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Amazon signs 'Damages,' 'Bloodline' co-creator to an exclusive deal
If you're a fan of dimly lit shows about terrible criminals, then keep your eyes on Amazon Prime. The streamer announced it has signed Glenn Kessler to an overall TV & film deal. As Deadline reports, he'll be working on TV series and films for Amazon's service as it continues to stock up on original content. Kessler is most well know for his series Damages that aired on FX and DirecTV, as well as Netflix's Bloodline. You can see what we thought of the latter right here.
What we've been watching in June
After putting together any home-theater setup, big or small, there's always one last question: What are you going to watch? Our editors have already opened up about some of the games they're playing and what they're listening to, but this edition of IRL is all about video. Sometimes we'll talk about the latest series we've binge watched, or maybe a new movie that you just can't miss. Today we have a little bit of everything as one editor revisits the roots of his anime fandom, another powers through Jenji Kohan's latest release on Netflix and, finally, one of us is watching Jurassic Park for the very first time.
Amazon beats Netflix to take home two Golden Globes
The 2016 Golden Globes ceremony was held last night, once again highlighting Amazon and its growing repertoire of high-quality TV shows. Mozart in the Jungle, which follows a group of orchestral musicians and the conductor Rodrigo De Souza, picked up two awards for the best comedy or musical TV series and the best performance by an actor in a comedy or musical TV show. Amazon's Transparent was also in the hunt for both accolades, but failed to outshine its streaming-exclusive rival.
What's on your HDTV: 'Community', 'Bloodline', 'Empire' season finale
March Madness indeed. While the NCAA kicks off its yearly (and ethically dubious) basketball tournaments (get the schedules for NCAA and NIT here), we're welcoming Community back on Yahoo. Besides season six of the goings-on at Greendale -- here's how to watch -- Netflix has its first season of its new series Bloodline, starring Kyle Chandler from Friday Night Lights, and coming from the team that brought you Damages -- and once you're through with that, Mad Men season seven is coming on Sunday. Fox's Empire wraps up its first season this week, along with finales from Glee, Girls, The Musketeers, Looking and Nightwatch. Troop Beverly Hills makes its long-awaited (by me) debut on Blu-ray to go along with Top Five, My Girl, Halo: Nightfall and Annie. Last but not least, gamers can choose from the Battlefield Hardline spin-off and a few remasterings with Devil May Cry Definitive Edition, Final Fantasy Type-0 HD, Jamestown+ and Bladestorm: Nightmare. Look after the break to check out each day's highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).
Netflix's early-2015 premieres include 'Daredevil' on April 10th
Netflix watchers, check this post and update your calendars accordingly -- the streaming service just announced premiere dates for a bunch of the new shows it will have this year. That list includes its first collaboration with Marvel, (Daredevil, April 10th), the Tina Fey-produced show it snagged from NBC, (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, March 6th), a drama from the producers of Damages, (Bloodline, March 20th), and a new show bringing Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin together again (Grace & Frankie, May 8th). For the kids, Netflix has The Adventures of Puss in Boots on January 16th, Ever After High: Spring Unsprung on February 6th and Mako Mermaids season two on February 13th. Of course, we can't forget House of Cards season three arrives February 27th, and Edward Norton produced documentary My Own Man is slated for March 6th. Whew.
Fan-favorite Halo 2 map Coagulation returns as Bloodline
Among the many, many multiplayer maps included in the Xbox One's upcoming Halo: The Master Chief Collection is a remake of Halo 2's Coagulation, boasting improved graphics, new vehicles and a pair of EMPs that will stop Warthogs in their tracks. Xbox Wire describes Bloodline as "like a "Best Of" collection for all the iterations of Blood Gulch," but notes a few key additions that weren't seen in prior Blood Gulch homages. In Bloodline, Hornet attack ships spawn behind both red and blue bases, the map features a new, neutral base stocked with weapons and vehicles at its midpoint and if you find your base being overrun by Banshees and Warthogs, you can shut down all of your mechanized attackers at once with an EMP burst. And, of course, the map includes all of the rocket launchers, sniper rifles and explosive pink shard cannons players have come to expect from Halo. Beyond the break you'll find a video highlighting Bloodline's multiplayer gameplay. If you've ever squeezed off a few rounds in any iteration of Blood Gulch, it should seem immediately familiar. [Image: Microsoft]
Netflix has two more TV shows for 2015: 'Bloodline' and 'F is for Family'
Concerned there's not enough to watch on Netflix, or that the big studios and networks might hold stuff back for their own streaming services? Rest easy, the video streamer has plans for a slew of exclusive content over the next few years, and this week it revealed details about two more shows to go along with its latest Canadian project. First up is the new show we'd heard about from Todd A. Kessler, Glenn Kessler and Daniel Zelman, who were the creators of Damages. That show has a name now -- Bloodline -- and an appropriately creepy teaser trailer (embedded after the break).
Kissing cousins: SWTOR's legacy system explained
Star Wars: The Old Republic players are understandably excited about the unveiling of Legacy features in Update 1.2, but BioWare has been coy on specifics up to this point. To remedy that, Senior Game Designer William Wallace penned a blog post explaining what you'll be able to do with your familial connections in 1.2 -- and what is being tabled until Update 1.3. After choosing a Legacy surname (which many players have already done), BioWare will allow you to connect your characters through a family tree in the Legacy panel. Characters don't have to just be blood relatives; they can be allies, rivals, and adopted family members as well. Wallace explained that through these Legacy connections, characters have inherited many traits that run strong in families. These unlocks come in the form of shared emotes (which come at the end of Chapter 2), shared heroic abilities (unlocked at the end of Chapter 3), and the ability to roll the same race no matter what the class (unlocked at level 50). The Legacy system will also allow companions to unlock passive stat bonuses shared across all companions of that same archetype. Ship improvements, including mail, GTN access, and droids, are other perks of this system. However, players will have to wait until Update 1.3 to purchase per-character perks. These, as Wallace hints, will allow players to "customize the way their characters progress, as well as new rewards, conveniences, and all kinds of other fun surprises."
Bloodline Champions begins the battle with Season 1
"Our biggest update yet!" the promotions for Bloodline Champions shout at us in an all-caps font. If you're a fan of this wildly popular online battle arena, then Season 1: The Battle Begins will have you pumped up for the next evolution of this game. The keystone to this update is a new Bloodline: the Reaver. The Reaver is a melee fighter who wields a horking big sword and stops at nothing to dominate the battlefield. E-sport warriors should appreciate having this frenzied warrior in their inventory. Players participating in Season 1 can take part in a ladder tournament system, through which they can earn exclusive items by fighting their way to the top. The Season also introduces emotes to the game, two new maps (the close-quarter Altar of Dorn Zweig and the huge Ruins of Razmorg), and additional store items. Stunlock Studios even put together a Charitable Champions Pack -- which includes an exclusive avatar and title -- to help the disaster relief efforts in Japan, as 100% of the proceeds go toward this effort. You can read more about Bloodline Champions' huge update over at the official website, and make sure to check out our first impressions of the game!
