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John Cena might star in a Duke Nukem movie
Duke Nukem’s brash and cocky persona (which was borrowed wholesale from Bruce Campbell’s appearance in Army of Darkness) made him the quintessential 90s hero. But even though we’re more than two decades removed from the character’s heyday (Duke Nukem 3D was released in 1996), Hollywood has finally come calling for Duke.
A film adaptation is currently in the works at Paramount, and The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that the WWE’s John Cena is in talks to play the intergalactic alien hunter:
The wrestler-turned-actor is negotiations to star in Duke Nukem, a big-screen adaptation of the popular video game franchise featuring the politically incorrect action hero that is set up at Paramount.
Platinum Dunes, the company run by Michael Bay, Andrew Form, and Brad Fuller, will produce the movie.
Cena certainly looks the part, I’ll give them that much. But giving Duke the same outdated shtick in 2011’s oft-delayed Duke Nukem Forever definitely didn’t win him any new fans.
That said, any Duke Nukem movie adaptation is likely years away because there’s currently no script or director attached to the project.
R-Cade Combines Arcade Games and Ramen Noodles in Glasgow: An Interview With Owner Androo Faulkner
In my home city of Glasgow, we are blessed with several small gaming havens where people can enjoy old arcade classics. Last year, I interviewed the guys behind our first-ever “arcade bar,” Super Bario, and now I have the pleasure of talking to Androo Faulkner, owner of the gaming and instant raman noodle emporium known as R-Cade. (more…)
Posted in Features, Interviews, Retro, Top Story
Call of Duty: WWII was the best-selling game for all of 2017
Call of Duty: WWII earned a spot at the top of The NPD Group’s list of best-selling games for both November and December, and now the tracking firm has confirmed that Activision’s shooter was also the best-selling game for all of 2017.
It looks like Activision had a pretty good year, especially with Destiny 2 checking in at the #3 spot, but Nintendo was the publisher with the biggest presence on the NPD’s Top 10. The consolemaker can claim three games in the Top 10 including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (#5), Super Mario Odyssey (#9), and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (#10).
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, The NPD Group also confirmed an uptick for the industry as a whole. Gamers spent $14.59 billion on their favorite hobby in 2017, an increase of 11% over 2016.
Sony’s PS4 was the best-selling console of the year, but the Switch and Xbox One have also benefited from brisk sales:
“Combined sales of PlayStation 4 and Xbox One continue on a record-setting pace,” [NPD Gaming Analyst Mat] Piscatella said. “Over the first 50 months in market for each console, the combined hardware installed base of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One now exceeds that of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 by 18 percent, and that of the PlayStation 2 and Xbox by 4 percent.”
The NPD’s Top 10 best-selling games for 2017 can be found after the break. (more…)
Call of Duty: WWII repeats as the best-selling game of December 2017
Activision’s Call of Duty: WWII has reenlisted for a second tour of duty as the best-selling game of the month. According to The NPD Group (via GamesIndustry.biz), the shooter was the best-selling game in December 2017, besting Star Wars: Battlefront II (#2) and Super Mario Odyssey (#3).
The holiday season dominated last month’s list, as several games that were tailor-made for gift-giving ranked high in the Top 20 including NBA 2K18 (#4), Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (#5), Madden NFL 18 (#6), and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (#9). But perhaps most surprisingly, the Xbox One debut of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds landed at #7 after just a few weeks on sale (PC sales weren’t included in the NPD Group’s calculations).
You can find The NPD Group’s complete list for the Top 20 best-selling games from December 2017 after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Assassin's Creed Origins, Call of Duty: WWII, Destiny 2, FIFA 18, Grand Theft Auto V, Just Dance 2018, Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2, Madden NFL 18, Mario Kart 8, NBA 2K18, Need For Speed Payback, NPD, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Pokemon Sun/Moon, Splatoon 2, Star Wars: Battlefront II, Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Sims 4, Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Lost Sphear, Darkest Dungeon, Kirby: Battle Royale, more coming to Nintendo eShop this week
Welcome to a brand new update for the Nintendo eShop… cardboard not included.
Switch owners will be able to download Darkest Dungeon, Red Hook’s turn-based “gothic roguelike,” beginning today. But if you’d prefer to stay aboveground, Rain Games’s colorful 3D adventure, World to the West, will also launch for the Switch today.
Fans of dungeon crawlers may want to pop back into the Nintendo eShop on Tuesday, which is when the latest retro-styled RPG from Square Enix, Lost Sphear, will be available to download for the Switch.
Starting tomorrow, 3DS owners will be able to find Kirby: Battle Royale on the other side of Nintendo’s digital storefront. As you might expect from its name, Kirby: Battle Royale is a multiplayer-focused arena battler that includes ten different minigames… but also a single-player Story Mode.
You can learn more about all of this week’s additions to the Nintendo eShop after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, Switch
Tagged Kirby: Battle Royale, Lost Sphear, World to the West
New Retail Releases: Kirby Battle Royale, Rocket League, Street Fighter V Arcade Edition, More
We’re three weeks into 2018, and it’s finally time for the first “New Retail Release” report of the year.
This week, Nintendo’s pink puffball will return with the launch of Kirby: Battle Royale for the 3DS. Up to four players can battle it out in ten different minigame-like scenarios, but those who prefer to go it alone can tackle the game’s Story Mode and challenge King Dedede in the Cake Royale Tournament.
Speaking of arena battles… Rocket League: Collector’s Edition will make its Switch debut this week. The package will include the original game as well as all content from three previously-released expansions (Supersonic Fury, Revenge of the Battle-Cars, and Choose Run).
Also available in stores this week are a pair of new PS4 games including Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition (an updated version of Capcom’s fighting game) and Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker’s Memory (a side-story/sequel to 2015’s Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth).
That’s it for now, but we’ll be back soon with a close-up look at all of this week’s additions to the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.
Posted in 3DS, News, PS4, Switch
Tagged Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth - Hacker's Memory, Kirby: Battle Royale, Rocket League, Street Fighter V
2018 DICE Awards nominees announced and Horizon: Zero Dawn leads the way with ten
The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences has announced the nominees for this year’s DICE Awards, and Horizon: Zero Dawn leads the pack with ten.
The action-adventure game from Guerrilla will compete for “Game of the Year,” as well as… deep breath… “Adventure Game of the Year,” “Outstanding Achievement in Character” (for Aloy), “Outstanding Achievement in Game Design,” “Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction,” “Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition,” “Outstanding Achievement in Story,” “Outstanding Technical Achievement,” “Outstanding Achievement in Animation,” and “Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction.”
Whew.
Other games nominated for “Game of the Year” include Studio MDHR’s Cuphead, PUBG Corporation’s PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, and Nintendo’s Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
The 2018 DICE Awards will be handed out in a ceremony at the conclusion of this year’s DICE Summit on February 22. A complete list of this year’s nominees can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS4, Switch, Wii U, Xbox One
Tagged Cuphead, Horizon: Zero Dawn, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Detective Pikachu will be released in the US in March 2018
Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have announced that Detective Pikachu will finally make its way to North America in 2018. The adventure game stars a “tough-talking, coffee-drinking, one-of-a-kind Pikachu” and players will team up with him to solve a series of cases and save Ryme City:
Detective Pikachu finds the hero of the title… a unique Pikachu in the Pokemon world… partnering with Tim Goodman and searching for evidence and clues to solve a series of cases, while also investigating the disappearance of Tim’s father, Harry Goodman.
When he arrives in Ryme City looking for his missing father, little does Tim know he would meet a Pikachu, but more amazingly a Pikachu who he could communicate with. There’s more to this Pikachu than a detective hat… he’s one lovably gruff, tough-talking sleuth, with a taste for good coffee.
This Pikachu claims that he worked with Tim’s father, and the two pair up to discover his whereabouts. Together, Tim and Detective Pikachu will encounter a number of mysteries in Ryme City and will need to talk to witnesses and gather their testimony in order to discover the truth. Cases that would be impossible for Tim to solve alone can be cracked with the help of this Pikachu, because he is able to obtain vital clues and information from other Pokemon.
Detective Pikachu was originally released in Japan in 2016, but this new version of the game will be greatly expanded with new locations to explore and new cases to solve. Nintendo will also add an Easy Mode for players who’ve been stumped by the game’s mysteries.
Detective Pikachu will be available for the 3DS on March 23, alongside a larger-than-average Amiibo figure of the Poke-Sleuth that’ll allow players to view short video clips known as Pika Prompts. These clips will feature quips and antics from Pikachu… and also hints about where to go next.
The first trailer for Detective Pikachu has been embedded above.
Posted in 3DS, News
Tagged Detective Pikachu