.
- Fixes an issue where in the Scavenger Hunt: Viper School Gear quest the gate to the mausoleum was locked.
- Fixes an issue where players could not use Signs or swords after the fistfight at the Rosemary and Thyme during the Broken Flowers quest.
- Fixes a rare issue whereby players could not examine the source of interference during the Disturbance quest.
- Fixes an issue with the Dirty Funds quest.
- Fixes a rare issue with a loading screen in the Contract: The Phantom of Eldberg quest.
- Fixes a issue with a loading screen at Aeramas' residence during the Of Dairy and Darkness quest.
- Fixes an issue where quest givers for the Deadly Delights and Jenny o' the Woods contracts would disappear.
- Introduces a number of improvements to overall game stability.
- Fixes an issue where the Potion of Clearance would pop into the quick slot if the player ran out of food.
- Adds a Books tab to the Inventory panel.
- Introduces a number of additional loading screen hints.
- Introduces a pinning feature for formulae and diagrams. Ingredients and components for pinned formulae/diagrams are highlighted in the shop view. This should greatly facilitate the purchase of currently needed elements.
- Introduces a feature whereby currently equipped items are highlighted in the Repair panel, facilitating prioritization of items needing repair.
- Adds a feature whereby read and unread books are marked differently in the Inventory panel.
- The list of all available DLC packages is now displayed in the Main Menu/Options/Downloadable Content submenu for better clarity.
- Enabled additional settings that decreases the hair and fur image quality slightly, without compromising its general appearance, to optimize HairWorks on a wider range of hardware.
By Anonymous on Jul 17, 2015 10:58 pm
Task Force X is the Suicide Squad
DC's highly-anticipated take on the super-villains known as the Suicide Squad bows in 2016. Under the moniker Task Force X, the squad is a government-sanctioned group executing dangerous missions from a base in Belle Reve Prison. David Ayer (Training Day, End of Watch) will write and direct the summer blockbuster, which promises to be one of the darkest comic book films ever. (Photo: Twitter/@DavidAyerMovies)
The Joker is Back
Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club) will follow in the footsteps of Cesar Romero, Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger to play the iconic character. Leto, who practiced method acting for the role, gave each cast member a gift from the Joker. Margot Robbie kept the live rat that was gifted to her because, "if Harley got something from Joker, she'd probably cherish it." In the comics, the Clown Prince of Crime is not a member of the Suicide Squad. (Photo: DC Entertainment)
Will Smith Plays The Sharpshooter Deadshot
Will Smith, who rarely plays a bad guy, will fill the role of Floyd Lawton, a.k.a. Deadshot. In the comic books, Deadshot is a man looking to die a spectacular death, but the trailer hints that Lawton is cooperating for his daughter's sake. (Photo: DC Entertainment)
Harley Quinn Makes Her Big-Screen Debut
Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street) will deliver the first live-action performance of Harley Quinn. Quinn is a psychiatrist who falls in love with the Joker. The trailer hints that Mr. J may force Quinn to break bad. (Photo: DC Entertainment)
The Caped Crusader Returns
Of course, if Joker is involved, then Batman has to be close behind. In the Comic-Con trailer, Batman is seen jumping on top of the Joker's metallic Lamborghini. (Photo: DC Entertainment)
Amanda Waller Oversees Task Force X
Viola Davis (The Help) will play high-ranking government official Amanda Waller, who supervises Task Force X. Davis described Waller as someone "ready to pick up a gun and shoot anyone at will." Just what you want from your fearless leader. (Photo: DC Entertainment)
Cara Delevingne Gets Enchanted
Supermodel Cara Delevingne (Paper Towns) will portray June Moone in the comic-book adaption. In the trailer, Moone is exploring a cave that might be filled with evil. One shot in the sneak peek shows Moone struggling with her transformation into Enchantress. (Photo: DC Entertainment)
Killer Croc Looks Terrifying
Waylon Jones, known as Killer Croc in DC's comics, will be played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Lost). In the teaser trailer, Croc looks to be more human than reptile, which is different from how he's portrayed in the comic books. (Photo: DC Entertainment)
A Boomerang is Not a Toy
Jai Courtney, who was up for the role of Deadshot, will play Australian badass Captain Boomerang. In the comics, George "Digger' Harkness uses his altered boomerang as a deadly weapon. (Photo: DC Entertainment)
Rick Flag Leads Task Force X
Tom Hardy (Bane from The Dark Knight Rises) was originally cast as Rick Flag in Suicide Squad, but a scheduling conflict opened up the role for Joel Kinnaman (Robocop). Details about his character as scarce, but the comics depict Flag as the reluctant leader of Task Force X.
By Anonymous on Jul 17, 2015 07:30 pm
 With the tragic passing of Nintendo President Satoru Iwata, Danny looks back at his remarkable life, and the lessons that gamers and developers should learn from it.
By Anonymous on Jul 17, 2015 06:30 pm
 Wargaming is bringing back World of Tanks' Lunar mode in honour of the Apollo 11 moon landing.
By Anonymous on Jul 17, 2015 06:24 am
There are few metaphors more persistent in gaming than the massively multiplayer role-playing game as an amusement park. World of Warcraft sets players loose in a playground not dissimilar to Disney World. You're let loose in zones with varying themes, and you mark the checkboxes of all of the fun things you're supposed to do: slay Arthas, ride the Tower of Terror, collect six rabbit's feet, get your commemorative photo, and so forth. Disney World in particular always felt like the logical extension of that amusement park analogy. You wait your turn to take part in your own hyper-condensed version of a bigger story. But what happens when that ride breaks down? What happens when you're stuck in your log and you see Br'er Bear pop out of his hiding hole for the fourth time on Splash Mountain? What happens when the Rock 'n' Rollercoaster breaks down and you can see the party in the car ahead of you? The magic is gone, the illusion is shattered. Without just enough visual distractions to take your mind off of it, you're reminded that you paid exorbitant gobs of money to wait in a line all day. With The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited, ZeniMax Online Studios has crafted a virtual playground of great scale and beauty, but you're always one second away from seeing the skeleton beneath the game's shimmering fantasy facade. An adventure begins. The game was originally released on PC last year to mixed responses. Of course, a lot can change in MMOGs over the course of a year, and while ZeniMax Online Studios hasn't branded the console release as a Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn-style re-invention of the game, the steady stream of major patches represent somewhat of a course correction. And while many improvements have been made to The Elder Scrolls Online, they only serve to remind us of how inconsistent the game's base structure is. The Elder Scrolls Online is set 1000 years before Skyrim. I won't delve too much into the plot (the game is committed to telling a sweeping fantasy tale); suffice it to say, you play as the Vestige, a soulless adventurer killed by the servants of Daedric prince Molag Bal--think Snow Lucifer--who has been given a second chance at life. You scour the continent of Tamriel fighting demonic invasions and the political upheaval of the continent's three major military alliances. Your time is spent undertaking three major activities: questing, fighting, and exploring. On each of these core fronts, The Elder Scrolls Online is, at best, a glorious and inviting facade of the fantastic game it might have been, and at worst, a tedious tour of the relics of MMOG and RPG design that we've moved past in the last ten years. Did I accidentally make Snake Plissken, the Wood Elf?That inviting facade is key to the whole experience, and what kept my several score hours with the game from being actively miserable. The Elder Scrolls Online does away with quests in which you're asked to perform an endless chain of "kill X enemies" or "collect X items" quests. The Elder Scrolls Online's quests are inviting, often extending further and deeper just when you think a quest has reached its end. Right out of the gate, my Bosmer Nightblade in the Elven (and Khajiti) Aldmerri Dominion was thwarting royal assassinations by radical hate groups, building alliances with island nations, and uncovering Daedric plots to infiltrate the government. The actual actions involved are standard RPG fare ("beat Boss A," "talk to Characters B and C," "work your way through Dungeon D to find MacGuffin E"), but I can remember the quests in The Elder Scrolls Online, which I simply can't in other MMOGs. Unfortunately, the effort the developer puts into making these quests memorable, large-scale undertakings begins to work against itself at every turn. The Elder Scrolls Online has the personality and expressiveness of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney World (to return to my original metaphor). It's a fun distraction at first, but the second you pay any real attention, you notice that characters have the emotional range of a lower-tier soap opera and that every line of dialogue is pure exposition devoid of spark. There is enough voice acting to make Star Wars: The Old Republic jealous, but the stale dialogue invites you to zone out every time a character begins to speak. So while I can remember each of my thrilling adventures in Tamriel because the active engagement payoff is so high, I remember snatches of character names here and there but too few details of my ultimate purpose. Even characters who make promising introductions fall flat when the game keeps insisting on telling you about them instead of showing you who they are. I could move past that. That's nearly Bethesda's whole metier at this point. It was much harder to move past The Elder Scrolls Online's inability to reconcile its single-player roots with its newfound MMOG playground. ESO's cherry blossom game is on point.It's 2015 (even if the base game was released in 2014), and MMOGs have discovered that phasing is an effective way to deliver the immersion of single-player- and/or small-group-centric storytelling without sacrificing the larger social experience. The Elder Scrolls Online uses phasing. It uses phasing a lot. If you clear a village of marauding pirates or reverse the curse that has all the forest's woodland creatures attacking you, the problem is fixed forever. You can traverse these portions of the map in peace--although that is often less "phasing" than "all these enemies are now corpses on your visual of the map" or "all enemies' aggro meters have been set to neutral." It is hilarious to see wolves that were just docile with you attacking a new player who comes wandering into the area as you're leaving. The more glaring problems arrive when you see multiple versions of the same NPC wandering around (or one alive version and another dead one lying by his feet) or you're fighting enemies that only you are meant to engage for very specific plot reasons but dozens of other players are swarming around you. That suspension of disbelief is part of the genre, but the game goes so far out of its way to make you feel like the star of the show that dealing with other "stars" constantly draws you out of the experience. In combat, The Elder Scrolls Online falls into the same rut. On paper, a traditional The Elder Scrolls combat system in an MMOG seems like the perfect antidote to the stale "memorize your hotkey ability rotation" nature of MMOG combat. Unfortunately, that's just what this game becomes, and when it's experienced from the first-person perspective (a mode I stuck to for the game's undeniable strong suit: exploration), attacks have little impact. You can fill an enemy full of arrows, but unless the stated effect of that attack is to physically move the enemy, you'll barely be able to tell whether you hit them without seeing their health bar drain. Combat animations have improved dramatically since launch, but combat still boils down to draining the health of one cluster of damage-sponge enemies after another with little thought or tactics needed outside of larger boss fights. And God forbid you experiment too much with the game's open-ended skill system because, early on, failing to stick to a single, solid build will make your character utterly ill-equipped for the most challenging combat encounters. The good news about combat is that the The Elder Scrolls Online's transition to consoles should finally lay to rest the tired notion that MMOGs can only work on PC. Because the game limits your ability rotation to only a handful of active powers at once, using a controller is a painless process, and a first-person, open-world experience like this one translates nicely to the range of motion and view of analog sticks. Wandering Tamriel and fighting enemies with a controller in hand is a natural process, presuming The Elder Scrolls Online isn't getting in its own way in other respects. If you stripped away the sluggish combat and hollow questing, you'd be left with the most gorgeous fantasy hiking simulator this side of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
If you stripped away the sluggish combat and hollow questing, you'd be left with the most gorgeous fantasy hiking simulator this side of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Whether you investigate the jungle Khajiti ruins of the island of Khenarthi's Roost, the vaguely Aegean coasts of Auridon, or the swampy, great forest of the Grahtwood, wandering across Tamriel is a transportive experience. The Elder Scrolls Online embraces a vibrant, warm color palette that is in stark contrast to the muddy browns and muted greens that make up so much of fantasy gaming today, and the various little details--the way in which each town's torch sconces are centered around different themes, the intricate lattice work in the art of the tree homes in Grahtwood, the room of a deranged Misery-esque murderer in the forest set up as a skeletal performance show--create a world in which you constantly say to yourself, "I have to see more." But, even in the game's greatest triumph, the half-cooked shell makes an appearance. Interiors are repeated ad nauseum. If you've been in one large manor estate, you've been in them all. Your Ayleid ruins are the same corridor, antechamber, looping corridor, antechamber, looping to entrance corridor design. Watch towers are all one room and a viewing area. For a game that makes such great effort to create an external world full of endless wonder and a never-ending supply of things to do (though there's a good chance you'll have to enter player-versus-player regions to level properly because of the scarcity of XP rewards), entering dungeons, homes, and castles is a consistently tepid experience. Alas, poor Yorick, I knew him.Speaking of PvP, The Elder Scrolls Online's approach is one area in which the game nearly gets things completely right. Utilizing a siege system similar to the one in Dark Age of Camelot--whose former devs make up much of the development team--the PvP focuses on interfactional warfare on the enormous map of Cyrodiil. How big is this map? This is the entirety of Cyrodiil--not individual regions; it spans the overworld space of all of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. If you want to capture the lonely adventure of a single-player experience, pick a direction on the map and ride off into the distance. You likely won't see other players for long stretches at a time. Cyrodiil offers PvE content in addition to PvP, but there's not enough of it to justify the map's enormous size, which becomes PvP's fatal downfall. If you haven't purchased your mount yet, getting anywhere on the PvP map takes ages (and mounts don't greatly reduce the tedium of travel, besides). Fast travel locations are limited to the keeps your faction controls, and if you have an objective on the other end of the map, you'd better hope you have a good thirty minutes or so to ride in one direction until you reach it. And if five minutes before you reach your destination, you stumble across a higher-level player who then murders you--because this is war after all--you get to make that long ride all over again. Does it add tension to the PvP experience? Absolutely. But when you often have to return to that portion of the game just to properly level up, it becomes a hair-pulling time-sink. That can't be good.Maybe I'm a masochist, but I suspect I'll continue to return to The Elder Scrolls Online in the months ahead. Without a monthly subscription, my inner-Magellan is willing to weather the troubles just to see more of Tamriel. At no point have I thought to myself, "Alright, I've seen enough of this world." If exploration doesn't speak to you at some primal level, The Elder Scrolls Online is an easy pass (Final Fantasy XIV, WoW, and Guild Wars 2 are all much better uses of your money), but, to paraphrase a certain Jack Twist, Tamriel, I wish I knew how to quit you.
By Anonymous on Jul 17, 2015 05:05 am
15. The Death Star
That's no moon. It's a space station—a space station that houses the greatest weapon in the galaxy. The Death Star has the power to destroy whole worlds in a single burst from its superlaser. Princess Leia learns that the hard way when Governor Tarkin orders the destruction of her home world, Alderaan. But thanks to her brother's connection to the Force, and a crucial design flaw in the Death Star's plans, the Empire loses its greatest power. (Photo by: Lucasfilm)
14. Dirty Harry's Revolver
No punk should feel lucky to face a .44 Magnum pistol, especially when it's in the hands of antihero cop Dirty Harry. The Smith & Wesson Model 29 revolver remains popular after famously debuting in the hands of Clint Eastwood's gritty action star. (Photo by: Warner Bros.)
13. The Ghostbusters' Proton Packs
Fine: It's more containment device than full-on weapon. Just don't call the proton pack a toy—at least in front of Egon. When there's something strange in your neighborhood, the Ghostbusters don their proton packs to suck up unseemly ghouls. With a half-life of 5,000 years, the packs are the best long-term defense against the immortal dead. (Photo by: Columbia Pictures)
12. The Noisy Cricket
Despite its comically tiny size, The Noisy Cricket packs quite a punch against the most aggressive aliens. At first, Agent J is disappointed to receive the small gun, given the massive MIB arsenal. Little does he know how powerfully it can shoot ... or how far the recoil can throw him backwards. (Photo by: Columbia Pictures)
11. Beatrix Kiddo's Katana
In the hands of The Bride/Beatrix Kiddo, the samurai sword illustrates exactly why she is also known as Black Mamba. The former assassin takes her vengeance to a legendary level at the House of Blue Leaves thanks to her "Japanese steel." The Crazy 88 never stand a chance. (Photo by: Miramax Films)
10. Thor's Hammer
"Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor." Mjolnir isn't just a fancy hammer. It's quite literally what makes Thor, Thor. Imbuing the worthy Asgardian with the ability to fly and direct bolts of electricity, Mjolnir's also pretty good at just plain hammering. When Thor and Captain America join forces with their respective awesome weapons, as they did in Avengers: Age of Ultron, no HYDRA agent can stop them. (Photo by: Zade Rosenthal/Marvel)
9. Bruce Lee
Martial arts action movie legend Bruce Lee popularized nunchucks on the silver screen, but the most imposing weapon he shows off in his films is his own unadorned body. Despite starring in only a handful of kung fu films, his onscreen skills show that no one can match the hands and feet he was born with. (Photo by: Orange Sky Golden Harvest Entertainment)
8. Indiana Jones' Whip
Indy without his whip is just any old archaeologist with a cool hat. The globe-trotting adventurer uses his bullwhip to evade booby traps, climb out of sticky situations, and fight off bad guys. Then again, sometimes a regular ol' gun works in a pinch against sinister sword-wielding men. (Photo by: Lucasfilm Ltd.)
7. Sting
Featured in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, Sting is Bilbo Baggins's trusty Elvish blade, which glows blue when orcs and goblins are near. It may be just a dagger for men and elves, but for a hobbit, Sting is the perfect sword. Wielded by Bilbo, Frodo, and even Sam, Sting plays a crucial role in ensuring the defeat of the evil Sauron and the One Ring. (Photo by: Warner Bros.)
6. Identity Disc
You have to hand it to Tron and Tron: Legacy: They may not win any screenwriting accolades, but they sure have awesome gadgets. The multifunction Identity Disc or Light Disc isn't just a sleek throwing weapon and gaming device. It's also the soul of the Program who wields it. They're like weaponized smart phones; they do it all! (Photo credit by: Disney)
5. Scarface's Machine Gun
Scarface's little friend is anything but amicable. The M-16A1 equipped with a grenade launcher allows the Miami drug kingpin Tony Montana to go out in a blaze of glory on his terms. (Photo by: Universal Pictures)
4. The Elder Wand
While all of the wands in the Wizarding World hold an innumerable power, at least for Muggles, it is the legendary Elder Wand that stands above all the rest. One of the Deathly Hallows, legend has it that it's the most powerful wand ever created. (Photo by: Warner Bros.)
3. Captain America's Shield
Not to be confused with S.H.I.E.L.D., Captain America's shield is just as iconic as the superhero who wields it. Made from near indestructible vibranium metal, the shield serves as the perfect defense for a near-indestructible hero. In the hands of Steve Rogers, the shield can also reflect back energy from collisions and bounce around as a giant flying discus—much to every villain's chagrin. (Photo by: Zade Rosenthal/Marvel)
2. Katniss Everdeen's Bow And Arrow
Katniss Everdeen takes matters into her own hands, hunting for her family's survival and defending herself when fighting in the Hunger Games. Her skill with the bow and arrow also marks her as an inspiration for the people of the Districts as a symbol against the totalitarian Capitol. (Photo by Murray Close/Lionsgate)
1. All the lightsabers
The combination of an unforgettable sound effect with an illuminated sword that can cut through anything and anyone makes for one of the most badass movie weapons ever. Blue, green, red, or purple—every lightsaber tells something about the warrior. Even the most critically panned of the Star Wars movies, The Phantom Menace, features mind-blowing laser sword moments starring Darth Maul's double-bladed red lightsaber. (Photo by: Corbis/Lucasfilm Ltd.)
By Anonymous on Jul 17, 2015 04:30 am
 The Uncharted Collection is dropping motion controls and adding difficulty, and Call of Duty developers think space is too sci-fi for the series.
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