News
104 CommentsFormer Valve employee seeks $3.1M in transgender discrimination suit
A former translator for Valve Corporation is suing the game maker for more than $3 million, alleging that her supervisor at the company created a hostile work environment by referring to her as "it" following her sex reassignment surgery, according to the suit obtained by Polygon.
The employee, who is identified only by initials in the lawsuit, also says that Valve fired her after she complained to human resources about the company's practice of "utilizing people who were interested in their products to provide translation services for free."
The unnamed litigant also notes discrimination, retaliation and four other causes for her lawsuit. We've reached out to Valve for additional comment and will update this story when they respond.
The suit was filed on April 12, 2016, and Valve...
News
0 CommentsDishonored novels, comics will bridge the gap before the sequel hits
Bethesda Softworks announced that the world of Dishonored will soon receive its own comic and novel tie-ins. Starting this summer, Titan Comics and Books will publish two miniseries set after the end of Dishonored, leading into this November's Dishonored 2.
The first issue of the four-part comic series will arrive Aug. 3, according to Bethesda, with two more issues coming in September before the series concludes in October. The full collection will come to bookstores Nov. 29. The comics will depict assassin Corvo Attano's attempt to find a successor, 12 years after his adventure in Dishonored wrapped.
These events will take place before the events of Dishonored 2, the upcoming sequel starring a grown-up Emily Kaldwin, who first appeared as a child in Dishonored. But Dishonored — The...
Cover Story
Issue
19
May 25, 2016
Designing Mirror’s Edge: The making of a franchise
Go behind the scenes with DICE on the creation of Mirror’s Edge and Mirror’s Edge Catalyst.
Read moreMovies
4 CommentsNew Star Wars: Rogue One characters, vehicle debut on Celebration poster
Star Wars Celebration, Lucasfilm's annual convention dedicated to everything and anything Star Wars, has an official poster with added details for those looking for some insight into the series' next film, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
The poster, which debuted during Disney and Lucasfilm’s weekly Star Wars show, which you can watch above, mainly features the actors from The Force Awakens, including Daisy Ridley and John Boyega. Upon further inspection, however, you can see a new stormtrooper and AT-AT, along with a closer look at Rogue One’s death troopers.
The newest stormtrooper, which can be seen in the bottom left-hand corner of the poster, is called a shoretrooper. There isn't too much known about the shoretrooper, but based on their name, it's pretty apparent that they'll be...
TV
0 CommentsFX renews The Americans for final two seasons
The Americans' showrunners will be able to finish out the series the way they want to — FX has agreed to air two more seasons of the acclaimed drama, the network announced today.
The fourth season of The Americans is currently airing on FX; the 11th of the season's 13 episodes debuts tonight. Season 5 will also feature 13 episodes, and will air next year. The sixth and final season will run for 10 episodes in 2018.
"It's hard to believe we're heading into the final stretch on The Americans, and we're so grateful to know we'll be telling the story to its conclusion," said Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg, executive producers and co-showrunners on the series, in a press release.
From Vox.com
The Americans is back — and it's still the best-kept secret on TV
...
News
4 CommentsThe best PlayStation 3 games are now sold for cheap on PlayStation Store
It's been 10 years since the PlayStation 3 launched, and the PlayStation Store is now taking a look back at the console's best games. The storefront is doing more than recognizing the greatest PS3 titles from the past 10 years, though — Sony is now selling them at a major discount.
New collections of great PS3 games, grouped by genre, publisher, series and other categories, are highlighted on the PlayStation Store. Prices on these titles run from $9.99 and up from now on. Consult our list below for some of the best deals on the PS3's best games.
(PlayStation fans should be aware that this "best of" collection includes Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 and ... Duck Dynasty? We're not sure what metric Sony is going by.)
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves — Game of the Year Edition: $9.99
The Last of...
News
1 CommentThe Raving Rabbids return with a collectible card game on mobile
Ubisoft is bringing back the Raving Rabbids for a new game: Rabbids Heroes, out on iOS and Android. Currently available in Canada, the mobile title is a fantasy-based trading card game in the vein of Hearthstone, Magic: The Gathering and other popular series.
Rabbids will duel in card-based fights as they try to head back to the Moon, where they originally came from. There's PvP options, touch-based controls and lots of shouting, as those familiar with the zombified creatures have come to expect. Check out the trailer up top to see all of this in action — including a card design that Hearthstone fans might find familiar.
This is the first time the multimedia franchise's stars have returned to their gaming roots in two years. The last time we saw the Rabbids was in Rabbids Invasion:...
News
5 CommentsMirror's Edge being adapted for television
Mirror's Edge is on its way to television — Endemol Shine Studios has acquired the rights to adapt Electronic Arts' first-person parkour franchise as a "female-centered action series," reports Deadline.
Cover Story
Designing Mirror's Edge: The making of a franchise
"We clearly see Mirror’s Edge as a franchise for the global TV audience," said Sharon Hall, president of Endemol Shine Studios, in a statement to Deadline. "It has a strong female protagonist, a wildly rabid fan base and a worldwide brand that Electronic Arts and EA DICE have done an amazing job establishing."
Endemol Shine Studios handles scripted programming for Endemol Shine North America, and produces television shows such as AMC's Hell on Wheels. Endemol Shine North America also...
Latest Reviews
Movies
3 CommentsRare teaser for Star Wars: Return of the Jedi unearthed
It may be almost four decades old, but relics surrounding Star Wars are still being uncovered and revealed.
This time, The Academy of Motion Picture Art and Science has posted a rare teaser trailer for the third film in the franchise, Return of the Jedi, on YouTube. You can see it in the video above.
Before the film had its name changed to Return of the Jedi, it was called Revenge of the Jedi. Originally called Revenge of the Jedi, after the first posters went out Lucas was reminded by fans — in the words of Yoda himself in The Empire Strikes Back — that revenge was not a value of the Jedi, so the title was changed. The original teaser trailers for the film all ran with the Revenge of the Jedi title, promising the third movie would arrive on May 25, 1983.
E...
Opinion
18 CommentsMighty No. 9's new trailer is a 'masterclass' in Marketing 101 failures
The title of the latest trailer for Mighty No. 9, which launches June 21, is "Masterclass," and the video does in fact work as a teachable example of what not to do when promoting your game.
The trailer's description states that "Mighty No. 9 is a side-scrolling action game that takes the best elements from 8- and 16-bit classics you know and love and transforms them with modern tech, fresh mechanics and fan input into something fresh and amazing!"
That may be the case, but the video embodies none of these qualities. It betrays its own description and seems to miss the mark on some basic marketing best practices.
What went wrong here? Let's dive in.
SHOW, DON'T TELL
Video games are a visual medium. They are often the best product to implement a "show, don't tell" strategy, which...
Video
5 CommentsLearn about Overwatch's quirks in this myth-busting video
Overwatch officially launched yesterday, and considering the millions of people who tried out the game before release, it's not surprising that players had plenty of questions about how things work in this first-person shooter. Thankfully, the folks at DefendTheHouse are here with the latest installment in their "Myths" series.
What's the difference between Mercy's and Lúcio's healing abilities? Can you get crushed by a frozen Mei? The video definitively answers these questions and many more, so watch it for a leg up before you hop into your next Overwatch match.
Overwatch is available on PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One. Check out our guide to the game's extensive lore for more details.
News
2 CommentsHatoful Boyfriend is now on iOS so you can date pigeons on the go
Hatoful Boyfriend, the unique dating sim starring a cast of pigeons, is now available on iOS. Fans of birds, romance and everything in between can pick it up for $4.99.
Based on its App Store description, the game doesn't deviate much from its original Windows PC and Mac release. Players will again balance school and dating as students of St. PigeoNation's Institute, where verbose pigeons walk the halls. There's a twist, though, as the game heads to some dark places later on.
For those without a Steam account, an iPhone or an iPad, Hatoful Boyfriend recently made its way onto PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita as well. A sequel, Holiday Star, launched on all of these platforms in 2015; it tells new side stories starring the avian characters.
Read our review to find out just if and...
News
4 CommentsDestiny's Iron Banner is back right now
Destiny's on-again-off-again multiplayer event, the Iron Banner, is now live with Control as the game type, developer Bungie announced today.
Bungie had put the Iron Banner, as well as the Trials of Osiris, on hold last week after players discovered an exploit that allowed them to generate unlimited ammunition for some of Destiny's most powerful weapons.
"We're pleased to report that our work on that front is done, and [that Lord Saladin] has been granted clearance to set up shop at his usual haunt in the Tower," said Bungie in a blog post.
This week's Iron Banner will run until the next weekly reset, which will occur at 5 a.m ET on Tuesday, May 31. Iron Banner combatants will be able to earn gauntlets (including PlayStation-exclusive ones), chest pieces, sidearms and fusion rifles....
Movies
3 CommentsOriginal Fast and Furious returning to theaters for one-day event
To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the original Fast and Furious movie, Universal is bringing the film back to theaters for one day only.
The film will play in most major cineplexes across the United States on June 22. Tickets for the film can be purchased here. First released in 2001, The Fast and Furious grossed $207 million worldwide, not only spawning a sequel, but leading to one of the biggest action franchises in history.
Vin Diesel, star of the franchise and one of the creative leads behind the films, told Entertainment Weekly that it was the movie that changed his life. He called the experience surreal, and said one of the best outcomes that came out of doing the films was the relationship he developed with Paul Walker. Walker, who starred in every movie with the exception...
News
8 CommentsMass Effect trilogy, Peggle and more are now available in the Origin Vault
The full Mass Effect trilogy, plus Peggle, Trine and Trine 2, are now in the library of games available to Origin Access subscribers on PC. The six games are the latest to join Electronic Arts' subscription service, which launched on Windows PC earlier this year as part of its Origin digital distribution platform.
The standard versions of Mass Effect and Peggle are available, while Access members can download the digital deluxe editions of Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3, as well as the enhanced versions of Trine and its sequel, for free. Each of these come with bonus items like downloadable content, art books and more.
For $4.99 a month, subscribers get discounts on downloadable content and access to early trials of upcoming EA games. Games in the Origin Vault are available at no...
Culture
3 CommentsJapan's Retro Games Master tries to catch every original Pokémon before Sun and Moon launch
Nintendo is collaborating with Game Center CX, a popular Japanese variety show, on a new video series, in which the series' host will embark upon the ultimate challenge: catching every Pokémon in the original Game Boy games. From now until Nov. 18 — when the series' latest games Pokémon Sun and Moon launch — the "Retro Game Master" Shinya Arino will attempt to add new meaning to his title.
The first episode premiered on Nintendo Japan's Topics blog, which hosts news and stories about gaming culture. You can watch the half-hour installment above to see how successful Arino is on his first Pokémon outing. It's in Japanese without English subtitles, but longtime Pokémon fans should be able to follow along with ease.
Arino is playing Japan-only Pokémon Green on Nintendo 3DS; the Virtual...
News
7 CommentsNintendo offering The Legend of Zelda Wii U demo to 500 lucky fans during E3 week
Nintendo will invite 500 The Legend of Zelda fans to try out the upcoming Wii U game themselves after its appearance at E3 2016 next month, the company announced. Starting June 11, fans will have a chance to sign up for their own hands-on demo with The Legend of Zelda during a six-day event in New York City.
Must Read
E3 2016 for Nintendo: Facts, Rumors and Speculation
Of course, it won't be so easy: June 11 is "Super-Fan Signup Day," Nintendo said, with the doors to Nintendo NY in Rockefeller Center opening at 9 a.m. ET to allow 500 people to register for some face time with the new Zelda. (The line will start to form at 7 a.m. ET that morning, the company mentioned.)
Then, from June 14-19, those lucky fans will get to try out the game themselves. After streaming...
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