Welcome to Another Year at the Movies with Jordan Jeffries. Just a few weeks ago I stopped by the 2015 MoCCA Arts Festival (hosted by the Society of Illustrators) in New York City, sort of like Artists’ Alley at Comic-Con minus the rest of Comic-Con and only the artists. There I stumbled across and discovered one amazing, unforgettable comic book dedicated to a love of movies, titled Matinee Junkie. It was written and illustrated by cinephile Jordan Jeffries from New Jersey. I bought a copy of year one and the sequel, Matinee Junkie 2 (for 2014), which recaps each a year of his life as connected to the films he saw – including a full-size scan of the ticket stub. This is a must read comic book for any/every last movie lover out there. ›››
Xbox One murder mystery game D4: Dark Dream’s Don’t Die is coming to PC. Director Hidetaka Suehiro, who is perhaps better known by his nickname, Swery, announced the news today in Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu and on Twitter.
“Yes. D4 will be release for PC. #ThanksObama,” he wrote.
D4 was released for Xbox One in September 2014, and GameSpot gave the title a 7.0. Reviewer Kevin VanOrd praised its ridiculous story and atmosphere, while lamenting its stereotypical characters and several slow stretches that bogged down the pace.
Microsoft is breaking from the mold of past E3 showings and will try something different this year at the marquee industry event to be held this June in Los Angeles. We already knew that Microsoft was planning to focus more on first-party games this year, but now Head of Xbox boss Phil Spencer has teased even more ways in which the company plans to shake things up when all eyes on on the Xbox company.
Spencer speaking at E3 2015
Responding to a fan’s question on Twitter about Microsoft’s plans for E3 this year, Spencer said Microsoft will have “some interesting changes this year for briefing and the week.”
“I like it when we test ourselves to do better each year.”
Spencer went on to say that Microsoft will talk about not only Xbox One games, but also titles for PC. “We’ll have some of both,” he explained.
Microsoft has not yet announced when it will hold its E3 press conference. But the likely bet would the Monday morning of E3 week. That would mean sometime on June 15, after Bethesda’s the night earlier, and before Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, and Sony later in the day.
What are you hoping to see from Microsoft at E3 this summer? Let us know in the comments below!
Retailer Best Buy has rolled out a new offer where shoppers can buy a new Xbox One for just $175. It’s one of the best deals on Microsoft’s new console we’ve ever come across, and here’s how it works.
Trade in a working Xbox 360 (250 GB) or a PlayStation 3 Slim (120 GB) at a participating store in the United States (see all stores here), and you’ll receive a $175 credit toward the purchase of a new Xbox One. This comes in the form of a $75 coupon towards the console and a $100 Best Buy gift card.
But what it ultimately means is that you’ll be able to buy the $350 console for just $175.
To be eligible for the full trade credit, your console must include an AC adapter/power cord, it needs to be able to power on, and it must not be damaged or have its warranty seal broken. Best Buy also warns that “some stores may have additional limitations” and that there is a limit of one trade per person.
As always, it’s a good idea to call your local Best Buy before heading out. Best Buy’s Xbox One trade-in deal is valid now through May 2, and is good in-store only.
GameStop offered a similar deal earlier in the month, where shoppers could receive a $125 credit toward the purchase of a new Xbox One, meaning they could get the system for just $225. But this deal ended just last weekend.
Following the recent release of the FFXV demo, Square Enix says it doesn’t have time for a major E3 showcase.
Key new details on Final Fantasy XV will not be revealed at this year’s E3 event in June, according to the game’s director Hajime Tabata.
Speaking on the latest Active Time Report–a semi-regular video briefing presented by publisher Square Enix–Tabata explained that the team has instead targeted the Gamescom event in August for its next major promotion and marketing initiative.
“I think most people are expecting a big reveal around E3,” he said in the video embedded below.
“E3 doesn’t give us sufficient time to fully prepare [to release pertinent information about the game]. So I have been discussing with our marketing teams, and we’ve actually been considering Gamescom in August, instead of E3, as the target for the next major reveal.
“So we’ll be taking a break from E3 this year,” he said.
Sitting alongside Tabata in the video is Square Enix marketing manager Akio Ofuji, who added that Final Fantasy XV will not likely be completely absent from the Los Angeles event.
“I think we’ll still prepare a short trailer for E3, but I think it’ll serve as a segue into our Gamescom plans, and make you all excited for what’s ahead,” he said.
Tabata added that, while the FFXV development team will be relatively quiet in the months of May, June, and July, there are extensive marketing opportunities in the months that follow.
“Promotion for the main title will officially begin at Gamescom. Right after that, there is PAX Prime in North America at the end of August to early September. Then in mid-September, we have TGS in Japan. This group of events will be the platform for our reboot, or restart if you will, towards the release of the main game.”
Elsewhere in the 84-minute video, Tabata and Ofuji outline fifteen feedback points that they are taking on board for the Final Fantasy 15 demo. A recent survey, issued to those who had access to the demo, sought feedback on what areas required more work.
Take a look below for the latest screenshots for Final Fantasy 15.
Click on the thumbnails below to view in full-screen
Developer Iron Galaxy has released a new trailer for Xbox One fighting game Killer Instinct that shows off the fiery fighter Cinder and even teases the new playable character, Aria.
The video, humorously narrated by Cinder himself, shows off some of his deadly moves. One move allows Cinder to launch fireballs that attach to his foes, which can be detonated at will. “I like this new me: stronger, faster, burn-ier,” he quips in the video.
Cinder will be available in Killer Instinct on April 30 for as part of the Season 2 Ultra Edition, while the character will launch through the Season 2 Combo Breaker expansion on May 6.
Make sure to watch through the end of the video, as it culminates with a brief teaser for the game’s next playable fighter, Aria. A creepy voicover says, “Oh no. Not. Just. Yet.” Outside of her connection with the fictional Ultratech group, no further information about Aria is available.
Killer Instinct, a free-to-play game, was released in November 2013 as an Xbox One launch title. The game’s original developer, Double Helix, was later acquired by Amazon. Now, Iron Galaxy is working on continued support for the game alongside Microsoft.
Developer Avalanche Studios has aired the world’s first look at Just Cause 3 gameplay, with a video montage said to be captured directly from a console.
The video showcases the extent of Just Cause 3’s potential for unrelenting destruction, with helicopter dog fights, high-speed car chases, planes ripping through pylon structures, and entire facilities going up in plumes of fire.
Between these scenes of destruction, the short trailer also hints at the exotic splendour of Just Cause 3’s Mediterranean archipelago, Medici. Players are tasked with finding enemy bases within this fictional set of islands, as well as its propaganda billboards and loudspeakers, all of which must be destroyed. As the trailer shows, such obliteration can be approached creatively:
Publisher Square Enix said those who pre-order Just Cause 3 will be given the Weaponised Vehicle Pack, shown at the end of the trailer. This bonus content comes with three “exclusive luxury vehicles primed for action and fully loaded with the firepower to kick-start a revolution.”
Electronic Arts has admitted that its refusal to provide refunds for games purchased digitally via Origin was against Australian consumer law and is amending its refund policy after being warned by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Kotaku Australia reports.
According to the report, the publisher will also be setting up a contact number for Australian consumers who digitally purchased a faulty video game via Origin after January 2012. At the time of writing, users are able to refund a game on Origin within 24 hours after it is first launched, within seven days from the date of purchase, or within seven days from the game’s release date if it was pre-ordered; whichever condition comes first.
“Businesses such as EA selling digitally downloadable goods cannot avoid their responsibilities under the Australian Consumer Law just because they are located outside of Australia,” ACCC Chairman Rod Sims said in a statement.
“It is a breach of the Australian Consumer Law for businesses to state that customers are not entitled to refunds under any circumstances. Where a product has a major failure, consumers can insist on a refund or replacement at their choice. Representations that this right has or can be excluded, restricted or modified are false or misleading,” Sims said.
In a statement sent to GameSpot, EA regional public relations manager for Asia Pacific Snezana Stojanovska said, “We’re pleased to have worked co-operatively with the ACCC to resolve the ACCC’s concerns and ensure our players in Australia have the best possible experience when purchasing and playing EA games. In addition to rights available to our players under the Australian Consumer Law, we are also proud to offer our global, industry-leading Great Game Guarantee that allows for digital returns within certain timeframes if anyone is not satisfied with a digitally-downloaded game from EA.” More details on the EA’s Great Game Guarantee can be found on the Origin website.
A new Five Nights at Freddy’s game has been teased by creator Scott Cawthon via an image on his website. According to the image, the game will be out this year on Halloween and is titled Five Nights at Freddy’s 4: The Final Chapter, which insinuates that it will be the final game in the series.
Drag the slider to see the brightened image.
The image features a creepy new take on Freddy Fazbear, the animatronic character featured in the previous games, holding a top hat. The text can be a bit hard to make out without bumping up the contrast, as I’ve done above. No additional details were revealed about the game.
Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 is the most recent entry in the series and was released in March this year. The original Five Nights at Freddy’s was well-received in GameSpot’s review, praised for its dark humour, ability to invoke “heart-pounding terror,” and story delivery. A film adaptation of the game is also in the works with Roy Lee (The Departed, The LEGO Movie) and Seth Grahame-Smith and David Katzenberg of KatzSmith Productions (the upcoming Beetlejuice sequel) signed on as producers.
The Five Nights at Freddy’s Games are available to purchase on Steam and the iTunes Apple Store.
