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Halo 2: Anniversary's new cinematics are a Blur of beauty
Halo: The Master Chief Collection made an appearance at San Diego Comic-Con this week, bringing with it new screenshots of the re-imagined "Zanzibar" map and a trailer showcasing Halo 2: Anniversary's revamped cutscenes. Blur Studio, which has had its hand in many of today's most visually spectacular cinematics and commercials - including those for Halo 4 and Batman: Arkham Origins - is the company to thank for Master Chief and friends' high-res makeovers, while 343 Industries and Certain Affinity can claim responsibility for the new Zanzibar. Scope out the map and concept art below to prep yourself for the battles waiting for you on November 11. [Image: Microsoft]
Arya Stark has met with The Last of Us movie producers
Maisie Williams - or as fans of HBO show Game of Thrones might know her, Arya Stark - has met with Neil Druckmann (of Naughty Dog) and Sam Raimi (of Sam Raimi) regarding the in-development film adaptation of The Last of Us, /Film reports. The 17-year-old actress was not in attendance for the Comic-Con panel where she was mentioned, but thankfully there was more to share, including the teaser poster you see above. Raimi, who is set to produce the film, said he's confident in Druckmann's vision and script. It was also revealed that Druckmann was originally planning to write opening and ending scenes that differed from the game, but Raimi convinced him to stick closer to the source material. "I started this process thinking I'd have to protect the story from producers," Raimi said to Druckmann. "And then I had to protect it from you." The film is still quite a ways off, but things seem to be moving at a good pace, with crew and potential cast all sounding confident and excited. [Image: Naughty Dog/Ghost House Pictures]
Barely Related: Comic-Con envy, Hello Kitty convention
Happy San Diego Comic-Con week, everyone! To the lucky few (thousand) that are actually there, pick up some swag for us, yeah? Welcome to Barely Related, a conversational Friday column that presents the non-gaming news stories that we, the Joystiq staff, have been talking about over the past week. And no, we're not stopping our focus on industry and gaming news. Think of this as your casual weekly recap of interesting (and mostly geeky) news, presented just in time to fill your brain with things to discuss at all of those weekend shindigs. Grab a fresh drink, lean back in your armchair, and get ready to talk nerdy with us.
Pilot one of the robots from 'Pacific Rim' with Oculus Rift at Comic-Con
We're not sure how many of the new Oculus Rift VR kits have shipped out to developers already, but it looks like a healthy amount are in San Diego right now. That's where Comic-Con is happening this week and, following the X-Men VR demo we already heard about, Legendary Pictures and Oculus have teamed up for Pacific Rim: Jaeger Pilot. It lets attendees take control of the 250-foot tall Jaeger "Gipsy Danger" (no drift connection necessary) and do battle in a virtual reality combat simulator against the kaiju Knifehead (the first one you see in the movie). The whole experience is built in Unreal Engine 4 using the same assets Industrial Light & Magic worked with for the movie. Sure, you've seen the movie, and maybe even in IMAX 3D, but we're pretty sure even Guillermo del Toro's directing tricks can't add up to feeling like you're there, fighting an 8,700 ton monster off the coast of Alaska. It's all in Legendary's booth #3920 for all four days the show is open, from Thursday through Sunday. Don't have a ticket? There's a video preview embedded after the break, but it can't compare to diving into a VR world with Oculus -- maybe we'll be able to enjoy it at home by April 2017 when Pacific Rim 2 arrives.
Rob Zombie debuting Assassin's Creed short at Comic Con
We've seen Assassin's Creed Unity's hooded justice-seekers hunt their prey in conceptual trailers and gameplay demonstrations, but it seems like another perspective will debut at Comic Con International in San Diego later this month. A listing for a Unity-focused panel describes the showing of an "animated short" inspired by Unity, which will be shown by musician and film director Rob Zombie and Tony Moore, an illustrator whose work includes Image Comics' The Walking Dead series. Judging by the listing, the panel will also focus on Unity protagonist Arno, general details about the game and "new announcements" for the Assassin's Creed series. If you're able to go, Unity's "Heads Will Roll!" panel is scheduled for July 25 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific in room 6BCF. [Image: Ubisoft]
Weekly news roundup with Panser of TradeChat
TradeChat's Panser returns with this week's WoW Insider news recap, where we look back at the hottest news from the past week and whatever other kickin' rad things may have come our way. This week's topics include: Bonus loot coming to the WoW TCG Warcraft movie teaser trailer debuts at SDCC World of Warcraft children's book announced Cosmetic helms now available on the Blizzard store Discussion Topic: Do you buy in-game items? If you enjoyed the show, make sure to subscribe to TradeChat, leave a comment, and come back next week for the next episode!
Clementine 'definitely a part of' The Walking Dead Season 2
Telltale Games CEO Dan Connors told San Diego Comic-Con panel attendees that The Walking Dead darling Clementine "will definitely be a part of" the game's second season. Likewise, the fate of another character, Kenny, "will be explored." Further details concerning Season 2 were not offered. The Walking Dead: 400 Days was released this month and served as a short bridge into the next season.
Collectables and more announced by Blizzard at Comic-Con
If you're looking for nerdy swag, San Diego Comic-Con is the place to be. But even if you couldn't make the con this year, there's plenty of cool gear announced at the show to tempt any geek's heart -- and wallet. Blizzard was no exception: they've already shown off a WoW-themed children's book, but if that doesn't strike your fancy they've also announced more traditional loot. There's a lot on offer, but we're big fans of the ultra-detailed statuettes from Sideshow Collectables -- StarCraft's Kerrigan and Raynor figures will be up for pre-order this year (look for Raynor soon), Diablo will be coming out in November, and there's a massive Deathwing with no release date (yet). Also in action figures, Blizzard has announced that Neca is working on a Diablo figure (no release date yet) and Funko is making chibi-ized versions of Blizzard characters (coming out in September). For books, Insight Editions has some new Blizzard-themed notebooks (available now) and Blizzard's own children's book is set to premiere at BlizzCon. With BlizzCon not all that far away, we don't expect to hear any more from Blizzard at SDCC -- but our wallets really think this is plenty of announcements already.
We're live at Comic-Con; join us tonight in San Diego!
Comic-Con may not be a vital venue for launching new gadgets, but for many attendees later today, the intersection of tech and art will be just up the street at 6th and Island Ave. -- the location of tonight's Engadget + gdgt Live event. We're on the ground in San Diego for this evening's festivities, and we've already spent some time exploring the convention center, too, including a mandatory stop to check out Rovio's hardware-equipped Angry Birds Star Wars 2. As for tonight, you can expect to see lots of hot products from companies like Microsoft, Nokia, iRobot and Western Digital at the Stingaree lounge in the Gaslamp Quarter. As always, we'll have giveaway items up for grabs, so there's always a chance that you'll head home with some awesome gear. And best of all, the event is free! Everything kicks off at 7PM. We hope to see you there!%Gallery-194192%
The Queue: Morning, sunshine
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today. My original introduction to today's Queue was written like so: "Today, we definitely do not talk about comics books." Immediately after writing that, I looked down at my first question of the day and realized I was a giant liar. ScottLeyes asked: Is anyone from WoW Insider covering (going to) Comic-Con?
Blizzard will be at San Diego Comic-Con
Blizzard Entertainment announced today that they will have a presence at this year's San Diego Comic-Con. They'll have a booth on the show floor where some of their writers and artists will be signing and they'll also be showing off some of the new products being introduced this year. New to this year are exclusive SDCC items that they will be selling at their booth. Blizzard will be releasing their schedule and the product list ahead of time -- details coming soon. It is likely that their newly released Art of Blizzard Entertainment book will be there to be purchased and signed. Though if you want to purchase it ahead of time or aren't going to the Comic-Con, Amazon has a great deal on it right now.
TESO food truck hits the road in March for US tour
If The Elder Scrolls Online were to serve snacks to players, what would be on the menu? Now you can find out! On March 10th, the TESO food truck will start a cross-country jaunt across the US to bring tasty treats and swag giveaways to fans. Starting at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas, the truck will make 11 stops over the year at various conventions -- including PAX and PAX East, E3, and Comic-Con -- as well as a number of universities. Joining the kick-off festivities in Austin will be composer and singer Malukah. For more details on other tour dates, check out the official announcement.
Cross-link, more alternate costumes announced for Street Fighter X Tekken
Capcom Producer Tomoaki Ayano recapped announcements from New York Comic Con, including "cross-link" features for Street Fighter X Tekken in a Capcom Unity blog. The feature allows players to use their PlayStation Vita consoles as controllers for the PS3 version of the game.Ayano also noted an October 30 release date for alternate costumes for Street Fighter X Tekken and a mid-December release window for the next "hefty" game update. The update will include character balance fixes, such as tweaked anti-air abilities for Tekken characters, in addition to several visual effects changes.
NYCC 2012: New Marvel Heroes characters and trailer debut
What better place to learn more about a game based on comic books than a comic book convention? Marvel Heroes had its own panel earlier today at the New York Comic Con, where devs not only shared a new trailer but announced three new playable heroes. And luckily for folks who missed the chance to see the panel live, Gazillion Entertainment has been sharing the announcements via Twitter! Along with such iconic heroes as The Hulk, Wolverine, and the Human Torch, players will also have the choice to play as Phoenix (Jean Grey), Luke Cage, and NOVA. Although fairly brief, the new features trailer shows off different abilities, a variety of costumes, a quick peek at some multiplayer zones, and a glimpse of a few iconic villains. Check it all out after the break.
Marvel Heroes chief: 'It's very Diablo-like'
Gazillion founder David Brevik opened up in an interview at Comic-Con, talking about Marvel Heroes' strong suits (pun intended). When asked about how this title will keep players coming back for more, Brevik said "It's very Diablo-like: random levels and lots of items that drop. It's very addictive gameplay, as well as lots of endgame content that we haven't talked about yet." Brevik also discussed the game's story, which pits players against a nefarious plot by Doctor Doom. The key parts of the story will be told in over an hour's worth of motion comics. The team is strongly leaning on the Marvel IP to draw in fans and is relying on well-known heroes and classic locations to make geeks happy. When asked why players will not be allowed to make their own superheroes but instead will be forced to play one of Marvel's pre-existing characters, Brevik said that the game's system is just more compelling. While he admits that there could be 20 Spideys all in the same area, he points out that players have the option of switching their active character or choosing a different costume. You can watch the full video after the jump!
Mass Effect 3 single-player DLC to focus on Shepard
So, what's next for Mass Effect? Producer Mike Gamble showed off one picture of future Mass Effect 3 content in his panel at Comic-Con, and from what he told Joystiq it seems to point to more single-player DLC. "We want to do single-player DLC," he said. "We want to do single-player, maybe more multiplayer if people still play it."That single-player DLC, whatever it is, will still be about Shepard, not someone else in the universe. "Mass Effect 3 is Shepard's story," said Gamble, "so the single-player DLC for Mass Effect 3 will probably focus around Shepard."The Earth DLC pack for Mass Effect 3 will be the fifth update to the game since launch, following three other multiplayer updates, and the Extended Cut update that fans begged for. Mike Gamble and his team have learned a lot over the course of these updates, but he told us there were quite a few things that surprised them about the reception to Mass Effect 3 multiplayer."We see people who have everything unlocked all the way up to level 20 on everything, plus all the mods, plus all of the gear, everything," said Gamble. "It takes a lot of time, a lot of time to get that stuff, like hundreds and hundreds of hours of play to usually get up to that level. And some of these people had done it in the first month to two months."Gamble was also been surprised by the response to the Vorcha class, playable for the first time in the Rebellion Pack DLC. "I expected people to shy away from the Vorcha because they're Vorcha, but everyone seems to love to play with them."
Comic-Con fans go crazy over Hobbit teaser, but not the 48fps version
Two different audiences and two very different screenings. After unfamiliar 48fps Hobbit footage was pretty universally panned back at Cinema-Con, Peter Jackson decided to play it safe and show Comic-Con fans the traditional low frame-rate teaser. Their response? They loved it. Which would, you'd think, give the head hobbit a clear message: his film works better without the wacky frame rate, but that's just not how he sees it. Writing on his Facebook page, he said "I've always been happy to bet on myself" and the 48fps version of Hobbit is "something really special" when you watch the entire movie. In other words, he's sticking to his orc sword, and in the meantime we're left to wonder what would have happened if the Comic-Con crowd -- who are perhaps more his kind of people than Cinema-Con goers -- had been shown the tricked out footage.
Hands-on with the Nintendo 3DS XL
If initial impressions are any indication at all, those who held out for a bigger version of Nintendo's 3DS will find the wait worth it. We just got to play with the Nintendo 3DS XL here at Comic-Con in San Diego, and its big screen really impressed us. The picture is clearer and brighter than the current 3DS (at least in the dark ballroom where we played Super Mario 3D Land), and the 3D is much better. There is still a sweet spot to get your eyes in, but once you're there, the much larger screen makes it easier to focus in, and the 3D just seems more effective as a result.There aren't any significant differences to the rest of the device. The control stick, buttons, and other controls all feel like the 3DS. The larger unit might be a little unwieldy for small hands, but the stick and buttons are close enough to the edges that pushing them around shouldn't be an issue. On the whole, the device is more rounded off than the previous system. From the top, while closed, it looks more like a clamshell than a rectangle.The larger size makes it a very sturdy device indeed. Sitting on the table in front of you, it's almost like a small laptop. The Start, Select, Home, and Power buttons have all lost their white touches, so that top screen just dominates the device. Nintendo's making a serious statement here, and it's that bigger should be better.We're hesitant to get too hyperbolic about the 3DS XL until we're able to really run it through its paces, but yes, on first touch, it's gorgeous. This is not a device designed to fit in your pocket, though it certainly seems like the best way to play Nintendo's growing 3DS library. Below, you can see a gallery of hands-on pictures (including a PSP comparison -- that's the only device we had in the bag at the time).The 3DS XL arrives on August 19, so if you were planning to buy a 3DS you might want to wait until then.%Gallery-160306%
Epic's Fortnite is a 'fresh and bubbly' co-op survival sandbox game
Epic Games kicked off our experience at Comic-Con this year with a panel about Fortnite, the oft-mentioned but not yet seen game that serves as the studio's followup to Gears of War. Producer Tanya Jessen, Lead Artist Pete Ellis, and Design Director Cliff Bleszinski talked at length about the game, revealing it to be a mashup of Minecraft, The Walking Dead and Team Fortress 2. It's designed and built in Unreal Engine 4, and destined for a PC-only launch.Jessen described Fortnite as a "co-op sandbox survival game" with three different elements. Scavenging will allow players to go out into the ruined world and find items and materials wherever they can. Building will let players first erect and then customize various structures of all shapes and sizes. Combat, the last part of the game, pits players against creepy yet "Looney Tunes-inspired" monsters attempting to take those structures down."This is not just a game for people who like shooters or RPGS," said Jessen. "It's a game for everybody." And according to Bleszinski, Fortnite is a big change internally from what the studio has been working on more recently. "It's been really fresh for us," he said. "We've had like six years of Gears and we've perfected the art of killing. Fortnite is serving as a fresh change of pace for us."%Gallery-160290%
Nightwing and Cyborg coming to Injustice: Gods Among Us
Comic-Con just opened up its show floor for Preview Night, and in among the booths is a new playable version of Injustice: Gods Among Us, with two new heroes. Nightwing and Cyborg have joined the fight in Netherrealm's gritty fighting game. Nightwing (aka Dick Grayson, the original Robin) is a nimble staff-wielding fighter, and Cyborg is a heavy hitter, with strong close attacks backed up with laser shots and missile strikes.We'll get a chance to play both of these heroes tomorrow on the show floor, and we'll let you know how the game is looking these days. Comic-Con runs through the weekend, so stay tuned for lots more four-color-based news from San Diego.
