January 2018 – Page 6

31. January 2018

15 Craziest Comic Book Retcons

Anyone who reads superhero comics long enough becomes familiar with the term “retcon.” Basically, a retcon is any case where new stories change the details of old ones and rewrite the history of that universe. We’re seeing the latest example of a major comic book retcon in the pages of Avengers right now. Avengers #676 introduced readers to Voyager, a heroine who is supposedly the forgotten sixth member of the original Avengers team.

Whether or not Voyager is who she claims to be, this is just the latest in a long, often complicated history of Marvel and DC adding new details to classic characters and storylines. From Jean Gey’s confusing relationship with the Phoenix to Superboy-Prime’s punch heard round the multiverse, here are the 15 biggest and craziest examples of comic book retcons.

31. January 2018

Ready Player One: Exclusive New Photo – IGN First

All month long, IGN First is spotlighting the Films to Watch in 2018. Today, we take a look at Warner Bros.’ Ready Player One, the science-fiction action film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Ernest Cline’s best-selling novel. The film stars Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, T. J. Miller, Simon Pegg and Mark Rylance.

In the year 2045, things are bad for the people of Earth. Humankind is on the verge of chaos, but folks find solace in OASIS, an expansive virtual reality universe. Created by eccentric genius James Halliday (Mark Rylance), OASIS takes on a new importance when Halliday dies and leaves his fortune to whomever first finds a “digital Easter egg” hidden in the VR world. Enter Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan), an ordinary young man who joins the contest and, of course, soon finds himself on a fantastic and dangerous adventure.

31. January 2018

Here Are Nintendo Switch’s Best-Selling First-Party Games, Ranked

As part of Nintendo’s latest financial results, the company revealed its best-selling Switch titles to date. As you may have guessed, Super Mario Odyssey is the Switch game with the most units sold so far, though a number of other games have also done well.

Super Mario Odyssey’s sales total 9 million units worldwide, with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (7.3 million) coming in second. Next on the list is Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, with 6.7 million units sold, followed by Splatoon 2, which has sold 4.9 million units so far. Two more Nintendo-published titles–Arms and Xenoblade Chronicles 2–have each hit the million sales milestone, with 1.6 and 1.06 million sales respectively. Two further third-party games have hit the same million sales milestone, but we don’t what those games are or precisely how many units they’ve shipped. Note these figures are correct as of December 31, 2017.

The strong sales of Switch hardware and software have helped drive huge profit increases for Nintendo. The company’s overall revenue was up 176% year-on-year, while profit was up 494%. The Switch has now almost certainly outsold its predecessor, the Wii U.

Switch first year was filled with an impressive selection of exclusive games; for more on its lineup, check out our 17 best-reviewed Nintendo Switch games of 2017.

Best-Selling Nintendo Switch Games (Correct On December 31, 2017)

Super Mario Odyssey (9 million sales)
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (7.3 million)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (6.7 million)
Splatoon 2 (4.9 million)
Arms (1.6 million)
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (1.1 million)

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com

31. January 2018

Opinion: The Australian Government’s Response to the Video Game Industry Is Garbage

“It all comes down to this. Australian jobs. 21st Century jobs. High-tech, cutting-edge jobs.”

That was Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull earlier this week. In case you’ve entered this article in an optimistic mood let me qualify straight away that he was not talking about Australia’s video game industry. He was talking to the media about Australia’s newly-announced Defence Export Strategy and the government’s plan to grow Australia’s defence industry to become a top 10 global defence exporter by 2028.

It’s a big, bold plan supported by a big pile of cash and all outlined in this big, juicy PDF packed with actionable items and brimming with buzzwords.

31. January 2018

Destiny 2 Iron Banner Gear: Here’s All The New Armor Ornaments, Weapons, And Items

One of Destiny 2’s biggest updates so far is now available, introducing new elements to the game like Masterwork armor and Raid armor perks. Its release also marks the launch of the latest Iron Banner event, which is the first one to take place since Curse of Osiris debuted in December. That DLC started the second season of in-game content, with each season bringing new gear to activities like Faction Rally and Iron Banner. Following the recent Faction Rally event’s new set of items, now is your chance to acquire the just-added selection of Iron Banner gear.

Iron Banner Engrams you receive from Lord Saladin can now have a variety of new items inside them, alongside those that were already available. Even more will be added during the next Iron Banner, but for now, you can expect to have a shot at a new hand cannon, scout rifle, shotgun, Ghost, Sparrow, shader, and ship. Additionally, there’s a new emblem that tracks how many times you’ve ranked up with Iron Banner; you can earn this by completing the Iron Banner Milestone (which requires playing 30 total Iron Banner matches during Season 2).

Bear in mind, the new gear requires that you own Curse of Osiris. Even without the DLC, though, you’re still free to participate in the event and earn Season 1 gear. You can see all of the new gear, including the weapons and armor Ornaments (for Titan, Warlock, and Hunter), in the gallery above.

One notable change for this instance of Iron Banner is how you earn rewards. In addition to the usual means of acquiring gear, you can now directly purchase select items. Saladin will sell three weapons and five pieces of armor during each event for a combination of Legendary Shards and Iron Banner Tokens. He also has five armor Ornaments that can be acquired by completing Challenges during Iron Banner matches.

This Iron Banner runs from now until the weekly reset on Tuesday, February 6. The game mode this time around is Control. You can see what else is new in Destiny 2’s update in our rundown on the 1.1.2 patch notes.

31. January 2018

Capcom’s Sales Dip, But Profits Increase Thanks To Digital Business

Capcom has released details on its financial performance for the nine month spanning April 1 to December 31, 2017. It reported lower sales than the same period in 2016, but improved profits thanks to its digital content business.

Sales for the nine months were reported as $439 million, which is an 11% decrease when compared to the same timeframe in 2016, during which sales were cited as $492 million. Profits, meanwhile, were $65 million in 2017, which is a 38% increase over 2016’s $47 million.

Capcom says Resident Evil 7, which was available for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and Monster Hunter XX for Switch “performed strongly.” Ultra Street Fighter II The Final Challengers, a Switch-exclusive, was described as a “smash hit.” Sales of Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite, however, wereMonster Hunter World Guide: Here’s How To Capture Large MonstersIn its called “soft.”

Monster Hunter Frontier Z, an online game available in Japan, celebrated its 10th anniversary and was said to have given a “solid performance.” In terms of mobile titles Monster Hunter Explore was called out as a key performer, as Capcom conducts “business reforms including alliance strategies.”

In its fourth quarter, which ends March 31, 2018, Capcom says it plans an “aggressive sales campaign with the release of its flagship title, Monster Hunter World.“ Capcom has shipped 5 million units of Monster Hunter World to retailers, marking a new record for the series. Although we haven’t received sales numbers for the game, early signs are promising.

The critical reception for the game has also been positive. In GameSpot’s Monster Hunter World review Ginny Woo awarded it an 8/10, saying it is “the biggest and best that the franchise has ever been.”

“It’s not just the comparative depth of the narrative,” she continued, “It also boasts almost seamless integration between combat systems that were previously incomprehensible for amateurs. The Monster Hunter formula has definitely honed its claws, and all the above factors play their part in making Monster Hunter World a meaningful evolution for the series at large.

For a wider view of the critical reception, take a look at our Monster Hunter World review roundup. You can also check out our Monster Hunter World guides if you need a hand getting to grips with the game.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com

31. January 2018

WoW: Battle For Azeroth Expansion Drops This Summer

Blizzard has finally confirmed a release window for World of Warcraft’s next expansion, Battle for Azeroth, which is expected to drop this summer.

That’s still a bit vague, what with the last Friday of the season falling on September 21, but the good news is pre-orders are now live.

Players who pre-order receive an immediate level 110 character boost, and can “begin the journey to unlock the expansion’s new playable Allied Races,” Blizzard confirmed in an update.

31. January 2018

UK Daily Deals: Xbox One X 1TB With Extra Controller, PUBG and Tom Clancy’s The Division for £450

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Xbox One X With Two Games and a Controller for £450

Snag the hottest Xbox One X deal at Argos and save £104.97. Not only will you get an Xbox One X 1TB console, but also Tom Clancy’s The Division, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and an extra controller in orange or pink. You need to add everything to your basket separately via the below links.

31. January 2018

The Best 27″ Monitor for Gaming

No righteous PC gaming setup is complete without an appropriately awesome monitor. Here are our top picks.

31. January 2018

Nintendo Switch Outsells Wii U Lifetime Sales in 10 Months

Nintendo’s latest console has already outsold the Wii U – and in less than a year, shifting over 14 million units since its March 2017 launch, compared to the Wii U’s 13.5 million lifetime sales.

The company’s financials are a rousing tale of the Switch’s success, which is the fastest-selling home console in US history, and managed to sell a whopping 7.23 million units in the last quarter alone, reaching 14.86 million consoles sold at the end of December.