Tuesday, February 21, 2017

News:: The co-founder of Nintendo of America, Alan Stone, passed away last Friday

There are plenty of people who have helped create something far bigger than themselves and never received proper credit. Most of us associate Nintendo of America with Reggie Fils-Aimé, but there was an even bigger man behind Nintendo's expansion into the West: Alan Stone. He was the co-founder of Nintendo of America and made great strides in distributing its arcade cabinets into the United States.

Stone helped popularize such titles as Donkey Kong and Mario Bros. in the US market. He passed away on Friday, February 17, 2017 due to an unspecified form of cancer at the age of 71. Some other career highlights for Stone include forming Far East Video during the early days of Nintendo's Western expansion, being the CEO of Sega Enterprises during the '90s, and joining the board of directors for Nanotech in 2013.

If you'd like to read more on the man's life, you can check out InterGame's write-up on his life. Our condolences go out to his family and friends.

Al Stone dies [InterGame]

The co-founder of Nintendo of America, Alan Stone, passed away last Friday screenshot



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News:: You can get Civilization III through V on the cheap in this Humble Bundle

While pretty much every main Civilization game is great, a lot of people prefer a specific entry. Be it III's refinement of the classic style of games to IV's jump to 3D, there are many different opinions about which game is the best of the bunch. I suppose having a series where everything is pretty damn good is better than one where certain entries are best left forgotten. Regardless, if you've been dying to get into the series, but have no idea where to start, why not just grab this latest Humble Bundle that includes Civilization III, IV, and V along with all of their expansions?

In the $1 tier, you'll received Civilization III Complete and Civilization IV Complete Edition. That is an incredible deal and everyone without the games should buy that. In the beat-the-average tier (currently hovering around $7.61), you'll get Civilization V, Gods & Kings, Brave New World, and the DLC collection pack along with a 20% discount on Civilization VI and 25% discount on Civilization VI Digital Deluxe.

Better yet, if you opt to spend $15, you can get everything above and Civilization: Beyond Earth with its expansion. While Beyond Earth wasn't exactly well-received by fans, spending less than $20 for four games is an awesome deal. Too bad I own everything else in the bundle, because I'm kind of tempted to get Beyond Earth.

Humble Civilization Bundle [Humble Bundle]

You can get Civilization III through V on the cheap in this Humble Bundle screenshot



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News:: A neat look at what goes into animating Overwatch highlight intros

What goes into creating a character's highlight intro for Overwatch? Far more than you might imagine.

This annotated video from Blizzard senior animator David Gibson shrinks about four days worth of animation work in Autodesk Maya down to a digestible four-minute recap. "Animating Mei's face takes the most time because of all the fine detail," he notes, "but it's the most fun."

According to Gibson, "This video was originally made and presented as part of the Overwatch Exhibit in Blizzard's Irvine Museum. I hope this video will be helpful to animation students or anyone that is interested in learning more about the computer animation process."

Speaking of, the behind-the-scenes peek on this Frosty intro led me to a related and much more in-depth talk that Gibson delivered at last year's Game Developers Conference called "Animation Bootcamp: Overwatch: How A Hero Is Mei-d." Even if you're less interested in the technical aspects of animation, this is still a fascinating watch for fans of Overwatch and Mei in particular.

[Via reddit]

A neat look at what goes into animating Overwatch highlight intros screenshot



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News:: Latest PS4 Pro deal comes with two free games, Slim with $70 value discount

Popular online retailer Newegg is offering up a decent offer on the PlayStation 4 Pro this week, moving beyond its usual PC hardware and accessories expertise.

Today on Newegg's eBay page, it has posted a PS4 Pro for the usual $399.99 but with two extra free bonus games: Dishonored 2 and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.

Paying full price for each game would cost you $120. Newegg rationalizes this as $120 bonus value, but to be more accurate the street/online price for both titles adds up to about $70 in value. Still a pretty decent deal all things considered as the PS4 Pro doesn't receive enough deals like its little brother, sans holiday seasons.

PS4 Pro Deal

PS4 Slim Deals

Dell deals

Jet deals, use code: TRIPLE15

This week also marks the last week Sony is running $50 off for its current lineup of PlayStation 4 Slim bundles. Most retailers carry this discount, but the best offers on the table as of writing are at Dell and Jet.

Newly added to the mix, Dell is now offering a bigger discounted PS4 Slim Uncharted 4 bundle for $229.99 ($70 off) with a free copy of XCOM 2 (~$30 value) as an additional incentive. Other deals at Dell includes the current drop to $250 with a bonus $50 eGift Card, or a free bonus silver controller in lieu of the gift card.

If you're going for the outright lowest price, we'll still go with Jet.com as the place to purchase. There you can apply a "first-time customer" code TRIPLE15 at checkout and snag the cheapest PS4 Slims of the year.

Given PlayStation 4 (and Xbox One S) prices are now approaching the $200 flat mark, it'll be interesting to see how much of a headwind the Nintendo Switch will face as the console makes its debut in less than two weeks.

Latest PS4 Pro deal comes with two free games, Slim with $70 value discount screenshot



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News:: Weird science: play DOOM on a Porsche 911

There's thunder and lightning flashing outside as I write this, which adds a nice bit of punctuation to the mad science that I'm writing about. I would have never believed it could be so easy, but apparently the onboard computer in the Porsche 911 is capable of running the 1993 classic, DOOM. YouTuber Vexal has posted a simple, three step hack that will allow anyone who drives a Porsche 911 to run id Software's original first person shooter through the in-dash computer. 

Amazingly, all that's required is a physical copy of the game's disc, a USB flash drive, and the car itself. As you can see if you watch the video, it took less than five minutes to get the game running. If you happen to own all of these items, try toasting some demons on your next outing.

Thanks to Tony for the tip!

Vexal [YouTube]

Weird science: play DOOM on a Porsche 911 screenshot



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News:: Sony is holding a 'Critics' Choice' PSN sale along with a $15 back offer

If you're keen to get some new games on the cheap for your PS4, you needn't look further than the PlayStation Store. Sony has you covered with some pretty decent deals in its "Critics' Choice" sale.

Highlights include Doom for $35.99, Titanfall 2 for $29.99, Rocket League for $15.99, and Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience for $29.99. There is an additional 10% discount for PS Plus members, if you happen to be one.

Along with this sale comes a "Spend $100, Get $15 Back" offer. The sale and promotion will be going on until February 28. If you manage to hit the $100 threshold, you should expect your $15 by March 14. The deals are below:

Sony is holding a 'Critics' Choice' PSN sale along with a $15 back offer screenshot

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News:: Jim Sterling prevails in his lawsuit with Digital Homicide

[Disclosure: Jim Sterling is a former reviews editor at Destructoid.]

Almost a year ago, we found out that Jim Sterling was being sued by indie developer James Romine on behalf of his studio Digital Homicide for damages in excess of $10.7 million. The alleged torts committed were 11 counts of libel. Today, an Arizona District Court judge granted the parties' stipulated motion to dismiss the case with prejudice.

On his site The Jimquisition, Sterling details the outcome while peppering in some personal commentary. This paragraph probably sums it up best: "First of all, I'm obviously pleased with the result. We filed for dismissal, because this whole thing was an instant waste of time and money that could never be recuperated. Even if this went to court and we counterclaimed, what would we get out of it? A dismissal with prejudice is even better than the simple dismissal I'd originally aimed for -- this effectively means these ludicrous charges aren't coming back."

In the Stipulated Motion for Dismissal, it's stated that both parties will bear their own attorney and filing fees. This is seemingly the sole loss Sterling will incur. Having looked through the history of the case's documents, we can state that a Notice of Settlement was never filed with the court. It's likely that this matter wasn't settled but rather that Romine opted to cut his loses. We've emailed Sterling to confirm that this is the case, but haven't received a response at time of writing.

However, in Sterling's article, he explains that his attorney talked Romine out of proceeding. "...as I understand it, the agreement to drop the suit with prejudice was the result of Hartman's [Sterling's attorney] enviable reasoning ability. The plaintiff agreed to drop his case after my lawyer explained exactly what would happen if this went to court and how we would respond."

In sifting through the case documents, it's clearly apparent that Romine was out of his depths from the beginning. At one point, the court almost dismissed the case because Romine improperly identified himself as the plaintiff. He tried to recover for Digital Homicides without listing Digital Homicides as a plaintiff.

However, Arizona Rules of Civil Procedure state that an entity other than a sole proprietorship cannot represent itself (pro se); it must retain licensed counsel. The judge partially granted Sterling's Motion to Dismiss but allowed Romine to amend his Complaint.

Similarly questionable is Romine's filing in Arizona District Court. Sterling is a resident of Mississippi and the alleged torts were committed in Mississippi. Romine seems to have propped up his argument by purchasing a t-shirt from Sterling, having it shipped to his home address in Arizona, and then asserting that Sterling does business in Arizona. Further, Romine contributed to Sterling's Patreon at a donation level of $1 per month for three months to assert that Sterling does business in Arizona. These are hoops that Romine jumped through to try to course-correct after not originally filing in the proper venue.

It was a frustrating year-long venture for Sterling, one spent combating odd assertions and misplaced delusion. But, it's over now and it won't come back. The case being dismissed with prejudice means that the plaintiff is barred from ever re-filing for these same claims. Romine seemingly ended it all to no net gain. The critic had his day in court and he prevailed.

A Statement Regarding Romine v. Stanton's Dismissal With Prejudice [The Jimquisition]

Jim Sterling prevails in his lawsuit with Digital Homicide screenshot

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News:: Overwatch teases a new character

There's been a lot of speculation lately that Overwatch's next hero might be coming sooner rather than later. Fans were thinking that the 24th addition to the roster might be the legendary Doomfist, and there was plenty of evidence to lend that theory credence. Earlier this week, however, game director Jeff Kaplan threw some cold water on that idea. In a post on Blizzard's forums, he wrote, "24 is not who you think it is."

Cut to today, and a somewhat cryptic post on the Overwatch blog. The latest post is an interview with a young resident of Numbani, the African city in Overwatch that encourages humans and machine intelligences to work together in harmony. The interview with Efi Oladele discusses the young lady's work with drones and artificial intelligence, and her desire to make something larger to protect others. 

This is all speculation, but if Efi is indeed the next Overwatch hero, it sounds like she might be some sort of a pet class, relying on an AI companion to do most of her fighting. If you've played a Warlock or Hunter in World of Warcraft or Gaige the Mechromancer in Borderlands 2, you'll have some idea of how this character could work. If not, think something like Törbjorn, but with a mobile turret that would follow her around and might be able to take some basic commands.

Data analysis of the most recent patch on the Public Test Realm revealed that the transport for the Doomfist gauntlet in Numbani had been broken. Maybe Efi broke into it to give her robot a power boost? We'll probably find out when the next major patch goes live a couple of weeks from now.

An interview with inventor Efi Oladele [Overwatch blog]

Overwatch teases a new character screenshot

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News:: Square Enix forms studio for new RPG property 'Project Prelude Rune'

Role-playing game fans have a pair of new names to try and remember.

One is "Studio Istolia," a Tokyo-based studio recently formed under Square Enix, and the other is "Project Prelude Rune," the RPG intellectual property the group is creating. Former Tales series producer Hideo Baba is on board as both the studio head and the producer of Project Prelude Rune.

Per Square Enix Holdings, "The name Istolia originates from the Greek word, 'story' and is central to the studio's primary value. The aim of the studio is to provide unforgettable stories that will inspire players in their own lives, and bring new game experiences to everyone around the world."

Details on Prelude are minimal to non-existent, but in terms of setting or story, "The project aims to build a new RPG with a new fantasy: unfolding across a vast land teeming with life. Nurtured by the earth, the many peoples of this land dare to dream, fighting for what is just—and this is their tale."

Given the job openings on Istolia's site, this all seems very far off.

Studio Istolia [Official site]

Square Enix forms studio for new RPG property 'Project Prelude Rune' screenshot

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News:: Lightfield is a cyber-futuristic open-ended racer

Racing games don't always have to be about who's the most skilled. Sometimes they can favor the most clever. It doesn't matter how quick your opponent is, you're winning that race if you can consistently nail the Rainbow Road shortcut in Mario Kart 64.

Lightfield is a new game that ratchets that mindset up a thousand notches. It's full of abstract environments in an open setting so that players can find their own optimal paths. Developer Lost in the Garden calls it an "omnidirectional version of parkour." It's part racing, part flying, part strategic maneuvering, and all Tron-like technicolor. You're probably best served by just watching the trailer.

Now that you have some idea about what this is, there are some important details about what it's made up of. Lost in the Garden says that its debut game has seven tracks and four different environments. It supports four-player local and online multiplayer. The two game modes are classic racing and time trials.

Even though Lightfield was just announced, it's not far away. Lost in the Garden says that it's eyeing a summer release on both PS4 and Xbox One. Before then, it'll be at GDC next week in San Francisco where we'll probably check it out. This one found its way to the finish line before we ever even knew it existed.

Announcing Lightfield for PS4 and XB1 [Lost in the Garden]

Lightfield is a cyber-futuristic open-ended racer screenshot



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News:: Resident Evil 7's Banned Footage DLC is out for Xbox One and PC

After a window of timed exclusivity on PlayStation 4, Capcom has now released Banned Footage Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 for Resident Evil 7 on Xbox One and PC. They're priced at $10 and $15, respectively.

My thoughts on Banned Footage Vol. 1 fall in line with Zack's, which you can hear more about in his full review. In short: "Bedroom" is a nerve-wracking escape-the-room puzzle scenario with Marguerite that I loved but likely won't play again, the survival-centric "Nightmare" is surprisingly loads of fun, and "Ethan Must Die" is too damn punishing for me to want to try and make more headway.

As for Banned Footage Vol. 2, I've only just dipped my toes in so far. There's a Baker family prequel story in "Daughters," a silly arcade mode about feeding daddy called "Jack's 55th Birthday," and a Saw-like game of Blackjack with Lucas that is real messed up if you're playing in VR, let me tell ya.

Some of this DLC is good, some less so. Get it if you're dying for more RE7, otherwise, hold off.

Resident Evil 7's Banned Footage DLC is out for Xbox One and PC screenshot



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News:: Narita Boy looks like an '80s-inspired fever dream

Narita Boy drew me in with its aesthetic and, to be frank, that's still the aspect of the game I'm into the most. It looks wild. The further into this trailer you get, the crazier the effects and animations become.

I don't really understand most of what I'm seeing here -- and the story is densely layered, to say the least -- but the feeling it evokes is special. Can the game possibly be this cool? That'd be something.

Creator Studio Koba describes Narita Boy as "inspired by retro pixel adventures (Castlevania, Another World, Double Dragon) with a modern touch (Superbrothers, Sword and Sorcery) and an 80s plot homage (Ready Player One, He-Man, The Last Starfighter), accompanied by the retro synth touch of the old glory days." Also it has "Boy" in its name, and I'm all about that.

Narita Boy [Kickstarter]

Narita Boy looks like an '80s-inspired fever dream screenshot

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News:: New Civilization VI update brings Australia DLC and Steam Workshop

One of the most-requested features for Civilization VI will soon be upon us. In an upcoming free update, Steam Workshop support will be going live alongside some new team options and the Australian Civilization DLC. While I've sunk more time than I care to admit into the core game, finally having official mod support will be huge for the longevity of Civ VI. It did wonders for Civilization V, which I still occasionally play to this day.

As for the new DLC, this marks the first time Australia is officially in a Civilization game. Australia will feature John Curtin, Prime Minister of the country during World War II. Firaxis also detailed some of the unique units and buildings that Australia will have, including "The Digger" and "The Outback Station." Looks pretty neat.

New Civilization VI update brings Australia DLC and Steam Workshop screenshot

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News:: The Alienware 13 gets better with VR and impressive battery life

Gaming laptops used to be an outlier in the world of portable computing. When the rest of the market was focused on extending battery life, gaming laptops doubled down on raw power and thick frames designed for better airflow. Trying to find a small gaming machine that didn't sacrifice power for portability was a fool's errand. Today, things are different. Gaming laptops can be thin, have enough battery life to survive a plane flight, and double as a productivity and entertainment machine with few compromises. The best recent example of this to cross my desk is the Alienware 13, a small, powerful gaming laptop that does almost everything right.



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News:: Maybe don't watch this spoilery Zelda: Breath of the Wild video

There's a lot going on this Japanese television ad for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Too much, probably! You're not going to want to see it if you've held out this long and remained relatively spoiler-free. Stay strong, and also be careful on Nintendo of America's Twitter feed, as well.

I'm one of those maniacs who doesn't mind seeing cool things ahead of time that will almost certainly still seem cool to me once the game is out and I know the context of the situation. Weird, right?

If nothing else, try listening to the video in a separate tab -- the first 15ish seconds are totally safe, and the ensuing music will hit you like a jolt of energy. We're so close now!

Maybe don't watch this spoilery Zelda: Breath of the Wild video screenshot



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News:: Blizzard will no longer support your old Windows Vista PC

Blizzard is legendary for supporting games well after they've left store shelves. Diablo II, for instance, got a patch last June, 16 years after the action RPG shipped. However, even a committed developer has its limits. The company has announced plans to end support for both Windows XP and Windows Vista across several games, including Diablo III, Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, StarCraft II and World of Warcraft. This will be a "staggered process," but it's a hard cutoff once a given title loses support -- it won't run until you upgrade.

Via: Ars Technica

Source: Battle.net



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News:: You can pretty much skip load times with this Street Fighter V mod

Apparently some people were taking issue with the load times present in Street Fighter V. Color me surprised, because I've often heard other issues that relate more to the lack of content than anything wrong with the game code.

Still, one modder has taken it upon themselves to virtually eliminate load times with a new mod. Basically, it increases the framerate of the user interface at the character select screen and that somehow gets you into a match almost instantaneously.

You can pretty much skip load times with this Street Fighter V mod screenshot

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News:: Google's VR painting app lands on the Oculus Rift

Tilt Brush, Google's virtual reality painting app, is available today on the Oculus Rift, complete with a few tweaks to make your 3D art take shape as naturally as possible. Tilt Brush landed on the HTC Vive in April 2016 and it's generated some awe-inspiring work.

Source: Google VR



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News:: The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ is no longer a launch title for the Switch

The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ was going to be one of the many ports that the Switch hosted on its launch day, but that's not happening. "Issues beyond our control" have been cited by Team Meat and Nicalis, and although it's been pushed back, it will arrive sometime in March.

There is a silver lining though, as the package will include a 20 page color manual, something Nintendo hasn't been providing as of late. So while most Switch cases seem blank so far, there is the opportunity to stuff something in there if you want. Right now the exact date isn't known, but Best Buy is currently listing March 17.

What's in the Box?2?! [Binding of Isaac]

The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ is no longer a launch title for the Switch screenshot

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News:: John Cena will be demoing the Switch with some YouTubers

Even with the Switch launching in roughly nine days and with a public preview event still scheduled for two cities, Nintendo is going to be demoing the Switch in a few more places with some twists.

This time, they are bringing a mock living room to three entirely different locations to simulate how people can play the console. John Cena is also going to be at the California event, hopefully stumbling into the room and holding up the title belt, along with some YouTubers. The details are below:

John Cena will be demoing the Switch with some YouTubers screenshot

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News:: As Dragon Quest X dies on the Wii, it's born on the Switch this year

Much like Square Enix got rid of the PS3 version of Final Fantasy XIV so it didn't hold the others back, Dragon Quest X is suffering the same fate.

The publisher announced this week that the Wii version is ending service completely, but there will be an opportunity to go to the Switch edition. A port, by the way, that's coming somewhere between the beginning of summer and the end of fall.

It's not exactly the most descriptive announcement, but at least you can plan accordingly if you happen to play it. I'm still pretty jealous that I haven't gotten a chance to play it yet, but the moment it comes west I'm creating an account.

Dragon Quest X [Hachima Kikou]

As Dragon Quest X dies on the Wii, it's born on the Switch this year screenshot



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News:: Rime will take around eight hours to beat, more if you do everything

Whenever a new puzzle platformer come out, I worry about padding. Having secrets and Easter eggs packed in is fine, but when you're asking me to collect hundreds of trinkets of Donkey Kong 64 proportions to see a good chunk of the game, I start to foam at the mouth a little bit. That isn't going to be the case for Rime, it seems.

Speaking to WCCF Tech, developer Tequila Works explained that players could beat the game in eight hours or less, but if they want to "take [their] time and collect all the secrets [on the island]," it could take up to 10. There is one definitive ending, but said secrets provide "a deeper understanding of the story." No additional content is planned, and if you have a PS4 Pro, you can expect a framerate boost of roughly 5-10 FPS, while the base game is targeting a minimum of 30.

That all sounds fine to me -- we're getting the complete experience, and with any luck, it won't have a ton of fat on it to wade through. Rime will hit the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One in May.

Tequila Works Talks Rime PS4 Pro Enhancements, Game Length and Much More [WCCF Tech]

Rime will take around eight hours to beat, more if you do everything screenshot



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News:: A King's Tale: Final Fantasy XV is going to be a free download as of next month

What was once a pre-order bonus is now a fully-fledged free game.

Square Enix has announced that A King's Tale: Final Fantasy XV, the retro beat 'em up that serves as a prequel of sorts (it's an embellished tale from Noctis' father, with some half-truths), will be free for all on March 1. That's for both the PSN and Xbox Live -- you'll be able to grab it without the requirement of a season pass, or even owning FFXV proper.

Even if you have no interest in playing the newly minted brodown JRPG, King's Tale is self-contained enough, and has an understandable degree of beat 'em up charm to appeal to anyone. Once March 1 hits, go download it for a rainy afternoon.

A King's Tale: Final Fantasy XV is going to be a free download as of next month screenshot



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News:: Review: Berserk and the Band of the Hawk

Watching the original Berserk anime for the first time had a profound impact on me. I had seen bleak or otherwise violent films like Starship Troopers before as a youngster, but gazing upon Berserk was the first time I had felt like I had been truly taken hold by a grimdark, hopeless world of despair.

Berserk and the Band of the Hawk misses out on some of that in its effort to provide a Warriors hack-and-slash power fantasy, but it succeeds all the same.

Review: Berserk and the Band of the Hawk screenshot

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News:: Atari's 'Swordquest' comic returns without the game

Over 30 years after its original release, Atari has decided to resurrect one of its most beloved game franchises: Swordquest. Released in 1982, this ambitious gaming series was a pretty unique proposition at the time. As well as offering $150,000 worth of prizes to players who could solve all the puzzles in the game series, Atari also teamed up with DC to release a companion comic alongside each game. Now, thanks to Dynamite Entertainment, the long dormant franchise is getting a brand new run of comic books starting this May.

Source: Polygon



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News:: The Morning After: Tuesday February 21 2017

If you thought the Galaxy Note 7 saga was over -- we wish it was -- you'd be wrong. Samsung might bring refurbished devices back. Kind of. We also toured the New York Toy Fair for its high-tech toys and games, and fell in love with PS4-exclusive Horizon Zero Dawn.



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