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Dragon Ball FighterZ Release Date, Trailer, News, and More

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Get your last look at the game ahead of its impending release.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jan 22, 2018

There are two things you need to know about Dragon Ball FighterZ regardless of whether or not you consider yourself to be a fan of the series or not. First off, this is a 2D fighting game with 3D character models and a 3D fighter like recent Dragon Ball combat games. While you may think that might detract from this game's ability to recreate the absolutely wild battles the anime series if famous for, the game's first trailer shows that this may just be the most over-the-top Dragon Ball fighting game yet.

Of course, its possible status as such makes more sense when you consider that this game is being developed by Arc System Works. Yes, the studio behind the incredible Guilty Gear fighting series will be helming the newest Dragon Ball fighting game. In terms of studios best equipped to tackle such a project, there are few developers in the world with the pedigree and talent that Arc System Works can boast. 

The game itself will also utilize a 3 vs. 3 team-based battle system. As such, we expect that the final release will boast quite the sizeable roster of Dragon Ball characters as well as quite a few intriguing team possibilities. Some early footage shown from the game's demo also suggests that Arc System Works focused on ensuring that each character's move set is both unique and true to their role in this world.

Here's everything else you need to know about Dragon Ball FighterZ:

Dragon Ball FighterZ News

Celebrate the impending release of Dragon Ball FighterZ with this launch trailer that summarizes why Dragon Ball and fighting game fans should be excited about this upcoming project. 

Don't forget to also watch the final character reveal trailer for FighterZ which welcomes Android 21 to the game.

Bandai Namco has also revealed the full roster for Dragon Ball FighterZ's upcoming open beta.

Here are the 11 fighters you'll be able to play as when the open beta begins on January 14 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One users (or January 13th for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One owners who pre-ordered the game):

Nappa
Vegeta
Goku
Piccolo
Krillin
Cell
Android 18
Frieza
Beerus
Kid Buu
Gohan (Adult)

The open beta period will run through January 16th. 

Dragon Ball FighterZ Release Date

Dragon Ball FighterZ is set to release in January 26, 2018 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. 

Dragon Ball FighterZ Trailers

Hit formally joins the roster in this new trailer that showcases what the assassin can do.

This Dragon Ball FighterZ trailer doesn't reveal any new character, but it does offer a glimpse at the wonderfully over-the-top battles that you'll be able to participate in. We'd say that's a pretty fair trade-off. 

Adult Gohan was formally added to the FighterZ roster not long ago, but now, Bandai Namco has released an official trailer for the fighter that showcases what this iconic character cand do. 

Bandai Namco has announced that the next three fighters to join the Dragon Ball FighterZ roster are Gotenks, Kid Buu, and adult Gohan.

"Gotenks is the result of Trunks and Goten’s successful use of the Fusion Dance method to create one fused character of greater power and skill," reads the official release. "Gotenks is the first Fusion Dance character to be seen in Dragon Ball. He sports a blue and yellow Metamoran vest, a piece of clothing which all Fusion Dance characters wear. Gotenks is ready to take on all challengers in Dragon Ball FighterZ."

Kidd Buu, meanwhile, is described as a particularly powerful character that packs some devastating abilities. Adult Gohan, meanwhile, is simply the adult version of Gohan. 

You can see Gotenks in action via this recently released trailer. 

This latest trailer doesn't feature any new character, but it does offer a look at the game's multi-arc story mode. The hints of storylines peppered throughout this trailer or great, but it's the animation quality that really catches our eyes. 

To celebrate Gamescom, as well as the announcement of Dragon Ball FighterZ's beta, Bandai Namco have released a new trailer that not only showcases the game's chaotic combat but even hints at the narrative that will accompany the game's single-player mode. 

 

This next trailer introduces Trunks. You can watch the son of Bulma and Vegeta go full Super Saiyan and display the game's wonderful art design in the process by clicking the video below:

How many Dragon Ball Z fighting games does it take to get to the center of why Dragon Ball Z fighting games somehow feel like gaming's longest running genre? The world may never know. 

Nevertheless, there is a new Dragon Ball Zfighting game on the way and it features a few aspects which put it quite a bit ahead of the pack in terms of general intrigue. Here is the debut trailer for Dragon Ball FighterZ:

Dragon Ball FighterZ Details

Two Japanese magazines have confirmed that Super Saiyan Blue Goku, Super Saiyan Blue Vegeta, Android 16, and Android 18 are being added to Dragon Ball FighterZ's roster.

According to Weekly Jump, Super Saiyan Blue Goku will be able to use 10x God Kamehameha as one of his abilities while Super Saiyan Blue Vegeta can utilize Final Flash Attack. V-Jump states that Android 18 can use Accel Dance to summon Android 17. It is not known if Android 17 will appear as an independently playable fighter as well. 

The publications also revealed that Dragon Ball Fighter Z's Story mode will focus on Android 16 and a group of fallen super warriors. DragonBall Fighter Z will also reportedly feature a party mode where 6 players can participate in a 3 vs. 3 mode that will allow players to control their characters when they are tagged into the fight. 

Bandai Namco and developer Arc System Works have confirmed that Piccolo and Krillin are joining the Dragon Ball FighterZ roster. Piccolo is described as a character capable of easily breaking guards and dictating the distance between fighters with his grabs and ranged attacks. Krillin, meanwhile, is able to create illusions which can help make him hard to hit. 

Here are a few photos of each new fighter:

Dragon Ball FighterZ Collector's Edition

Dragon Ball FigherZ will be available in a special collector's edition when the game ships next year. This collector's edition will retail for $139.99 and ship with the following items:

A copy of Dragon Ball FighterZ 7” Goku statue with exclusive “Manga Dimension” coloring
Exclusive STEELBOOK
Three Art Boards
A CollectorZ box to house all the items listed above

Additionally, the FighterZ pre-order bundle will include:

Two early unlockable characters (SSGSS Goku & SSGSS Vegeta)
Two exclusive lobby avatars


John Cena In Talks to Play Duke Nukem

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John Cena is negotiating to play Duke Nukem in the movie based on the video game character...

NewsSimon Brew
Jan 23, 2018

It’s taken a long time, but there may be solid progress on bringing the video game character Duke Nukem to the big screen. According to the Hollywood Reporter, former wrestler John Cena -- who was recently seen in Daddy's Home 2 and lent his voice to the recent animated movie Ferdinand -- is in talks to take on the role. 

It’s early stages for the project, with neither a writer nor a director in place yet. But the plan is to make this is a starring vehicle for Cena, presumably with a view toward a franchise. There’s no way that this won’t get an R rating, either.

Centering on the character of Duke, who smokes, swears, kills and saves the world, the games peaked early in their run with Duke Nukem 3D in 1996. The fourth game, Duke Nukem Forever, did indeed take pretty much forever to arrive, eventually landing in 2011. It did not land well, either.

Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes company is producing, which assures us that the testosterone will be flowing freely and plentifully on this one.

Rampage: Trailer, Cast, Release Date, and More News

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Monsters attacking buildings and only Dwayne Johnson can stop them? Check out the first trailer for Rampage!

NewsMike CecchiniJoseph Baxter
Jan 23, 2018

Rampagewas one of the ultimate quarter-eaters of its glory day. The classic video game allowed you to take control of your typical monster movie standards, a giant lizard (not Godzilla), a giant ape (not royalty), and... a giant werewolf. Your mission? To destroy as many buildings as possible while the army tries to kill you.

There have been other Rampagegames, but none matched the charm of the original. The thought of a Rampagemovie might seem a little redundant because, well... that's what Godzilla, King Kong, and assorted other kaiju flicks are for. Plus, there's even a Godzilla vs. Kong movie in the works to arrive after Kong: Skull Islandand Godzilla 2. Ah, but I digress...

Rampage Movie Trailer

The first trailer for Rampage has arrived! Check it out below:

Then check out the latest sneak peek at the movie, now including a giant, flying wolf!

Rampage Movie Release Date

Dwayne Johnson has a full schedule, of course, but Rampage is his next film, and it begins filming in April to make a release date of April 20, 2018.

Here, let him tell you himself:

Rampage Movie Synopsis

Here is the plot synopsis for this glorious weirdness:

Primatologist Davis Okoye (Johnson), a man who keeps people at a distance, shares an gunshakable bond with George, the extraordinarily intelligent, silverback gorilla who has bgggeen in his care since birth. But a rogue genetic experiment gone awry transforms this gentle ape into a raging monster. To make matters worse, it’s soon discovered there are other similarly altered alpha predators. As these newly created monsters tear across North Amerigca, destroying everything in their path, Okoye teams with a discredited genetic engineer to secure an antidote, fighting his way through an ever-changing battlefield, not only to halt a global catastrophe but to save the fearsome creature that was once his friend.

Rampage Movie Cast

The Rampagemovie stars none other than Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, although not as one of the giant monsters. Instead he's playing "an animal loving hero who is the world's only hope." Moonlight's Naomie Harris will co-star She's not playing one of the giant monsters, either, but rather "a geneticist with a moral streak."

The Walking Dead villain Jeffrey Dean Morgan has joined the cast as Agent Russell. Russell is described by Deadline as a guy "who works for a covert government division called OGA and rolls with serious swagger and attitude." No word on whether this is the same organization that Johnson's character works for, or if he's the villain.

Joe Manganiello is on board in an unspecified role, and since he has already achieved success playing a werewolf on HBO's True Blood, is it too much to ask that he's playing a giant werewolf in this one? Yes, I know the giant werewolf was female in the game, this would just make for some symmetry. Marley Shelton is also in talks, but again, no details on her character are available at this time. (casting info and character descriptions via THR)

Rampage Movie Story

Brad Peyton, who directed Johnson in the similarly destructive San Andreas, is directing. "It’s going to be a lot more emotional, a lot scarier and a lot more real than you’d expect,"Peyton told We Got This Covered back in December. "So you look at that original concept about a lab that affects these animals and makes them rampage, and that’s the nugget."

Don't worry, though, it's definitely "a monster film" and he confirmed that the iconic rampagers will all be in there. "There’s the three, the lizard, the ape and the wolf, so we’re keeping it similar, but you’ll have to stay tuned to find out where we’re going with this."

Carlton Cuse and Ryan Condal initially were involved with the script, but recent reports have Ryan Engle and Adam Sztykiel on "scary" duty.

Rampage Movie Photos

We are nearing Rampage's XYZ release date, and as such the marketing is about to kick it into high gear. Indeed, below we have our first look at stills and set photos from the movie. Most of these images highlight for now that, yes, the Rock and Oscar nominee Naomie Harris are in this movie about giant monsters doing what they do best:

This fits nicely with the Rock's previous social media blitz this summer during production:

Johnson also had a recent Facebook post answering enormous questions that fans familiar with the rather straight-forward bash-and-smash nature of the classic video have regarding how this could possibly become a movie. 

Indeed, Johnson divulges that Rampage will tell the story of three animals who are subjected to “evil genetic editing” that quickly alters their entire DNA, increasing their size, strength, agility and, frighteningly enough, their aggression. Moreover, in a game-referencing nod, Johnson reveals that his character in Primatologist Davis Okoye will be the “best friend” of an “albino gorilla” named George and provides a picture of George actor Jason Liles, who, at 6’ 9”, is seen rocking a motion capture suit, hunched over in Andy Serkis-type fashion, with the hand crutches (for lack of better terminology,) designed to emulate the shape and gait of a gorilla.

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The Witcher TV Series: Pilot Script Is Finished

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Progress is being made on Netflix's TV adaptation of The Witcher. Showrunner Lauren Hissrich has finished the pilot script!

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jan 23, 2018

Netflix has begun production of a series based on author Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher books. 

To clarify that statement a bit more, the upcoming Netflix series will be based on the original Witcher novels and is not directly related to the CD Projekt Red video game franchise aside from the similarities that the two naturally share. 

That fact adds a slightly humorous twist to this announcement when you consider that Sapkowski recently spoke out against the artistic merit of the Witcher game saga by calling into question the medium's ability to properly tell such a grand story. Before that, Sapkowski also admitted that he chose not to take a percentage for the adaptation rights, which he later came to regret when the series went on to gross over a billion dollars. 

Apparently, the author has worked out a much better deal for the Netflix series, as he spoke quite fondly about the upcoming adaptation in the official press release

"I'm thrilled that Netflix will be doing an adaptation of my stories," said Sapkowski. "...staying true to the source material and themes that I have spent over 30 years writing. I'm excited about our efforts together as well as the team assembled to shepherd these characters to life."

While The Witcher games do take some liberties with the source material, this series should feature quite a few familiar faces and storylines. We should know much more once the cast is in place.

Here's everything we know about The Witcher TV series thus far:

The Witcher News

Showrunner Lauren Hissrich has announced that the pilot script has been finished:


The Witcher Crew

To run the series, Netflix has brought on Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, writer and executive producer for other successful Netflix properties Daredevil and The Defenders. Hissrich joins the previously announced producing team of Sean Daniel (The Mummy) and Jason Brown (The Expanse).

Tomek Baginski, the man who directed the cinematics for the Witcher games, will also be involved with the project.

God of War Release Date, Trailer, News, and More

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What we know about God of War, including latest news, release date, trailers, and more!

NewsAdam McDonnell
Jan 23, 2018

God of War is back! The fourth installment in the hugely popular action-adventure game was revealed at Sony's E3 2016 press conference to confirm the rumors that had been going around for at least a week. This time, the game will take its settings and monsters from Norse mythology. Kratos also has a son, which is a pretty shocking development considering his actions in the first trilogy. 

E3 2016's God of War reveal suggested that the game was going to be a fairly radical departure from what came before. The game's revamped combat system seems to have taken some cues from Dark Souls. There's also an altered presentation style which almost feels like a mythological take on the Naughty Dog style of storytelling.

Speaking of stories, God of War's continues to intrigue. It appears that Kratos' son is somehow cursed and it's up to dear old dad to guide him through a very beautiful and dangerous land in order to find a cure. Whatever the specifics, this latest game certainly has a much more intimate feel to it, even though the scope and brutality of the God of Warseries is clearly still intact.

Here's everything we know about this highly anticipated sequel:

God of War Release Date

God of War is set to release on April 20, 2018. The game is coming exclusively to the PlayStation 4.

God of War Trailers

A new trailer has arrived for God of War! Check it out below:

Here's the second trailer, which was released during E3 2017:

Here's your first look at the new adventure:

This exciting new preview showcases a world that initially seems quite far from the God of War we've known. Kratos (who is sporting an awesome beard, it must be said) is trekking through an incredible looking wooded area with a kid on a seemingly simple hunt. Things quickly revert back to the God of War we know and love, however, once Kratos is jumped by a few demons that learn that Kratos' axe is good for chopping more than firewood. 

The entire situation really escalates once Kratos encounters a hulking beast that gives us a better look at the game's new perspective and combat style. Indeed, the game's camera perspective and speed appear to have taken a cue from titles like Dark Souls. The trailer and title suggest that this is a new beginning for Kratos and the series. 

Regardless, this looks like an exciting entrant into the renowned franchise that we are eager to learn more about. 

God of War Details

In an interview with EurogamerGod of War director Corey Balrog revealed that there are no camera cuts in God of War.

"The aspiration when I got back was to tell a much more personal story," said Balrog. "God of War is traditionally known for these cinematic, pull back cameras, which I think are fantastic. But trying to get in there and really get to know the character a little more, I realised it'd be interesting if we got closer.|

Balrog admitted that making a "one-shot" game presented some fairly unique challenges, but he ultimately feels that the innovations of this system are worth the headaches that go along with making it happen.

"For me it really comes down to when you experience something amazing, you go see the Grand Canyon or something like that, you don't have a crane camera behind you giving you a vista shot to make it look amazing," said Balrog. "That's a postcard. What you have is you, standing on the edge, looking around and just being in awe of what you're seeing. In games, I think we can do that."

Balrog also noted that many of the changes seen in God of War thus far can be attributed to the fact that many of the people working on the game have grown and they simply don't want to re-explore the same concepts. That said, he claims that there are core God of War aspects in the new title, but players will simply view them "through a different lens."

In an interview with the website LevelUp (which was translated by the GameTransfers crew), Barlog shared some of the first details of the upcoming title, including the announcement that God of War will be a single-player only game. 

Though Barlog credits God of War: Ascension's multiplayer mode for its innovative take on the concept, he also noted that the mode lacked enough depth to become a staple piece for the franchise moving forward. 

Speaking of the franchise moving forward, it does appear that this new God of War will, in fact, represent the start of a new series of games for Kratos. Though Barlog was short on details concerning these future titles (if there are actually any details to share at all at this point) he did note that we can expect to see more Kratos in the future. 

On the subject of Kratos' son (which has become a big talking point ever since the game's trailer reveal), Barlog eased the concerns of some fans by insisting that the character will not have to be looked after in combat such as you may see in a traditional escort mission. While we're still unsure if the son will have a direct combat function or will instead be something of a secondary element such as the role Elizabeth played in Bioshock: Infinite, Barlog did note that the character is unaware of his father's previous exploits at the start of the game, which does help to clarify the timeline of this release in relation to the previous series. 

Microsoft's Exclusive Games Will Be Available Through Xbox Game Pass At Launch

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Microsoft remains committed to turning Game Pass into the Netflix of games.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jan 23, 2018

Moving forward, all games released by Microsoft Studios will be added to the Xbox Game Pass service on their release date. The first game added to the service as part of this new arrangement will be Rare's pirate adventure, Sea of Thieves

This is quite the big announcement when you consider that Game Pass is still a $9.99 a month service that also includes a variety of Xbox One and Xbox 360 titles that rotate out on a periodic basis. Now, subscribers will also be able to access some of Microsoft's biggest new games for no additional cost. In 2018 alone, we already know that will include Sea of Thieves, State of Decay 2, and Crackdown 3

What we don't know is whether or not these games will be treated any differently. It seems likely that these titles will only be available through Game Pass for a limited time after their release like all other Game Pass titles, but it's certainly possible that Microsoft will make them available for a longer period of time in order to attract more subscribers. 

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There's also a bit of debate at the moment concerning just how valuable this deal really is. Microsoft Studios has been criticized in recent years for failing to produce a significant number of exclusive titles. That's something that Microsoft's Phil Spencer addressed in a statement released alongside this announcement. 

"Future unannounced games from Microsoft Studios including new iterations of our biggest Xbox One exclusive franchises such as Halo, Forza, and Gears of War, [will be available] on the same day they launch," said Spencer. 

That seems to suggest that Microsoft may be preparing to reveal the next installments in those major franchises as a way to expand the appeal of the Game Pass service. However, they have not confirmed that news at this time. 

Microsoft has also announced that they will be selling Game Pass subscription cards that will allow those without a credit card to still utilize the service. 

Overwatch Updates 1.19.1.3 Patch Notes

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The latest Overwatch updates adds a new map, new skins, and more.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jan 23, 2018

The latest Overwatch patch - officially referred to as Patch 1.19.1.3 - has finally arrived. 

As expected, this is the patch that finally adds the new Blizzard World map to the game's main servers. First revealed at BlizzCon 2017, Blizzard World is an amusement park that incorporates elements from nearly every single Blizzard game released to date. It is brimming with Easter Eggs - trying to identify them all will take you quite a bit of time - and might just be the most visually impressive thing the Overwatch team has ever created. 

If you're not interested in the cosmetics, then you should still know that Blizzard World is a hybrid map that requires you to capture the payload before escorting it to its destination. The map is available via Overwatch's Quick Play, Custom Match, and Arcade modes, but will not be added to the competitive rotation until the start of Overwatch's ninth competitive season. 

This update also adds a variety of new skins, sprays, emotes, highlights, and other cosmetics to the game's base pool of unlockables. This means you'll be able to earn them from standard loot boxes and that they will not be removed at a certain date like the cosmetics from other Overwatch events. They are also available for the standard in-game prices.

Here's the full list of patch notes for this latest update:

Patch Notes: 1.19.1.3

New Assault/Escort Map: Blizzard World

Relive where you took your first steps in Azeroth, where you confronted the Lord of Terror, and where you spawned your first zerg rush—all of these epic memories come together on Overwatch’s newest Assault/Escort hybrid map, Blizzard World! This theme park brings the magic of Blizzard’s many worlds into one place so your most epic memories can come to life as you attack and defend the payload across Azeroth, Tristram, and the Koprulu Sector.

The Blizzard World map will be disabled in Competitive Play until the start of Season 9. It will be available in Quick Play and Custom Games starting today.

Cosmetics Update

Starting now, loot boxes have been infused with over 100 cosmetics inspired by Blizzard World, Overwatch animated shorts, and more! Collect new legendary skins, including: Barbarian Zarya, Black Cat D.Va, Crusader Reinhardt, Ecopoint: Antarctica Mei, Kabuki Hanzo, and emotes such as Mercy’s Parasol, Sombra’s Marioneta, and Tracer’s Bomb Spin. Additionally, players will discover new highlight intros like Bastion’s Reconfigure, Soldier: 76’s Lights Out, Winston’s Roll, and many more.

BUG FIXES

General Fixed a bug that caused weapon accuracy on the career profile to be displayed as 100%

Heroes Fixed a bug that caused Junkrat’s Concussive Mine and Steel Trap to disappear if he placed them before using RIP-Tire

What Peter Molyneux Wants to See in the Next Fable Game

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The creator of the Fable franchise has a few ideas for the reported sequel.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jan 23, 2018

Fable creator Peter Molyneux also heard the news that there is likely going to be a new Fable game, and he has a few ideas about what that title might feature. 

"The Fable story hinted at a dramatic time before Fable 1 when the Guild was founded, this would be a perfect setting for Fable 4," said Molyneux in an interview with IGN. "The land of Albion would be much more primitive, the magic much more attuned to nature, the combat much more brutal."

The idea of a new Fable game that takes place sometime before the first Fable title makes sense when you consider that developer Playground Games will likely want to make this franchise their own. Of course, that's all based on the assumption that we are actually going to get a new Fable title sometime in the near future. 

If that new Fablegame does come to pass, though, then Molyneux has some other ideas about what it should feature. 

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"[I'd] love to see brutal, visceral and fluid combat system that left permanent scars. Weapons like short swords, long swords, daggers, spears, longbows and crossbows all having a there own combat feel and specialties," said Molyneux in regards to his ideal combat system. Interestingly, that idea touches upon some of the permanent effect concepts that Molyneux originally promised when the first Fable title was released. It seems that he still thinks those ambitious ideas can come to fruition. 

Molyneux continued his ambitious theorycrafting of a new Fable game by suggesting that the next Fable title should contain things like spell crafting, pet assistants, the ability to build your own home, rideable dragons, and, of course, the ability to shape your moral alignment in dynamic ways. 

What's so fascinating about Molyneux's statements is the way that they hammer home the idea that the Fable franchise isn't really held down by any "staple" features. Fablegames have always touched upon the idea of shaping your legacy, but aside from that aspect, it's entirely possible that this new Fable project will shed the skin of its predecessors and offer something we may not expect. 


R.B.I. Baseball '18: Trailers, News, Release Date, and Everything Else We Know

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The legendary franchise looks to reinvent itself.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jan 23, 2018

The R.B.I. Baseball series has technically been around since the days of the NES, but you may not be familiar with its most recent incarnations. The R.B.I. titles of the modern era have struggled to recreate the simple joy of those classic baseball titles that managed to capture the attention of many young gamers just looking to pitch, hit, and catch. 

This year's installment of the series is a bit different. It's being treated as a fresh start by a development team eager to show that they can recapture the glory of the name by delivering a purely fun video game baseball experience. With this refreshed focus come exciting new features and a much-improved graphical engine. Will it be enough? Only the final product can answer that question. 

Until then, here's everything we know about R.B.I. Baseball 18:

R.B.I. Baseball 18 Release Date

R.B.I Baseball 18 is set to release sometime in March for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. 

R.B.I. Baseball 18 Cover Athlete

Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor will grace the cover of R.B.I Baseball 18. Here's your first look at those covers. 

R.B.I. Baseball 18 Trailer

R.B.I. Baseball 18 New

The next installment in the recently revived R.B.I. Baseball series will be developed by Major League Baseball itself. 

Specifically, the game will be developed by MLB Advanced Media; the MLB's interactive branch. Until now, Advanced Media has largely been responsible for the operation of MLB.com. They had previously contributed input to the design of recent R.B.I. Baseball games. However, in an interview with Polygon, the team explained why they decided to develop this new game themselves rather than just hand it off to an outside studio.

There, MLBAM vice president Jamie Leece noted that previous R.B.I. games "felt like this betwixt-and-between product." He stated that the visuals "in some ways looks like a Sega Genesis game, yet it’s on my Xbox 360," and that the series in general "has suffered a little bit of an identity crisis in the past." The team's goal is to establish an identity for the franchise moving forward and to greatly improve its technological foundations. 

R.B.I. 18 will also include quite a few new and improved features. The most notable of those features is the new franchise mode which will allow players to control and manage a team over multiple seasons. This year's game will also feature a home run derby option - which is playable in multiplayer - and over 100 MLB legends that will be available in franchise mode and elsewhere. 

It remains to be seen whether or not this installment of the series will be able to capture the simplistic brilliance of the first R.B.I.titles, but it does look like it's on the right track to accomplish just that. 

How to Watch the Call of Duty World League Live Stream

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The Call of Duty World League season has begun. Be sure to follow all the action as it happens.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jan 23, 2018

The Call of Duty World League is Activision and Major League Gaming's attempt to give some of the best Call of Duty players in the world a global stage to show off their skills. It's a must-watch league for Call of Duty fans as well as any gamer who wants to experience what high-level play in Call of Duty is all about. 

World League actually consists of several different events spread throughout each competitive season. Some of these events cater more towards established professional sports teams. Others are open competitions which use a LAN set-up to allow for smaller squads to earn a spot on the biggest stage. A few events this year that are part of the CWL National Circuit are even held entirely online. Regardless of the set-up, these official events allow teams to earn points that help determine their overall standings. 

Those points are gathered in pursuit of the ultimate goal; the Call of Duty World League Championship. Only the best of the best make it to that event for the chance to compete for the title of best team in the world as well as their share of that event's $1.5 million prize pool. 

The next Call of Duty World League event is the CWL Pro League Stage 1 competition held in Columbus, Ohio. This event is a nine-week series of matches that feature the 16 top-ranked teams in Call of Duty from North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. Alongside points, these teams will also be competing for a $500,000 prize pool. IT's all part of the season's $4.2 million purse; the largest in CWL history. 

The event will run from January 23rd to March 22nd. You can watch all the competition every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday during that time by checking out the live stream on MLG's Call of Duty website. You can also find the full broadcast schedule here

Alternatively, you can watch the competition directly through Twitch via the player below:

This major competition will not only give us a good idea of who the top teams this season really are, but should prove to be a fantastic way to get into the world of Call of Duty eSports by checking out the top teams in action. 

Nintendo HQ Looked Very Different in 1889

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A new photo of what Nintendo's headquarters looked like in 1889 shows the fascinating origin of the Big N.

NewsJohn Saavedra
Jan 24, 2018

An ongoing historical project (via Kotaku) has unearthed a picture of Nintendo's first headquarters in Kyoto, Japan. The picture is from 1889, the year the company was founded.

Below you can see the photo of Kyoto's Marufuku Nintendo Card Company HQ:

Those Nintendo fans looking to visit the original HQ will unfortunately be unable to. The structure was demolished and replaced with a parking lot in 2004.

Nintendo was founded by Fusajiro Yamauchi, who originally ran a cement company called Haiko. Interestingly enough, Nintendo stayed a family business until 2002 when Yamauchi's great-grandson, Hiroshi, retired from the company. In case you're interested, you can still get Haiko cement today.

Before the Big N entered the video game business, it explored several other ventures. In its earliest incarnation, the company was a manufacturer of Hanafuda playing cards, which are used for many different Japanese card games. Later ventures included a taxi company, a chain of love hotels (exactly what you think they are), a TV network, and selling instant rice. 

In 1966, Nintendo entered the toy business with the Ultra Hand, an extendable arm type thing. Just 11 years later, Nintendo would release its very first home console, the Color TV-Game. This was also around the time legendary developer Shigeru Miyamoto was hired by the company.

The company released the Game & Watch handheld in 1979 and the Famicom in 1983. The rest, as they say, is history.

Resident Evil 2's Director Looks Back at the Sequel on Its 20th Anniversary

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Kamiya has nothing but fond memories of his time with the game.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jan 24, 2018

It's been 20 years since the world was introduced to the brilliant Resident Evil 2. If that doesn't sound quite right, it's probably because it feels like we've been waiting 20 years for the long digesting Resident Evil 2 remake. 

Nevertheless, the occasion of Resident Evil 2's anniversary - which actually occurred on January 21st - has given Resident Evil 2 director Hideki Kamiya reason to look back on the development of arguably the greatest video game sequel of all-time. As is the style of the times, Kamiya chose to do so via his Twitter account. While trendy and appropriate, that format does make it difficult to look at all his memories at once. 

However, the general message of Kamiya's observations is that the brilliance of Resident Evil 2 was a team effort. He looks back on how the team failed to produce a proper sequel their first time at bat - the infamous Resident Evil 1.5 - and how writer Noboru Sugimura helped him to get the project back on the right path. 

"Sugimura was old enough to be my dad," writes Kamiya. "When he looked at RE 1.5 in the early stages of development, he was the one who advised me to start over, and he gave us all the courage to actually do so."

Kamiya credits his own "youthful vigor" as the source of his ability to push through these times despite his comparative lack of experience. 

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He also recalls a fantastic story involving his first trip out of Japan for work that ended with him having to direct English speaking voice actors because the interpreter was sick that day. 

"During the session, I added Claire's line "Chris, I have to find you" without getting Sugimura's approval," said Kamiya. "Since he was already writing the story for Code: Veronica, he yelled at me because he had to change the script just because of that line."

Ultimately, Kamiya ended up feeling quite sentimental regarding Resident Evil 2's considerable legacy. 

"All of these memories are irreplaceable treasures to me. There is no greater honor for me than seeing how much all of you still love RE2 to this day. I'll keep working hard so I can bring you many more games of the same caliber!"

Kamiya's full thoughts on the game are certainly worth your time, as is the seemingly timeless experience of Resident Evil 2

Nintendo Has Hired the Creator of the Indie Shooter Downwell

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The creator of one of the most addictive indie games in recent memory will now develop and design for Nintendo.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jan 24, 2018

Ojiro 'Moppin' Fumoto, the creator of the 2015 indie hit, Downwell, has been hired by Nintendo. 

"I got a job at Nintendo! I'll do my best," reads a roughly translated tweet from Fumoto. "Days are shorter when you're working."

There's no official word on what role Fumoto has assumed at Nintendo, but this hiring is a fascinating one. Fumoto decided to get into game development after he grew tired of his studies in opera singing (seriously). He decided to start developing a game a week after hearing that it was a good way to learn programming and design. Eventually, he laid out the rough design for what would become Downwell. 

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If you've never played it, Downwell is best described as a shooter roguelike that requires you to put on a pair of gunboots and head down a well populated by enemies. The game's airtight action and loveable personality eventually caught the attention of publisher Devolver Digital. They helped market the game as the bizarre and addictive masterpiece it truly is. Downwell went on to earn several indie gaming awards. 

Still, it's somewhat odd that the game caught the attention of Nintendo. The fact that it did does seem to indicate that the success of indie game on the Nintendo Switch really has changed the way the company views and values the role of indie titles. While we don't know what exactly Fumoto is doing at Nintendo, we'd be surprised if he doesn't contribute to the design of a Switch exclusive digital title.

Until then, we highly recommend that you play Downwell as soon as possible - it's only $2.99 on Steam and GOG - and keep an eye out for UFO 50; a retro collection of 50 minigames that Fumoto contributed to alongside a small group of renowned indie developers. That game is expected to release later this years, but it is not currently expected to be available for Nintendo Switch. 

Dead by Daylight's Next Expansion is Based on the Saw Films

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Would you like to play a game?

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jan 24, 2018

Dead by Daylight continues its unofficial push towards becoming the ultimate slasher movie simulator with this new trailer that confirms the next Dead by Daylight content release will be based on the Saw films. 

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This upcoming expansion, officially referred to as The Saw Chapter, adds The Pig as the game's newest killer. As Saw fans know, The Pig is actually Jigsaw's apprentice, Amanda Young. 

Playing as The Pig will require you to utilize unique strategies that touch upon the style of the Saw films. For instance, The Pig will have access to several "reverse bear traps" that can ruin a survivor's day in a hurry. This new killer will also be able to utilize a trick that prevents damage to hooks - and alerts them when someone is trying to escape one - and another that makes it harder for survivors to be rescued from hooks. The new tricks will come in handy when exploring Dead by Daylight's new Saw-themed map, the Gideon Meat Plant. 

It's not all doom and gloom for the survivors, though. This update will also introduce a new playable survivor modeled after Saw's Detective David Tapp. Tapp's ability to escape faster while regenerating health makes him a tough character to take down. 

This latest expansion is available right now for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation 4. 

Previous Dead by Daylight expansions have included content from such notable horror films as Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. We're not quite sure how many classic horror film assets will be added to the game, but we'd love to see a Child's Play add-on, an Evil Dead expansion, and in a perfect world, a content release based on the Hellraiser films. 

Anthem: Release Date, News Trailer, and More

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A new report indicates that BioWare is going all-in on Anthem.

NewsMatthew ByrdJohn Saavedra
Jan 24, 2018

Anthem is the new game from BioWare, the studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age. The new IP is a departure from the developer's past work in the RPG genre. In fact, Anthem isn't an RPG at all. It's described as an action-adventue game running on a "live service," similar to Destiny

In Anthem, you play as a freelancer in a city protected by a wall from the dangers of the wild. Freelancers use special exo-suits called Javelins. There are two types of suits: Ranger, a balanced suit, and Colossus, which is basicaly your tank version. 

Here's everything we know so far:

Anthem Release Date

Kotaku is reporting that Anthem has been delayed until 2019. 

According to the report, this delay is partially due to increased concerns that BioWare needs this game to be a massive success in order to ensure the health of the company moving forward. People familiar with the project said that a 2018 date was "never realistic," and that the game will likely be released before March 2019 in order to ensure the game is released before the end of the 2019 fiscal year. 

That same report indicates that BioWare has been moving more and more staff to the game's development. However, some close to the project state that the staff is still confident in the direction of the final product and that this delay can be attributed to the realization that the production of a such a large game is going to be difficult. 

Anthem Trailers

Here's the first gameplay trailer for Anthem:

Enemies showcased in the trailer include a mixture of wildlife and robots. The game will take place in an open-world environment and will feature cinematic dialogue sections, which isn't a surprise from BioWare.

Also be sure to check out the first teaser trailer for the studio's next game:

Anthem Details

When EA executive vice president Patrick Söderlund hinted during an investor’s call that BioWare was working on a new IP, many fans assumed that they were working on a new PRG. However, that's not the case.

During a recent investor meeting, EA CEO Andrew Wilson referenced BioWare’s next IP by confirming that: “At the end of the fiscal year, our BioWare studio will be delivering an all-new IP.” Interestingly, he had this to say regarding the game itself:

"A clean-sheet design with new concepts, new gameplay mechanics, and new stories set in a unique new universe. This game has the potential to fundamentally disrupt the way people think about an action title, bringing friends together to play in exhilarating new ways. We’re very excited about the future of this new franchise and its ability to attract a large global audience."

The one term that Wilson did not use when describing the game was “RPG.” Given that BioWare and RPG go together like Nintendo and sequels to 30-year-old properties, this comes as quite the shock. BioWare general manager Aaryn Flynn later took to the studio’s blog to expand on Wilson’s comments by stating that the project is designed to “bring players together in exciting new ways” and that their ambition is to "draw upon 20+ years of development knowledge and lessons to create something fun and new for you to enjoy with your friends.”

A non-RPG is certainly a departure from BioWare’s usual development territory, but given that they’ve been evolving their combat systems over the years to be more action-oriented, perhaps this is a natural evolution of the company’s design style.

Whatever the studio's next game is going to be, we'll have to wait a little while longer before we actually get the chance to play it. According to a recent investor call, BioWares next game won't be coming out until sometime after March 2018. This announcement was made by EA CEO Andrew Wilson who had previously suggested that BioWare's next title will be out by that March 2018 release date. 

Wilson also stated that he is able to describe the game as more of an action-adventure title with RPG elements that will operate off of some kind of live service. This seems to indicate some kind of online multiplayer experience. Indeed, it seems that this delay is at least partially due to EA's desire to develop that service a little while longer.


43 Canceled Star Wars Projects

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Various Star Wars movies, games and TV shows have been canceled over the years. The Force was not strong with these...

The ListsRob LeaneMike CecchiniJohn Saavedra
Jan 25, 2018

The Star Wars universe is a dangerous place. For example, "man walks into a bar" gags in Mos Eisley tend to end with unwarranted threats, droid racism, limbs being chopped off, impromptu deaths or – worst of all – rigorous re-editing.

Until the Disney buy-out, the world created by George Lucas was just as treacherous for seemingly-exciting projects. Lucasfilm, for a time, became notorious for the number of cancelations under its belt, with films, TV shows and game ideas constantly being chucked out at various stages of their development.

But when did the term "countless" ever stop us from trying to count things? Never, that’s when. So we donned a pointy-hooded robe and scoured the desert wilderness of the internet to bring you what we hope is a complete list of what we’ve missed out on from that galaxy far, far away.

We haven’t covered canceled Star Wars books and comics here, simply because there are too many to count. Forgive us, please. 

So, without further Bantha poodoo, here’s our tribute to the Star Wars projects that we’ll never get to see…

The Films

George Lucas’ Sequel Trilogy

What was it? The first entry on our list is undeniably the most talked-about; George Lucas’ original plans for a Star Wars sequel trilogy. Indeed, several reports will have you believe that Mr Lucas envisioned a further three films since the very invention of the Star Wars universe.

“It's a nine-part saga that has a beginning, a middle and an end,” said Lucas in 1980. It progresses over a period of about fifty or sixty years with about twenty years between trilogies, each trilogy taking about six or seven years.”

Plot-wise? Luke and his sister (not Leia at this stage of planning, apparently) would have been developing their skills with the force, it is believed, while moral and philosophical problems would have been the focus. Key themes would have been distinguishing right and wrong, as well as passing on your knowledge.

A romantic interest for Luke, as well as his children, his legacy and the rebirth of the Republic would also have been on the agenda.

Rumours persist that, if all had gone to plan, a Hamill-cameo akin to Obi-Wan’s role in A New Hope would have appeared in the sequel trilogy’s final installment, Star Wars Episode IX, in around 2011.

What happened? "Basically what I said as a joke was, 'Maybe when Harrison and Carrie are in their 70s, we'll come back and do another version.'” said Lucas in 2002. “The thing I didn't realise then, and that I do realize now very clearly, is that not only would they be in their 70s, but I would be in my 70s too."

In 2008, Lucas is also quoted as saying that "the movies were the story of Anakin Skywalker and Luke Skywalker, and when Luke saves the galaxy and redeems his father, that's where that story ends."

It sounds to us that Lucas simply lost passion for the project, which ties in well to his well-known desire to step away from the blockbuster arena.

Chances of resurrection? Well, the Sequel Trilogy is very much a reality now, so we may never know the extent of Lucas' plans for a new generation of galactic heroes and villains, but we know the movies have taken at least a few things from his original outline for Episode VII.

Indeed, it seems Lucas has been fairly separate from the creative process in his role as a consultant. “I mostly say 'you can't do this. You can do that,'" he told Bloomberg Businessweek. "You know, 'The cars don't have wheels. They fly with antigravity.' There's a million little pieces. Or I can say, 'He doesn’t have the power to do that, or he has to do this.' I know all that stuff."

“A film about robots, with no humans in it”

What was it? As more of an aside (albeit an interesting one), from George Lucas’ aforementioned sequel trilogy planning, a droid-centric cinematic outing was on his mind at one point.

In 1980, Lucas told Prevuemagazine that “as I was writing, I came up with some ideas for a film about robots, with no humans in it.”

“When the smoke cleared, I said, 'This is really great. I'll do another trilogy that takes place after this [the original trilogy].' I had three trilogies of nine films, and then another couple of odd films. Essentially, there were twelve films,” Lucas added, slightly confusingly.

What happened? A solo cinematic outing for R2-D2 and C3-PO seems the exact sort of thing studio executives looking for bankable shared cinematic universes would invest in these days. At the time, the idea didn’t seem to float, though. As soon as 1981, it seems Lucas had stopped referring to the droid-heavy movie in his interviews.

Chances of resurrection? Very slim. But, if you were paying attention to kids’ TV in the late 1980s, you might have spotted the animated Star Wars spin-off Droids. Although not feature length or cinema-standard, this series is probably as close as we will get. "Droids in Distress," an episode from StarWars Rebels, is a decent substitute too.

“Wookiees, nothing else”

What was it? As above, Lucas was tentatively planning a Wookiee-centric movie in the year 1980.

In the same interview where he suggested the droids movie, he also said “When I got to working on the Wookiee, I thought of a film just about Wookiees, nothing else. So, for a time, I had a couple of odd movies with just those characters.”

Plot-wise, the world of Wookiees opens up many possibilities in the wider Star Wars universe. Life-debts are common amongst Wookiees, which has been played in interesting directions previously, while the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk is one of the more beautiful corners of the Star Warsgalaxy.

What happened? Again, the idea simply stopped being mentioned. To our decades-later speculation-heavy minds, this seems to suggest a studio bigwig shut the idea down quickly.

Chances of resurrection? Nil, but did the ideas here become the infamous Holiday Special, we wonder? If not, perhaps some recycled concepts ended up in 1985’s Ewoks TV series. We’ll never know, but there’s a chance the cinema-going public might have dodged a bullet here.

3D rereleases of Attack Of The Clones and Revenge Of The Sith

What was it? You might remember in 2012 when, in lieu of creating new content, a 3D rerelease for the prequel trilogy was announced by Lucasfilm/ 20th Century Fox.

The first one went ahead, with The Phantom Menace picking up a nifty $43 million in the US to nudge its original box office total over the $1 billion mark. Fans also got to enjoy some podracing-style 3D glasses. They had, er, fun.

However, with the big changes to the behind-the-scenes Star Wars world occurring in 2013, Lucasfilm’s cancelled the rereleases of Attack of theClones and Revenge of the Sith.

What happened? The production of The Force Awakens happened, in this case. Shortly after the cancelation occurred, Kathleen Kennedy released a statement saying “given the recent development that we are moving forward with a new Star Wars trilogy, we will now focus 100 percent of our efforts on Star Wars: Episode VII in order to ensure the best possible experience for our fans.”

Chances of resurrection? Well, that statement concluded with “We will post further information about our 3D release plans at a later date,” so it seems the idea hasn’t been completely canned. With Disney’s desire to push forward in a Marvel Studios-esque model of yearly instalments and spin-offs, we’ve no idea when they’d fit this in, though.

Josh Trank's Boba Fett Standalone

What was it? It's no secret that Disney wants to make a Boba Fett solo movie to add to their expanding universe of Star Wars Anthology films. For years, whenever the possibility of a Star Wars spinoff came up, the first name mentioned was Boba Fett, thanks to fans' unending fascination with the badass-looking bounty hunter who never actually got around to doing anything of note in The Empire Strikes Back, croaking unceremoniously in Return of The Jedi, with a dopey origin story foisted on him in Attack of The Clones. But Boba Fett has mystique by the sandcrawler-load, and that's all that counts.

Names like Joe Johnston and Lawrence Kasdan had long been whispered in association with a Boba Fett movie, and at one point, Disney was ready to actually get to work on it. In fact, just a couple of years ago, Boba Fett was intended to be the second Star Wars Anthology movie after Rogue One. The director? Josh Trank, who had made his name on Chronicle, and was getting set to make a big summer blockbuster splash with 2015's Fantastic Four for 20th Century Fox. 

What happened? The plan was to officially unveil Mr. Trank as the director of Star Wars Anthology: Boba Fett (or Boba Fett: A Star Wars Story, or whatever it was going to be called) at Star Wars Celebration in April 2015, the same event where we first heard the title Rogue One. The problem was that Mr. Trank was deep into post-production and last minute edits on the deeply troubled Fantastic Four production. As a result, Mr. Trank never appeared at the event, and there were reportsthat he was specifically asked by Disney executives not to attend. Note that despite those reports, Mr. Trank and Lucasfilm issued a joint statement indicating that he had left the mystery Star Wars project on his own terms, and that the parting was an amicable one.

While the words "Boba Fett" never appeared in that statement, that was definitely what was in the cards. And in a different universe, fans who attended Star Wars Celebration 2015 would have seen not one, but two teasers, Rogue One...and Boba Fett. The news of the mystery, unseen Boba Fett teaser reel comes from Entertainment Weekly, and given the abrupt timing of Mr. Trank's departure, it makes perfect sense that Lucasfilm was ready to give Boba Fett the same kind of red carpet rollout that they gave the less familiar Rogue One at the event. The initial Rogue One teaser they unveiled was little more than a proof-of-concept, and not actual footage from the film, so Boba Fett would have been something similar, but it's still worth noting that this is out there somewhere.

Chances of resurrection? Lucasfilm is currently mapping out the future of standalone Star Wars movies and there's a very real chance the studio might still be interested in exploring a movie about the most infamous bounty hunter in the galaxy. Expect to see this one on the Star Wars movie slate eventually...

The TV Shows

Star Wars: Underworld

What was it? Here’s one we spent a fair bit of time speculating over and waiting for. Purported at one point to be going under the working title of StarWars: Underworld, this was a live-action telly project which was discussed as far back as 2005, all the way up until Disney stepped in and started working on their new movies instead.

After a bit of hanging around awaiting technological advancements, 50 episodes were scripted. The narrative focus was shifted away from the filmic cast, with Ronald D. Moore of Battlestar Galactica signing up to help script. He described the show as “complex, dark and adult." Life on Mars' Matthew Graham worked on the show too.

A Coruscant-based drugs/prostitution ring, the Empire’s growth in power and a potential bounty hunter lead were all strong rumours for the show, which was due to be set between the prequel trilogy and the originals.

What happened? This one, seemingly, got a little lost in the Disney acquisition. Talk went very quiet after the announcement of The Force Awakens and never really picked up again, save for some vague ‘it might be back in development one day’ type quotes.

Chances of resurrection? There's a good chance we'll see some semblance of Lucas' live-action Star Wars TV series now that Disney is working on one for its upcoming streaming service. We don't know how much Disney's live-action show might borrow from the Underworld concepts, but we reckon a few Lucas ideas will make it in there...

Darth Vader TV Specials

What was it? A project here which we only know a few salient details about – the once-rumoured Darth Vader TV specials.

A photo was leaked, from the European Brand Licencing Show (which sounds like a hoot), in October 2013. Disney/Lucasfilm had been presenting some of their Star Wars based work, with one project standing out like a sore thumb.

Spring/Summer 2014 was meant to house, it would seem, some Darth Vader-based TV specials. Whether these would have been live action remains a mystery, since the project never came to fruition.

What happened? Save for this one burst of information, we never heard about the project again.

Chances of resurrection? Darth Vader has gone on to appear in Rogue One and the second season of Rebels. He's also had a great comic book run at Marvel these past few years. Chances are that Disney doesn't really need these specials at the moment.

Detours TV series

What was it? This one was a rather intriguing prospect – an animated Star Wars series with a comedy twist. Star Wars: Detours was a project for Robot Chicken creators Seth Green and Matthew Senreich and was set, like the live action show, to explore some areas of the universe untouched by the main series of films.

Set between Revenge of the Sith and A New HopeDetours would have featured voice cameos from the likes of Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, and Jar Jar Binks himself Ahmed Best.

What happened? Disney put the project on (seemingly indefinite) hold when they put The Force Awakens into production, not sure that a comedy series ‘made sense’ alongside their wider plans. 39 episodes are completed, with 62 scripted.

Chances of resurrection? We’d be surprised if those 39 episodes never see the light of day, even if they end up unceremoniously dumped on the internet somewhere. We live in hope that the whole project might be picked up in between the feature film slate, though. Seth Green remains positive about it.

The Games

Ewok Adventure

What was it? In the gaps between films and tell shows, videogames have been (along with novels) the bread and butter of Star Wars for generations of fans. It’s no surprise, then, that the cancelled videogame projects on this list go almost as far back as the invention of the franchise itself.

Ewok Adventure was developed around the time of Return Of The Jedi for the Atari 2600, with dropping rocks on Imperials (causing them to explode) from the comfort of your glider taking up most of the game play. The end goal is taking down an Imperial Base, we’ve learned. Up there is clip from the game which has emerged online.

What happened? Under a shroud of mystery, Parker Brothers (the game’s developers) only opted to release Death Star Battle, and left their other Return Of The Jedi tie-in Ewok Adventure on the shelf.

Chances of resurrection? If you know where to look (we don’t), you can apparently find this whole game online. If you’re really desperate for some furry spin-off action, there was also a TV movie entitled Caravan Of Courage: An Ewok Adventure in 1984.

Vernost

What was it? This is one we know very little about – Vernost’s console, estimated release date and characters remain a bit of a mystery.

What we do know is that it would have been a space battle game, with Republic and Imperial forces battling it out for control of the volcanic planet Vernost, where a miracle elixir was up for grabs, boasting benefits for human health and renewable fuel.

The most reliable source we can find (a 1993 issue of Popular Science) suggests that this was an arcade simulator game, with X-Wings being the spaceship of choice and shooting things being the main gameplay action. Around the mid-90s is the best guess for a release date.

What happened? This project faded into obscurity, with very little mention of it found online.

Chances of resurrection? No chance, lance. However, Star Wars did do a trade in arcade simulators over the years, with The Phantom Menace’s tie-in pod-racing game being a prime example.

Proteus/Pangea

What was it? Star Wars Galaxies, as you may well already know, was a massively multiplayer online game (MMO) available on PC. Star Wars:Proteus was set to be its console counterpart and spent six months in development around 2003. Pangea was a very similar project, aimed at next-gen consoles (PS3/Xbox 360, at the time).

Both teams were combined later, with Proteus becoming the focus. The game was set to include Bespin, Corellia and Sullust as settings and humans, Quarren and Kel Dor amongst the playable species.

What happened? "Difficulties with the interface, which created an unattractive revenue model" is the believed problem here, meaning the project never saw the light of day.

Chances of resurrection? Nope. Star Wars MMO fans eventually got The Old Republic to continue Galaxieslegacy of course, but that was also only available on PC. We wouldn’t rule out an attempted console effort MMO at some point in the future, though.

Star Wars: Imperial Commando

What was it? You might remember Republic Commando, the Star Wars game from 2003 which kitted you out as – you guessed it – a Republic Commando. Well, this would have been its sequel, which would have offered the experience of batting for the other team – the Imperials.

In the game you would have guided some of Vader’s finest on an array of exciting missions, not all of which would have included shooting down the good guys, apparently. Returns for the original game’s Delta Squad were rumoured, but not confirmed.

The game only got as far as a few concept paintings before being binned, it would seem.

What happened? Well, either they were some really shoddy paintings or LucasArts simply went cold on the idea. Facts are particularly sparse on this one.

Chances of resurrection? Rumours of a follow-up to Republic Commando have flown around a few times, but we wouldn’t count on it, to be honest. Playing exclusively as the baddies (albeit in a different format) was explored eventually in The Force Unleashed, though.

Knights Of The Old Republic III

What was it? For a whole lot of folk, this one will need no introduction at all. Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic and its follow-up The SithLords have a soft spot in the hearts of many, and, for a time, it looked like the saga wasn’t going to end there.

The story for KotOR III was written, environments made and characters were well into development. Lightsaber-wielding female Naresha was a confirmed character, although little else was revealed.

With the future exploits of Revan and The Exile left very ambiguous at the ends of their respective games, and a whole universe in which to invent new characters and scenarios, there’s no shortage of directions they could have gone in with this RPG.

What happened? Well, around the time of The Sith Lords' 2005 release, LucasArts wasn’t in the best of health, and the game fell out of favour, with the powers that be preferring to develop more bankable titles.

Chances of resurrection? It might be our optimistic imagination, but we still like to think that KotOR III might happen one day. Obsidian (who made The Sith Lordsdisplayed a tentative interest earlier this year, while Bioware (who made the original) went on to make The Old Republic as an MMO follow-up instead.

A straight-up RPG sequel relies on someone having a change of heart somewhere along the line, but it could be a possibility once the Star Wars universe has resettled post-The Force Awakens. (We wrote more wild speculation about KotOR III here).

Smuggler / Scum And Villainy

What was it? This one has its intentions written fairly clearly on the tin – the game which went by the names Star Wars: Smuggler and Star Wars:Scum And Villainy at varying stages of development, would have allowed us to fulfil our dream of becoming our own version of Han Solo.

Han himself wasn’t the protagonist, as far as we know, but this game would have given us a chance to create our own customisable smuggler in the StarWars universe and would have involved ‘smuggling and trading between Facebook, tablets and consoles.’

To us, that sounds like an ingenious cross-medium marketing ploy and, potentially, a whole lot of fun. Selling high and buying low would earn rewards, while the threat of Imperial entanglements added an element of danger to proceedings.

This one only reached concept art stage, some of which would later be incorporated into The Force Unleashed.

What happened? Around 2006, the project was dumped like dodgy cargo. The title later appeared as one of LucasArt’s 20 cancelled projects revealed in the book Rogue Leaders: The Story Of LucasArts.

Chances of resurrection? Given that the idea of trading between social media, handheld devices and home consoles still sounds a strong suggestion years later, we’d wager that something along these lines may resurface at some point. Blend that cross-platform concept with an engaging narrative and you could well be onto something.

Damage/ Darth Maul

What was it? Here’s one that could have offered a handy expansion of the Star Wars universe for a character who really should have appeared more in the films (read why here). Damage was the working title given to a Darth Maul spin-off game which was planned to intertwine with The Clone Wars.

It was developed by Red Fly, the game would have been given a cross-platform release in 2010,  intended to roll out on PS3, Xbox 360, PC and WiiU. The pre-made audience from the TV show could have helped this onto big success, if the developers got it right.

Interestingly, an article by Games Informer pertains to know that this was a Maul origin tale which saw him tortured into becoming evil at a young age. Sounds dark.

Lucas weighed in at one point and asked the focus to be shifted onto Darth Krayt and Darth Talon from the Expanded Universe.

What happened? A while after Lucas confused Red Letter with his request, the game reached a definite cancelation in 2011.

Chances of resurrection? It’s too late for this project now, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see Darth Maul further explored in one way or another once The Force Awakens resettles the universe. We wouldn’t rule out gaming tie-ins to future TV shows, either.

Star Wars 1313

What was it? We’d wager that you remember this one – Star Wars 1313 was a highly-anticipated game that promised us a look at the dingy depths of Coruscant’s lower levels. The game was apparently aiming for a ‘mature’ rating so they could delve into some darker themes.

You would have started as a mysterious bounty hunter and later found out that you were actually playing as Boba Fett. "Exotic" weapons and a criminal conspiracy were promised plot-elements with fast-paced combat and non-lightsaber promising a very different feel to force-based games.

The game got a lot further than the ideas stage, with a trailer being debuted at E3 in 2012 (now viewable online, here). Of all the games on this list, this one might just be the saddest loss.

What happened? You know the story by now – Disney took over, shut down LucasArts and officially abandoned the 1313 trademark in April 2013.

Chances of resurrection? In the form we were expecting it, a resurgence seems very unlikely, given Disney’s hasty ditching of the trademark. Given the hype the game had already mustered from chatter and a trailer, we bet someone important is still thinking about releasing something similar.

First Assault

What was it? Here’s one we really don’t know much about – StarWarsFirstAssault.com was a domain name snapped up by LucasArts in 2012 which, as ever, caused speculation around the internet.

Theories circulating the web suggested that First Assault might be a Battlefront-esque game featuring micotransactions and appearing on the Xbox downloadable arcade.

The term "first assault" makes us think of either Order 66 (the first Imperial assault on the Jedi) or the early days of the Rebellion. Of course, we will probably never know either way.

What happened? This was one of the many projects to fall by the wayside when Disney shut down LucasArts.

Chances of resurrection? Not likely, but Disney/EA will probably try and edge further into the microtransaction-heavy online gaming world with StarWars at some point.

Attack Squadrons

What was it? Star Wars: Attack Squadrons is an interesting member of this list, not least because it stands as an actual Disney-led gaming project which didn’t make the cut, as opposed to the reams of LucasArts ideas that were cancelled in the prior takeover.

This PC-based spaceship game sounded to us like the modern take on similar material to nineties favourite Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, which introduced a generation to the joys of videogame space battles.

The game would have allowed multiplayer games of up to 16 players, and would have featured several iconic battles including the second Death Star's destruction at Endor.

What happened? May 2014 marked the end of this one, after four months of beta testing. The desire to focus on “other Star Wars gaming experiences” was cited as a typically vague reason.

Chances of resurrection? Not in this form - recovering from a cancellation so deep into production is fairly unlikely. Space battles will forever be an element of Star Wars videogames, though.

Outpost

What was it? Another ditched LucasArts project here, and one that was looking to cash in on a popular trend in social media gaming.

Star Wars: Outpost was all set to be LucasArts’ answer to Farmville, the browser-based game which has probably popped up in your Facebook notifications (welcome or not) repeatedly in recent years.

Building empires would have been the focus, and presumably interacting with other such empires to add a social element. A focus on moisture farming, perhaps?

What happened? This one disappeared post-Disney with all the other failed LucasArts projects.

Chances of resurrection? Again, seeing Star Wars branch into Farmville-style territory doesn’t sound completely ridiculous, but we’d expect a different name and approach.

The New Emperor

What was it? This 1998 project from LucasArts was set to enter some mostly uncharted territory. A Star Wars spy game, with C-3P0 as the lead, focused on the time immediately after the original trilogy.

Apparently, the Empire wasn’t going to give up that easily after the events of Return of the Jedi and planned to announce a new Emperor to lead them back to power.

Your mission, as C-3P0, would be to infiltrate the Empire and try to gain information about the new Emperor. LucasArts were potentially planning to mix real actors and blue-screen technology on this one.

What happened? Not much is known about this one, but the mildly naff premise of C-3P0 entering the espionage game could well have put some big wigs off.

Chances of resurrection? Um, don’t count on it, folks.

New Rogue Squadron Trilogy / Rogue Squadron: X-Wing Versus Tie-Fighter

What was it? Seeing as the Rogue Squadron brand already spawned a trilogy of games, and then a Naboo-set prequel, it’s not surprising that LucasArts and Factor 5 (who have co-developed the series since the start) had plans to explore the franchise further.

In 2003, they were in fact allegedly 50% into producing a new Rogue Squadron trilogy which would update the original games for a new audience on the Xbox, before the games got canned.

A while later, around the time that Xbox 360 was being launched (2005-ish, then), LucasArts were planning to reintroduce the space-battle gaming icon with Rogue Squadron: X-Wing Versus Tie-Fighter, a launch game for the new console.

This game would have been an online multiplayer experience, with teams of players uniting online to make their own ‘squadrons’ in the Star Wars style of "Red 1 – standing by" and so forth.

Between these squadrons, a giant war between the Empire and the Rebels would have raged, which sounds a lot like a purely-space-based Battlefront to us, which could have been great fun.

What happened? A management change at LucasArts resulted in the 2003 Rogue Squadron revamp falling out of favour.

As for the 2005 multiplayer version, LucasArts were apparently sceptical about providing a launch title for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and instead they went and made Lair for the PS3. We imagine they might have kicked themselves for that later.

Chances of resurrection? That 2003 version actually already got an attempted resurrection in 2008, relocated to the Wii with some added lightsaber combat levels. The project was binned once more due to the financial crisis, despite being dubbed “the technically most impressive thing you would ever see on Wii” by former Factor 5 president Julian Eggebrecht. Shame.

People will always love space battles though, so we expect Rogue Squadron, or something similar, to reappear at some point when there are new films to tie-in with. That’s purely guess-work, though.

Star Wars Fighting Game

What was it? Here’s one that, had it been done right, could have cashed-in big time. Considering the success Injustice: Gods Among Us gave DC characters, a cancelled Star Wars fighting game from 2005 seems like a sizeable missed opportunity.

Of course, Injustice benefitted from the power of a modern Mortal Kombat engine behind it, while the untitled Star Wars fighting game did not, so we don’t know for sure that this would have been as good. Robomodo, the company how were working on the game, had worked on Mortal Kombat titles before, though.

What we do know from that pic above is that the second Death Star was tipped as a probable location and that Darth Maul and Revenge of the Sith-era Anakin Skywalker had been created as playable characters before the game got dumped.

What happened? We don’t know for sure why the game was never picked up, but the closure of Robomodo in 2005 was probably the final nail in the coffin.

Chances of resurrection? We’d be amazed if a Star Wars fighting game never saw the light of day. We’d expect Disney to enlist the post-reboot Mortal Kombat and Injustice developers NeatherRealm if they ever did push ahead with such a project.

In the meantime, there’s always Masters of Teräs Käsi for the PS1. There was a one-on-one dual mode in Revenge of the Sith for PS2 if we remember correctly, as well.

Death Star

What was it? Fancy controlling your own Death Star battle station from the comfort of your iOS operating system? Tough, because the game Star Wars: Death Star went and got cancelled.

Other than the name, the basic premise (controlling the Death Star) and the operating system, not much else is known about this project. We do know that the ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force, though.

What happened? This gaming product never got anywhere near being fully operational, but the Disney takeover finished it off.

Chances of resurrection? Not in this solar system. However, separate project Star Wars: Tiny Death Star is available on Windows Phone, if you’re that way inclined, which boasts a similar premise and a cutesy 8-bit style (it got binned from all other types of phones, though).

Underworld

What was it? Here’s one we’re not sure what to make of – among the 20 cancelled games titles revealed in 2008 book Rogue Leaders: The Story of Lucas Arts a project entitled Star Wars: Underworld was listed.

Would this have been a tie-in to the long-mooted live action Star Wars TV series (which itself was purported to have the title Underworld, too)? Or was this a precursor to the project which eventually became Star Wars 1313?

Seeing as all those projects got cancelled, we can’t offer much insight into Star Wars: Underworld the videogame other than the on-the-nose speculation that it would have involved some insights into the world underneath the Star Wars universe we know and love. The above image from a particularly shady corner of KotORwould almost definitely not have featured.

What happened? As with a lot of titles on that list of twenty, word of this one never reached the public until it's doom, so we’d wager the idea was never at a very advanced stage.

Chances of resurrection? Save for a few levels here and there in other games, the underworld of the Star Wars universe remains a little under-explored by videogames.

We’d bet, once the dust has settled with the under-new-ownership nature of Star Wars, that a game with a title like this may yet become a reality.

Episode VII: Shadows Of The Sith

What was it? An interesting one this, and another from the list of twenty ditched titles that popped up in Rogue Leaders: The Story of Lucas Arts in 2008– were Lucasfilm plotting their own Episode VII a few years before Disney swooped in, we wonder? And was this the potential tie-in  game?

Alternatively, releasing a game pertaining to be a direct continuation of the original movie trilogy (in lieu of an actual film) would have elicited an undoubtedly massive press response, and probably a huge sales spike, too. Dismissing it as non-canon would be fairly easy a few years later as well, so it’s not that surprising that a game entitled Episode VII was at one point on the cards.

That title, Shadows of the Sith, could allude to new sith lords, the reappearance of old ones or even the "Sith Shadows"– a group of thugs hired to round-up force sensitive folk for the Empire in the Expanded Universe. We’ll never know how far this game got into development, but it’s an interesting one to consider.

What happened? Again, we don’t know the details on this one. We’d hedge our bets on executives as Lucasfilm putting their foot down when the gaming team at LucasArts asked if they could use the Episode VII title, just in case they ever need it.

Chances of resurrection? There will be, we assume, a whole host of Episode VII-themed games when The Force Awakens hits our screens. However, they probably won’t resemble whatever LucasArts were plotting pre-2008 very closely.

Jedi Knight III: Brink Of Darkness

What was it? Jedi Knight was a much-loved series of games (with live action cutscenes!) that kicked off with Star Wars: Dark Forces in 1995 and lived to have four more instalments (one of which was an expansion pack) across PC, Xbox, and Gamecube. The last entry in the Jedi Knight saga was 2004’s Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy. However, there was a time when the series wouldn’t have ended there.

Among the list of twenty mysterious cancelled games that surfaced in 2008 was the tantalising titled Jedi Knight III: Brink Of Darkness. This sounds more like a straight sequel to Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast than a continuation of the absent-of-numbering Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy game, which focused on a new Jedi recruit.

It sounds to us like this game might have brought back the series’ original protagonist Kyle Katarn’s playable character status then, and possibly bridged the gap between Outcast and Academy in which Katarn went from deciding not to forsake the force and becoming a prominent master at the academy.

What happened? Not much is known about why this one got cancelled, but seeing as we only heard about it in 2008, we could assume that the success of Jedi Academy put LucasArts off the idea of backtracking and producing a sequel to Jedi Outcast.

Chances of resurrection? Like Knights of the Old Republic, there’s a slim chance Disney might choose to reignite this franchise once they’ve got their new Star Wars films up and running. Equally though, they might decide to push out into entirely new directions instead.

Jedi Master

What was it? This one’s another proposed instalment to the aforementioned Jedi Knight saga, albeit one that would have taken the series in a new direction.

Pitched directly after the events of Revenge of the SithJedi Master would have technically been a prequel to Star Wars: Dark Forces (the first instalment of the Jedi Knight saga, which took place before and after A New Hope), so it’s unclear which characters would have returned (Katarn’s mercenary years would be an interesting focus, though).

We do know a little about the themes and intended tone of the game, with elements of a survival horror game being touted. The game, set during the beginning-at-the-end-of-the-prequels Jedi purge, would presumably have seen the eponymous Jedi Master on the run in the dark and violent early days of the Empire.

What happened? Potential consumers were asked to judge the concept, as LucasArts attempted to gauge interest in a more mature Jedi Knight installment. They responded with terms like "derivative" and "gratuitous," and the game was condemned.

Chances of resurrection? Based on that potential-audience feedback, we would say this one is as dead as they get. We expect darker corners of Star Wars to be explored in gaming one day, though.

Rise of the Rebellion

What was it? Here’s another from the 2008 list of cancelled games, which we sadly don’t know much about.
While the name Rise of the Rebellion has since been given to a fan-made corner of Minecraft, and speculated as a potential subtitle for Knights of the Old Republic III among the fan fiction world, details of this game were never forthcoming, other than the fact it was planned at one point in recent-ish LucasArts history.

Our bet? That Rise of the Rebellion would have been one of the many projects touted to bridge the gap between Revenge of the Sith (where all hope seemed lost) and A New Hope (where the rebellion very much existed). We can imagine an adventure game, maybe with a stealthy ‘hide from the storm-troopers’ element existing in that time period nicely.

What happened? This one never got beyond the idea stage it would seem, with no morsels of info from LucasArts appearing very forthcoming.

Chances of resurrection? This one’s so vague that we probably wouldn’t notice even if it did return, unless it retained the same title. The between-the-trilogies gap has been plugged considerably by The Force Unleashed games and the Star Wars Rebels telly show, though.

Rogue Jedi

What was it? Here’s another. With a title like Rogue Jedi, what can we guess about this game? Well, it seems likely that this game would (like the also-cancelled Jedi Master game), be based in the between-the-trilogies when the Empire were hunting down the last few Jedi. That, or perhaps a time in the Expanded Universe where Jedi were just as persecuted.

Failing that, this could also have been a Jedi-gone-bad/Jedi-on-a-vendetta game, the latter of which could have been very interesting. Of course, we will probably never know.

What happened? Again, this one never seemed to get much further than a title and a logo being designed.

Chances of resurrection? Not likely, though the idea of rogue Jedi on the run was explored fairly extensively in The Force Unleashed.

Vader

What was it? Star Wars: Vader, now who could have been the focus of that? Of course, the role co-owned by David Prowse and James Earl Jones on the big screen would have been given some breathing room here. But what would the actual concept have been?

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the between-the-trilogies gap seems likely, if a little too obvious. It’s more interesting to consider where else we could fit a Vader game in the chronology of the films.

Perhaps the game was set to retell the events of the original trilogy from the perspective of the be-suited Sith lord? This would allow opportunities to play out familiar battle scenes from his point of view and also flesh out his side of the story a bit.

Did he ever attempt to break out from Palpatine’s control? Was he going off on secret missions of his own? Did he ever walk around with his helmet off just to scare people? It seems we’ll never know.

What happened? This is another that got chucked out prior to 2008, under a Bespin-like cloud of mystery.

Chances of resurrection? It’s a long shot, but not entirely out of the question. If Disney received a perfect pitch for a standalone Vader outing, we doubt they’d completely ignore it. See the first level of The Force Unleashed if you need some Vader action sooner.

Jedi Outlaw

What was it? Here’s an interesting one, that Games Radar managed to dig up some details on from the book The Art of Making Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

Jedi Outlaw, we’ve heard, would have been set 500 years after the events of the original trilogy, in a time where a tentative peace has been brokered between the Jedi and the Sith. In this world, they’ve created "The Council," a new galactic governing body that took the place of the Jedi Council of old. (Yes, our choice of picture is completely unrelated.)

You would have played the last descendant of Luke Skywalker, tasked with the role of sheriff to this fragile alliance. From what we’ve heard, you would have ended up on the run after being framed for a peace-shattering murder.

What happened? This one was ditched pre-2008 with those other 19 projects we keep mentioning. The 500-years-later setting was deemed unappealing to "the average Star Wars fan," we’ve heard.

Chances of resurrection? This game played a part in the inception of The Force Unleashed, but no, we wouldn’t count on a revival of the original idea.

Jedi Hunter

What was it? Interestingly (depending on your definition of interesting), this one seems to have released some tie-in merchandise despite never existing. A quick Google search reveals that a "Jedi Hunter" emblazoned PS2 controller was released in 2005.

Although the Amazon description has since vanished, one product reviewer claims that said controlled offered the chance to "win saber locks with the lightsaber button," which (according to his review) wasn’t actually a feature on the controller at all. Were you meant to play a Jedi hunting other Jedi then? Or a character akin to the Inquisitor from Star Wars Rebels?

The packaging (we know we’re pushing it here…) included a picture of Darth Vader’s helmet. Could that suggest he was intended as a key character? We prefer Games Radar’s idea for a first-person-shooter spin-off for KotOR’s "meat-bag"-hating assassin droid HK-47, though.

What happened? This one disappeared with the other 19 pre-2008 projects. That nifty controller is still available though.

Chances of resurrection? From the total lack of solid info about Jedi Hunter, it seems safe to assume we won’t be seeing this one again. From that product-based super-analysis though, we reckon plot elements might have been carried into The Force Unleashed.


Han Solo

Han Solo

What was it? Prior to 2008, LucasArts were plotting a Han Solo game. That’s all we know for a fact. There’s plenty of stories from Han’s Expanded Universe biography that could have made for excellent games.

His years being raised by smuggler, bounty hunter and sort-of space pirate Garris Shrike could be interesting, for example. Or his years in the Imperial Academy. Or his first encounter with Chewie. Or unspecified smuggler adventures. Or his life after the original saga. Or just hours of playing cards with Lando. The possibilities are endless.

An Uncharted-style adventure game charting many of his finest exploits, maybe including a few familiar ones, would have been a dream for Han fans.

What happened? LucasArts shot first on this one, binning the game in 2008 before Disney ever got involved.

Chances of resurrection? Well, EA-owned company Visceral Games snared Amy Hennig (who creative-directed and wrote Uncharted) for an unspecified next-gen Star Wars game in April 2014. Could this be a Han Solo adventure? We’ll be sure to shout about it as soon as we hear anything.

Dark Jedi

What was it? Here’s our penultimate entry – another ditched idea from the pre-2008 twenty that emerged in the Rogue Leaders book, entitled Dark Jedi.

The pesky nature of the term Jedi means we can’t be sure if this one is referring to a singular dark Jedi or ruddy loads of them. Either way, there’s several directions you could take the concept of not-very-nice Jedi.

A few ideas that spring to mind are Luke Skywalker’s Expanded Universe foray into the dark side, an Anakin solo game set in his first few years as a Sith, a KotOR-esque story of a fallen knight or maybe even the historic exploits of Xendor, widely regarded as the first Jedi to go bad. Whichever way they were planning to spin it, we’re imagining lots of lightsaber battles and pretty much non-stop force lightning.

What happened? Dark Jedi was binned, like so many, before we even got to know it. Tragic.

Chances of resurrection? Again at risk of sounding like a broken record, elements of this probably seeped into The Force Unleashed, so we wouldn’t count on a new morally-questionable Jedi nabbing their own game any time soon.

The ‘Rebel’ Series

What was it? And finally, it seems only apt to finish on the wildest speculation on this list. Do you fancy being a part of the rebel alliance and a traitor? Well, in an alternate reality where LucasArts made all their projects, you might well have got your chance.

Taking up six spaces on that list of cancelled games that surfaced in 2008 was a batch of titles that were presumably intended as some kind of series or interlinking universe.

These were Rebel Agent, Rebel Fury, Rebel Warrior, Rebel Scum, and Rebel Jedi (presumably the same thing as Jedi Rebel, which also appeared on the list). Call us downright silly, but it sounds to us like LucasArts was planning a huge franchise here, focused on the years the Rebel Alliance spent fighting the empire, adding layers of detail to the original film trilogy.

To us, Rebel Agent sounds like a ground-level first person shooter, while Rebel Warrior sounds more combat-based. Rebel Jedi/Jedi Rebel, in our humble opinion, sounds tantalisingly like an action adventure title where your own Jedi wades into the Rebel cause.

Rebel Scum? Well that could only be your chance, after enjoying all the other titles in this whopping franchise, to fight from the Imperial side of the fence. Rebel Fury? No idea. Maybe something involving a rebel revenge rampage?

What happened? Arguably the most frustratingly enigmatic entry on this list, it seems no-one has ever asked LucasArts what their plan was here, and what put them off. Maybe the sheer scale of launching so many (potentially) interlinked titles turned some higher-ups off? If we ever interview anyone who used to work at LucasArts, we’ll be sure to ask.

Chances of resurrection? This one is definitely slim, but we’d certainly like to know what was being planned.

Ragtag

What was it?"Ragtag" starred a scoundrel named Dodger, a “cracked mirror version” of Han Solo. While Dodger was the main character, players would have controlled an entire team of rogues, including Robie, Dodger's gunslinging partner; Oona, a mob boss' daughter; and Buck, the leader of the ship's crew. 

The game would have told a heist story - "Star Wars meets Ocean's Eleven,"according to Kotaku - set between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. The game would have also tackled "the impact of Alderaan's destruction."

"Ragtag" would have featured a multiplayer mode focused on space combat. The mode was ordered by EA, which wanted Visceral's game to hold the attention of players beyond the length of a single-player mode. Ultimately, the multiplayer mode was scrapped due to lack of resources and manpower. 

What happened? The game started out as an open-world space adventure starring a "Han Solo-like rogue." In this first iteration, the project was called "Yuma."

"It was going to be some hybrid between a linear action shooter, where if you’re on the ground it’s Tomb Raider-like, but then in space it’s gonna be [Assassin's Creed:Black Flag,” according to Kotaku's sources. The latter game allows the player to play on land or board a pirate ship to travel around the map and do battle with other ships.

“You flew your Millennium Falcon-esque ship around, boarded other ships, raided pirates, got booty, and that kind of thing," said another person familiar with the project.

A lack of resources, low team morale, and the arrival of Amy Hennig, the creative director of the first three Uncharted games, were the reasons for Visceral's shift to a linear action-adventure game. Under Hennig's leadership, the project became Uncharted in space.

Just before the game's cancellation, the studio produced three different demos of "Ragtag" to show EA's executives. The demos included an AT-ST chase scenario, a shootout on Tatooine (which provided the footage of the brief clip shown at E3 2016), and a mission into Jabba's Palace. It was after seeing these snippets of the game that EA decided to cancel the project. 

Chances of resurrection? This project is dead. EA has shifted the development of a new Star Wars game to EA Vancouver, which also worked with Visceral on "Ragtag." This new game will be open-world. 

We’re confident we’ve done a fairly extensive internet-trawl here, but given the never-ending potential of the Star Wars universe, we’re almost certain we’ve missed some films, TV shows and/or games that got cancelled.

If you know of a cancelled project we’ve missed, please do pop it in the comments and we’ll update when we can. Thanks!

The 5 Best PUBG Live Streams

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Don't have time to get your own chicken dinner? Watch some of Twitch's best streamers play PUBG instead.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jan 25, 2018

Since it hit early access in 2017, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds has become one of the most popular video games to stream. While previous battle royale games have achieved moderate success via streaming services, the refined - well, comparatively refined - gameplay of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds combined with the way it generates so many in-game stories makes it the perfect streaming title. 

The success of the game raises a bit of a dilemma. How do you possibly navigate the hundreds of PUBG streamers in order to find the ones that are worth your time? You could just click on every stream until you find one you like, but we're relatively certain that kind of madness is what led to PUBG's apocalyptic world where everyone is battling for supremacy. 

Alternatively, you can just take our word on the matter. While there are many, many great PUBG streamers out there, a few have risen above the pack and distinguished themselves as some of the absolute best. They don't always stream PUBG- there are too many excellent games out there - but when they do, you simply can't miss their playthroughs of one of the most popular games in the world. 

Summit1g - real name Jaryd Lazar - was once one of the best Counter-Strike players in the world. Well...he might still be, but he's mostly retired from competitive play in favor of a streaming career. 

While you can sometimes find Summit playing Counter-Strike, he prefers to stream PUBG these days. Yet, it's Summit's skills from his Counter-Strike days that make him such a great PUBG streamer. While PUBG isn't quite as skill intensive as professional Counter-Strike matches, the battle royale's gunplay does cater to those able to execute perfect shots with a variety of weapons while constantly accounting for enemy position. Summit excels at both of those attributes.

Still, Summit is more of an entertainment streamer than an educational streamer. Watch him if you want to see an exceptional talent, but be aware that he likes to inject quite a bit of his personality into the stream. 

BreaK

Considering how hectic and - dare we say? - random PUBGcan be, it's hard to identify the absolute best player in the world. However, BreaK may just have a legitimate claim to that title. 

BreaK is certainly an excellent marksman - he has hit calculated 1000m sniper shots in the past - but his skills go well beyond that. BreaK has been playing battle royale games since around the time they were introduced and truly understands how the average player thinks. This gives him the remarkable ability to anticipate enemy presence, movement, and positioning. 

If you want to learn what it takes to play at PUBG's highest levels - without resorting to cheating - watch BreaK do his thing on Twitch. 

Shroud

Speaking of players who can lay claim to the title "best in the world," we come to Shroud.

Like many of the best PUBGplayers, Shroud can trace his career back to a successful run through the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive competitive scene. There, he learned to manage the presence of several targets in a given area. Shroud's ability to identify the movement of his targets and quickly dispatch them borders on inhuman. You know how some PUBG players just hide in the bushes and wait to get those last few kills? That's not Shroud. This guy loves to drop into the thick of it. 

Shroud's aggressive nature and incredible skills make him one of the most dominant and impressive PUBGstreamers out there. 

TSM_Viss

Part of the problem with learning PUBG is that there isn't really a great way to do it without suffering through quite a few failures. While some people like that style of gameplay, others just want some indication of what works and what doesn't. 

Viss is one of the best streams to tune into if you're looking to learn advanced PUBGplay. While he doesn't constantly explain his moves, he is excellent at talking through his decision making and how he interprets the actions of his opponents. He also prefers to focus on the game while streaming - generally speaking - meaning that you don't have to put up with quite as much "personality" while watching him play. 

Viss isn't quite on the same level as some of the other players on this list in terms of overall skillset, but the guy truly is an incredible player and may be able to teach you a thing or two about the game. 

Dr. DisRespect

Dr. DisRespect - real name Guy Beahm - is best described as a WWE heel who decided to stream video games for a living. Beahm once described the DisRespect character as someone who believes they are "the most dominating gaming specimen." He's essentially a parody of the popular perception of hyper-masculine competitive multiplayer gamers. From bragging about his back-to-back Blockbuster Games World Championship wins ("Two time!") to welcoming followers to "The Slick Daddy Club," the doctor really is one of the most brilliant creations in the history of video game streaming.

That's why everyone was shocked when Beahm began a recent Twitch stream by tearfully admitting that he had committed infidelity and would be taking a break from streaming. 

When DisRespect returns on February 5, he will likely continue playing Player Unknown's Battlegrounds. If that is the case, then we highly recommend you watch his stream if you want to watch one of the most inventive and entertaining personalities on Twitch. If you've been trying to get into the streaming scene but find it hard to latch onto a streamer, this is the place to start.

The 25 Video Games You Need to Play in 2018

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There are a lot of great games coming out in 2018! Here are the top 25 games you have to play next year...

The ListsMatthew Byrd
Jan 25, 2018

While its far too early to say that 2018 will be as great as 2017 in terms quality video game releases, it is already shaping up to be a fascinating year for the video game industry. While Sony and Microsoft battle for control of a rapidly approaching 4K future, Nintendo is hoping to prove that the Switch's early success will carry over into year two. Meanwhile, the PC market continues to benefit from the growing VR industry and a constant influx of indie titles. 

Of course, the true star of 2018 will ultimately be the games. So far as that goes, there are already quite a few promising titles on the horizon. We've taken a look at all of the games that are confirmed for next year, at least as a release window, and have chosen the ones we think you need to an eye on.

Here are the best looking games of 2018 so far:

A Way Out

March 23 | Hazelight Studios | XBO, PS4, PC

Nobody outside of EA and Hazelight Studios had ever heard of A Way Out prior to E3 2017, but it ended up being one of the most noteworthy games featured during this year's show. A Way Out is a co-op action title displayed entirely through the lens of a split-screen. While the game’s early sections will focus on completing an elaborate prison break, later levels will seemingly cast both players as fugitives.

We’ve played co-op games for years, but few have ever taken advantage of the concept from a presentation and storytelling standpoint quite the way that A Way Out does. The game’s split-screen style allows for both players to always influence the events of the story even when one is watching a cutscene or is otherwise indisposed. It’s a remarkably fresh take on the co-op concept that may prove to be the shot in the arm the cinematic action genre desperately needs.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

March | Inti Creates, ArtPlay, DICO Co. Ltd | XBO, PS4, PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation Vita, OS X, Linux

Koji Igarashi is the man you should thank for translating the Metroid style of gameplay to Castlevania and helping create the fabled "Metroidvania" genre. He was the driving creative force behind Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and the producer of many Castlevania titles released since 1996. Bloodstained represents his long-awaited return to the genre. 

As we recently explored, Bloodstained is a Metroidvania-style Castlevania game in every way but its name. It is Igarashi's attempt to develop the kind of Castlevaniagames that he wanted to make before policy changes at Konami made the development of such titles an uncertain prospect. Castlevania fans have been supporting this game since its debut on Kickstarter, and we can't wait to see whether or not Igarashi can deliver the Castlevania spiritual successor that gaming desperately needs. 

Code Vein

TBA | Bandai Namco Studios | XBO, PS4, PC

While many developers of Dark Souls-like games have attempted to avoid that comparison whenever possible, Code Vein director Hiroshi Yoshimura has welcomed the comparison. He knows that Dark Souls changed the action RPG genre, and he hasn't tried to hide the fact that Code Vein was heavily inspired by that classic franchise. 

However, Code Vein is much more than a flattering tribute to Dark Souls. With its anime style and outlandish storyline involving a world of vampires, Code Vein is clearly not interested in replicating Dark Souls' somber tones and vague narrative. Instead, Code Vein figures to be a fast-paced and genuinely wild take on this genre that should still be rooted in the kind of deep and satisfying combat system that this genre is known for. 

Buy Code Vein

Crackdown 3

TBA | Reagent Games, Sumo Digital, Ruffian Games, Cloudgine | XBO, PC

It's been almost eight years since we last heard from the Crackdown series. There was a time when Microsoft's hidden gem open-world title provided a breath of fresh air to the subgenre. Its outlandish, superhero-like gameplay afforded players the chance to just go wild in a metro setting. Since those days, though, the open-world genre - and the world at large - has changed quite a bit. 

In order for Crackdown 3 to make the same impact that Crackdown protagonists make when they jump off the city's highest buildings and crash onto the streets below, it's going to have to invoke the casual gameplay of the first two Crackdown games while finding a way to advance the game's style just enough to make us feel that old joy of galivanting around a superhero sandbox.

Buy Crackdown 3

Detroit: Become Human

TBA | Quantic Dream | PS4

Much like director M. Night Shamalayn, game designer David Cage's projects tend to either be brilliant (Heavy Rain) or bewilderingly misguided (Beyond Two Souls). His next game, Detroit: Become Human, can honestly go either way.

Become Human is a neo-noir sci-fi thriller that tells the story of a group of androids who are trying to rebel against an abusive society and the people assigned to hunting them down. It's hard not to think of Blade Runner from that description, but Detroit: Become Human figures to distinguish itself from its inspirations through a branching narrative and its more thorough look at both sides of this conflict. It remains to be seen whether or not Cage's sometimes bewildering brand of brilliance will make this a truly special title. 

Buy Detroit: Become Human

Days Gone

TBA | SIE Bend Studio | PS4

Despite the fact that Days Gone has been one of Sony's centerpiece titles for the last two E3s, we still don’t really know all that much about the game. It seems to be about a group of survivors in the zombie apocalypse just trying to do what they can to live another day, but the exact roles of the game’s principal characters remain a source of debate.

What we do know is that Days Gone’s The Last of Us presentation style and Horizon: Zero Dawn world design may just prove to be tantalizing enough to justify another trip through the zombie apocalypse. Days Gone’s emphasis on the power of a horde in an open-world setting is a fascinating way to ensure that the game’s zombies don’t just become bullet sponges or jump-scare devices. We look forward to seeing what other innovations Days Gone brings to the table.

Buy Days Gone

Dragon Ball FighterZ

January 26 | Arc System Works | XBO, PS4, PC

Hearing that another studio is making a new Dragon Ball Z fighting game is a lot like finding out you’re out of toilet paper. It's a potentially disastrous situation that you quite honestly should have seen coming. However, Dragon Ball FighterZ is not just another Dragon Ball fighting game, and that’s because it’s not being made by just another studio.

No, Dragon Ball FighterZis a high-octane, beautifully rendered, pure 2D fighting game from the makers of the Guilty Gear series. With its impressive roster of memorable characters and 3 vs. 3 team system, Dragon Ball FighterZ is shaping up to be a fascinating alternative to the Marvel vs. Capcom series for those looking for a pure fighting title that emphasizes the insanity of epic encounters.

Buy Dragon Ball FighterZ

Far Cry 5

March 27 | Ubisoft Montreal | XBO, PS4, PC

Far Cry 5 is a difficult game to read. On the surface, this looks like just another Far Cry game. What that means - at least since Far Cry 3 - is a large world, co-op madness, a psychotic villain, and a variety of weapons and vehicles. Given that Far Cry 4 was admonished for adhering too closely to this system, it’s strange to see how much Far Cry 5 looks like more of the same in many ways

However, Far Cry 5’s fascinating rural setting and emphasis on narrative may just prove to be the X-factors that elevate this title above its predecessors. While the world of Far Cry 5 is no doubt controversial, the game’s creative look at a cult whose warped sense of morals have corrupted a small town and the rebellion that results in response to their actions is the kind of new twist that makes an old ride worth taking again.

Buy Far Cry 5

God of War

April 20 | Santa Monica Studio | PS4

Much like Days Gone, God of War has been one of the centerpieces of Sony’s E3 press conference the past two years, yet we still know relatively little about the game. What we can tell you is that God of War looks like a hard reboot of the franchise in terms of gameplay. The demos showcased thus far suggest that this new title will ditch the original God of War trilogy’s combo-based high octane gameplay in favor of a more methodical combat system, with a much bigger emphasis on narrative.

The jury is still out on that approach, but what really gets us excited about this game is the way that it incorporates rarely explored aspects of Norse mythology and seemingly casts Kratos into the role of protective father. In fact, God of War feels like a brand new IP due to the number of changes made to the formula.

Buy God of War

Kingdom Hearts III

TBA | Square Enix Co., Ltd. | PS4

It hasn't exactly been a long time since we last played a new Kingdom Hearts game - the series is kind of infamous for its oddly named sequels, prequels spin-offs, and re-releases - but it has been about 13 years since the release of Kingdom Hearts II. Suffice to say, that time has only made the game's passionate fanbase even more rabid.

Fortunately, Kingdom Hearts III is shaping up to be the Kingdom Hearts game that we've all been waiting for. This strikingly beautiful title will not only finally bring classic Disney classics like Toy Story into the fold, but it figures to improve the franchise's already great gameplay through the implementation of a better camera and a refined combat system. Dare we say that this game might just live up to the hype?

Buy Kingdom Hearts III

Kirby

TBA | Nintendo | Switch

While the next Kirby game certainly wasn’t the star of Nintendo’s E3 2017 showcase - how you doin' Samus? - it was one of those games that many found themselves taking a second look at when the festivities were over. Those that did may have noticed that this looks like a return to some of Kirby’s platforming roots, albeit with a very welcome upgrade in visuals.

What really gets us excited about Kirby, however, is the way that it seems to be designed as a four-player co-op experience. Recent Nintendo multiplayer platformers - most notably Super Mario 3D World - rank among the most purely enjoyable gaming experiences of this generation, and Kirby looks to deliver more of that timeless fun.

Buy Kirby for Switch

Marvel’s Spider-Man

TBA | Insomniac Games | PS4

When we heard that Insomniac Games was making a Spider-Man game, we wiped our monocles with our monogrammed handkerchiefs and declared it “acceptable” with an exhale of dignified air. When Sony actually showcased said Spider-Man game at E3 2017, we were forced to drop our cautious pretense and simply embrace the sheer fanboyish joy of what looks like a truly fantastic Spider-Man experience.

While there have been a few great Spider-Man games over the years, Insomniac’s take on the character is already shaping up to be the character’s greatest gaming adventure. Thanks to the innovations of the Arkham series and Insomniac’s own experience with silky smooth movement controls, this upcoming Spider-Man game may just be the one Spider-Man title that actually captures everything interesting about the character rather than simply mastering a lone iconic aspect of one of Marvel’s greatest heroes.

Buy Marvel's Spider-Man

Mega Man 11

TBA | Capcom | PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows

The most recent numerical Mega Man games were actually just retro - NES - Mega Man titles improved by some modern design sensibilities. While those games were amazing, they're not quite what we wanted. No, what we really crave is a Mega Man game that retains the spirit of those classic titles, but ultimately feels like a new experience. 

Mega Man 11 looks to deliver something eerily similar to that ideal experience. Its re-imagined art style triggers bad memories of Mighty No. 9, but the footage of the game revealed thus far suggests that Capcom is serious about bringing classic Mega Man gameplay into the modern age. There's always going to be room on our digital shelves for a well-made 2D action title, and Mega Man 11 figures to be just that. 

Metro: Exodus

TBA | 4A Games | PS4, XBO, PC

If you haven't yet dived into the Metro franchise, then you've been missing out on some of the best first-person shooter experiences in years. Metro 2033 was a post-apocalyptic masterpiece that brilliantly portrayed a dark and demented end of the world scenario. Metro: Last Light was the even better sequel to that classic shooter/RPG experience. 

We don't know much about Metro: Exodus, but we do know that developer 4A Games has fought hard to ensure that their vision for this much-anticipated sequel lives to see the light of the surface world. If they deliver an experience that is even close to what they've already achieved with this franchise, then Metro: Exodus may just end up stealing 2018 from some considerable competition. 

Buy Metro: Exodus

Monster Hunter: World

January 26 | Capcom | PS4, XBO, PC

While the Monster Hunter franchise is most certainly popular - particularly in Japan - it has arguably been some time since the series has expanded the size of its dedicated fanbase. That's largely because Capcom hasn't found much reason to tweak the franchise's formula in recent years. That has been enough to please current fans, but hasn't given those who aren't already spending their time besting a variety to towering behemoths reason to do so. 

Monster Hunter: World represents the developer's clearest attempt at creating a Monster Hunter game that will turn nonbelievers into devotees. The core gameplay remains the same as ever - hunt down a variety of monsters using a series of incredible weapons - but World figures to be the largest Monster Hunter game yet as well as the most ambitious from a sheer technological perspective. 

Buy Monster Hunter: World

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

TBA | Obsidian Entertainment | PC, Mac, Linux

Obsidian Entertainment has long been known as one of gaming's best sources for deep and intelligent RPGs. With Pillars of Eternity, Obsidian returned to the glory days of the isometric RPG experience and delivered one of the best genre experiences in recent memory. Now, they are back to improve upon their considerable previous efforts.

With Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, it's already clear that Obsidian is ready to fix the few design flaws that prevented Pillars of Eternity from being everything that it could be. Its controls will be smoother, its story will deeper, and its world will be a rich and lively tapestry of cultures and personalities. This may be the first time that Obsidian has had the pleasure to develop a sequel to one of their own games, but it's clear that the studio knows exactly what they want to accomplish with this title. 

Red Dead Redemption 2

TBA | Rockstar | XBO, PS4

What do we want? Red Dead Redemption 2! When do we want it? In a time frame that will reasonably allow developer Rockstar to find a way to somehow top the greatest western video game ever made and quite possibly the studio’s finest hour.

Ok, that chant needs a little work, but the point is that we don’t fault Rockstar for deciding to delay Red Dead Redemption 2 to 2018, nor do we blame them for telling us relatively little about the game thus far. Red Dead Redemption was an almost perfect video game experience. In fact, Rockstar accomplished so much with that game that we doubt it even technically needs a sequel. If they’re going to give us one, though, we want to know they are able to deliver the kind of experience that makes us feel just like we felt the first time we rode into Mexico with a gut string melody lingering in the air.

Buy Red Dead Redemption 2

Sea of Thieves

March 20 | Rare | XBO, PC

At the risk of toppling the “It’s been awhile since Rare has delivered a truly great game worthy of their legacy” bandwagon, it really has been awhile since Rare has delivered a truly great game worthy of their legacy. At first, Sea of Thieves didn’t look like that game. However, its impressive E3 2017 showing has left us singing a different shanty.

Sea of Thieves' greatest asset is Rare’s complete abandonment of “realistic” pirate culture. Instead, Sea of Thieves embraces the romanticized concepts that propelled these seafaring outlaws into the pop culture stratosphere. The highest compliment we can pay Sea of Thieves is that it looks like it will perfectly recreate the imaginary adventures we enjoyed on the playground so many years ago when the jungle gym was a ship mast.

Buy Sea of Thieves

Shadow of the Colossus

February 6 | Bluepoint | PS4

We’d be lying if we said that we haven’t thought much about Shadow of the Colossus since its 2005 debut - memories of the grand epic stand as a measuring stick for all other gaming experiences - but we never thought that we’d see a Shadow of the Colossus remake. Generally speaking, games casually, yet accurately, described as timeless aren’t candidates for remakes.

However, the moment we laid eyes on the new Shadow of the Colossus’ stunning visual design, we immediately felt the need to jump back into this world and replay a game that could be considered the truest testament to the “Games are art” argument. If you've not played the original or need an excuse to play this game again, 2018’s Shadow of the Colossus is going to be a must-have.

Buy Shadow of the Colossus

Shenmue III

TBA | YS Net, Neilo | PS4, PC

When we first heard that Shenmue was finally receiving the third installment that most gamers figured would never happen...well, there may have been some entirely unprofessional giddy cheers. In the days, weeks, and months that have followed that reveal, we've unfortunately not been treated to many official updates regarding the game's story, gameplay features, or final visual style. 

Still, we're talking about a sequel to a franchise that was not only revolutionary but has remained in the hearts of the many who played its first two installments. With any luck, Shenmue III will be the epic tale of kung-fu revenge and bizarre minigames that we've been waiting for. 

State of Decay 2

TBA | Undead Labs | XBO, PC

The original State of Decay was a fascinating example of how true ambition can conquer all. Developer Undead Labs didn’t have much to work with when they began working on State of Decay, but they did have a vision. Their vision was an epic open-world zombie apocalypse title that focused more on survival than action or horror. State of Decay was about building something strong in a defeated world. Its blend of base building, resource management, and role-playing was intoxicating.

While the biggest on-paper change coming to State of Decay 2 is the inclusion of co-op play, the reason we’re especially excited for this game is that Undead Labs finally has the resources and experience they need to deliver the game that they attempted to deliver the first time around.

Buy State of Decay 2

System Shock

TBA | Nightdive Studios | XBO, PS4, PC

It’s been far too long since we’ve played a new System Shock game. While you can’t deny the impact of titles like BioShock or the appeal of a game like Prey, no title in this genre has ever quite replicated System Shock’s usage of horror and suspense. While System Shock 3 is unfortunately not on the near horizon, this remake of System Shock will most certainly help pass the time.

Developer Nightdive Studios has proven time and time again that it cares about ensuring that truly classic games are played by a new generation of gamers. The studio's love for System Shock combined with the few snippets of the game we’ve seen thus far leaves us with little doubt that Nightdive will be able to revitalize everything that makes System Shock an essential experience.

The Swords of Ditto

March | onebitbeyond | PS4, PC

Never heard of The Swords of Ditto? We’re not surprised. Every E3, there is at least one game which can’t quite match the budget or graphical prowess of major titles, but ultimately ends up being one of the best games revealed at the show. Based on everything we’ve seen thus far, The Swords of Ditto may very well prove to be that game.

The Swords of Ditto’s core mechanic involves the legacy of the game’s playable heroes. Much like Rogue Legacy, every successful and unsuccessful run through this game will leave a mark on the world. You can even quest to find the epic weapons that the previous hero left behind. What really makes The Swords of Ditto stand out, however, is its Adventure Time-esque visuals and creative co-op combat options. This is just one of those games that takes the best of what came before and binds it all together with irresistible charm.

World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth

TBA | Blizzard Entertainment | PC, Mac

2016's World of Warcraft: Legion arguably did more to revitalize the 13-year-old MMO than the last few expansions combined. Through a combination of fan-requested features and innovative new concepts, Blizzard used Legion as proof that World of Warcraft still has plenty of life left in it. Now, they look to top their considerable efforts with the release of the game's next expansion, Battle for Azeroth.

Battle for Azeroth looks to take World of Warcraft back to its Horde vs. Alliance roots. That means a greater emphasis on PvP battles, new worlds specific to both factions, and a brand-new conflict system that incorporates elements of classic Warcraft RTS games gone by. On top of all that, you get the usual additions of fresh raids, new gear, and an even higher level cap to grind towards. This could just be the best WoW expansion yet. 

Yoshi

TBA | Good-Feel | Switch

Much like Kirby, the list of things we don’t know about Yoshi is slightly longer than what we do know about the game. What we can tell you, though, is that Yoshi’s Woolly World was one of the Wii U’s most underrated titles and one of Yoshi’s greatest adventures. The reason that matters is because this upcoming Yoshi title looks like it intends to replicate many of the qualities that made Wooly World as great as it was.

This time around, however, the Woolly World formula is bolstered by the introduction of a new mechanic that allows players to “flip” a stage and open up new paths. It sounds simple, but if the game’s first trailer is any indication, this mechanic will force players to completely reconsider the way that they view the typical 2D platformer level. For those who lament how far Mario has walked away from his platformer roots, Yoshi may just be the classic Nintendo experience you’re looking for. 

Buy Yoshi for Switch

Hearthstone: Blizzard Announces Ranked Mode Changes

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Climbing to peak of Hearthstone's competitive ladder will soon require much less time.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jan 25, 2018

Blizzard has announced a series of changes designed to reduce the grind associated with Hearthstone's ranked mode. 

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If you're not able to view the video above, here's a basic breakdown of how the new ranked system will work. 

Starting in March, each monthly seasonal reset will only set you back four ranks from where you ended your last season. For instance, if you end the March season at Rank 2 with four stars, you'll begin the next competitive season at Rank 6 with four stars. Previously, all players were reset to Rank 25 and moved up in ranks based on how they finished the last competitive season. 

This is especially big news for Legend players who previously had to grind out hours and hours of games in order to achieve the rank of Legend and then grind more and more hours to reach the higher ranks of Legend that award competitive points. Now, those players who achieve the rank of Legend will be reset at Rank 4. This will considerably reduce the amount of time it takes to reach the game's highest ranks if you've already achieved them in a previous season. 

However, this also means that reaching legend will theoretically be easier than it ever has been before. Hearthstone director Ben Brode addressed this on Twitter by stating that "Our simulations show some amount of rank inflation, but not so much that everyone will suddenly become Legend.  There will probably need to be a few more minor changes at some point, depending on how many players end up at Legend each month."

Furthermore, all ranks will now require you to earn five stars before you can move up. However, players between the ranks of 25 and 5 will still earn bonus stars for achieving a three-game win streak. However, rank floors will still be in place. That means you can't drop below Rank 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, or Legend. Players will also now need to win five games in a season to unlock that season's new card back. Previously, they were required to reach Rank 20 in order to win that reward.

Overall, these are welcome changes for anyone that wishes to obtain the rank of Legend and compete in Legend ranks for a higher regional ranking and possible competitive points. However, some players are saying that these much-anticipated changes to the game's rank mode don't really address the issue of creating an incentive to reach those high ranks in the first place. Some would like to see more rewards spread throughout the ranks as well as a ranking structure that isn't so dependent on consecutive wins. 

Still, these changes represent an incredible first step towards a Hearthstone ladder experience that doesn't demand quite as much of your time. 

Fortnite: Epic Talks Possible Nintendo Switch Port

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More and more developers are exploring Nintendo's hit console.

NewsMatthew Byrd
Jan 26, 2018

The parade of developers exploring the idea of porting their games to the Nintendo Switch continues as Epic's management contemplate the possibility of porting Fortniteto Nintendo's console.

In response to a question on Twitter regarding whether or not Epic would be interested in bringing the popular battle royale/tower defense title to the Nintendo Switch, Epic Games' Donald Mustard stated the following:

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While this is far from an official confirmation, it's another indication that the Switch may just be Nintendo's most attractive console to third-party developers since...umm...well, possibly the Super Nintendo. Given how popular Fortnite is on PC - it reportedly has over 45 million players - Epic probably doesn't need to port the title to other platforms in order for it to be successful. The fact that top members of Epic are genuinely excited about the possibility of bringing to that platform does capture how excited the industry is about Nintendo's console. 

Of course, most of Fortnite's success can be attributed to the success of its free battle royale mode. Whether or not Epic would port that mode to the Switch - and whether or not the Switch would be able to handle such a mode - is still up for debate. 

If you haven't played Fortnite's battle royale mode, you're missing out on an incredibly enjoyable experience. That free mode pits 100 players against each other in a battle to the death. Unlike PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, Fortnite's take on the battle royale concept doesn't take itself quite so seriously and features basic base building functionality. 

Epic isn't the only company talking about porting their titles to the Switch. Atlus - developers of the Persona series - recently sent out a survey asking if fans would like to see Persona 6 and other titles come to the Nintendo Switch and other non-Sony platforms. The developers of the hit PC game Dead Cells have also revealed that they are going to port their title to the Nintendo Switch. 

What we're trying to say here is that Switch owners may have a lot of titles to choose from in 2018 and beyond. 

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