Bethesda Confirms Skyrim Dragonborn DLC

Bethesda has officially unveiled the next expansion pack for Skyrim called Dragonborn.

Available on Xbox Live from December 4 for 1600 Microsoft Points, details are pretty scant as to what the expansion will actually offer.

A trailer has been unveiled, which does offer some insight into what we'll be getting, especially when taken in conjunction with what we heard last week about the next DLC's rumoured content.

The trailer appears to out the DLC's antagonist; the first Dragonborn from ages past who ruled over the island of Solstheim, which lies to the North East of Skyrim. It looks like that's where the DLC will be set, marking the second time the island has appeared in an Elder Scrolls game (the first being the Morrowind expansion, Bloodmoon).

Other that that information about the expansion is scarce. What's got us most excited though, following on from last month's report, is that it looks pretty much guaranteed that we'll be taking to the skies on dragonback for at least part of our time in Solstheim; whether this will be on-rails or not remains unclear.

There's been no word on whether the DLC will come to PC and PS3. The first two expansions, Dawnguard and Hearthfire, enjoyed 30 days of exclusivity on Microsoft's console. Due to continuing problems though, neither has made it onto the PlayStation 3 as yet.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant and maintains that Morrowind is the best Elder Scrolls game. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

StarCraft II - IPTL - NsHoSeo needs a good showing vs Karont3 to advance to Up and Downs

Contender Division Group B has the most difficult situation to asses. Why? Currently, there are 3 teams with similar score: Team Empire 1-2 (10-13 in small points), Team Dignitas 1-2 (10-11) in small points and New Star HoSeo 1-1 (6-7) with one game left. Who’s going to join Karont3 e-Sports Club in the Up and Down Matches?

The game between the Spanish organization and Koreans is going to be the decisive factor in establishing the final result in their group.

Karont3 e-Sports Club line-up: LoLvsxD (Z), LucifroN (T), Ryo (P), VortiX (Z), AlaStOr (Z), MikOeL (T), Verdi (P)

New Star HoSeo line-up: Tassadar (P), jjakji (T), Seal (Z), Sculp (T), SalvatioN (T), Brave (P)

Potential starters

Karont3 e-Sports Club: AlaStOr (Z), MikOeL (T), Verdi (P)

Three players that I’ve put above are the ones loaned from other teams purely for the “Team Games:” AlastOr is playing for French organization, Team LDLC.com, MikOeL represents another Spanish team, Aprender, and Verdi wears Vega Squadron tag together with DaNa, Polish player who will probably represent his country in the upcoming WCG 2012 Finals.

So far, both Spaniards have opened a game for Karont3 with Zerg falling to BlinG and MikOeL defeating Beastyqt, but later losing to Brat_OK. Now it’s time for Verdi to open the most important match for the Spanish team thus far.

New Star HoSeo: Tassadar (P), Sculp (T), Seal (Z)

New Star HoSeo went from being one of the best teams in Korea to a mediocre organization with one star player on the roster and average key players. They’ve lost four players over the last 3 months and their IPTL performance wasn’t as good as people would expect especially in one of the weakest groups in Season 1.

So far, both Brave and SalvatioN opened a game, so now it’s time for one of the core NSH players to be the lucky participant in the opening game against Karont3. Just like with the Spanish, NSH starters represent all three races available in Starcraft 2. Should be interesting.

Key players

Karont3 e-Sports Club: MikOeL (T), Verdi (P)

Both have decent results in IPTL and look strong against New Star HoSeo. I can see Verdi taking even a double-kill if Karont3 decide to use him in this match. As for MikOeL, he should be able to win at least one match just like he did against Team Empire, but will probably lose the next one. One should bear in mind that mediocre Korean player is still a level above decent European. We will see if that’s true in this case as well.

New Star HoSeo: Tassadar (P), SalvatioN (T)

So far besides jjakji they are the only players to grab a win in IPTL Season 1, thus it is safe to assume that they might be able to do it again especially against core Karont3 players. However, even when most of Karont3 roster is out there are always LucifroN and Vortix left who might be more than enough for NSH this time.

Ace players

Karont3 e-Sports Club: LucifroN (T), Vortix (Z)

Duran brothers are currently considered top Europeans with a huge potential that they’ve been showing for the past few months. IEM and DreamHacks were perfect tournaments for them to shine and make room for themselves among the best of the best in the world.

Both had a huge experience with Warcraft 3, but back then it was LucifroN who managed to achieve some international recognition. This time it is Vortix leading the family with impressive results lately.

But, are they going to fall in a slump as always? LucifroN was a one game wonder back in W3 era and after three / four good tournaments he quickly became another pray among beasts like Grubby, Moon or Sky. Is the same thing going to happen to Vortix? Let’s hope not.

New Star HoSeo: jjakji (T)

Although he failed to stay in GSL Code A jjakji is the best player on NSH, but despite his unstable play he managed to grab a victory for NSH in their match against Team Empire. However, in NSH match against Team Dignitas he wasn’t able to defeat Bischu.

Prediction

New Star HoSeo 1 > 5 Karont3 e-Sports Club

At this point Karont3 is just too much for NSH. If Team Dignitas was able to defeat NSH 5 – 1 then Karont3 will crush them even harder. I expect to see one game won by jjakji  and that’s it. In that case, Karont3, Team Dignitas and Team Empire will have 1-2 score so their small points will count when deciding who’s going Karont3 in the Up and Down Matches. However, if NSH win then both them and Karont3 are the undisputed winners of Contender Division Group B.

Tune in on October 19th to our stream to watch Karont3 e-Sports Club against New Star HoSeo live!

Source : ign[dot]com

Max Payne 3 Hostage Negotiation DLC Release Date

Rockstar has revealed that Max Payne 3’s Hostage Negotiation downloadable content will be released for all platforms on October 30th. The pack will be available for $9.99 (800 Microsoft Points), or free to players who purchased the Rockstar Pass.

As Rockstar detailed earlier this month, Hostage Negotiation includes four new maps: Club Moderno, Estádio Do Galatians, O Palácio Strip Club and Favela Heights. The pack also includes new items, new weapons and a new avatar faction.

In a blog post on its official site, Rockstar showed off arm bandages and tattoos as accessories that can be equipped on the Filhos De Ogum avatar and revealed that “each faction's customized Heavy Helmet will reduce all damage taken to the head by 75%.”

Rockstar says that more details on the pack will be revealed next week, so keep checking back for new information on all four new maps. Until then, check out our Max Payne 3 wiki guide for all the details about the game.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following @garfep on Twitter or garfep on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Last Resort: "Pilot" Review

Note: Some spoilers follow for Last Resort – basically the same plot points revealed by the network in trailers for the past few months. But keep in mind, you can watch the full pilot online now, before it debuts on ABC.

Shawn Ryan has more than proven his TV mettle at this point, having given us the awesomeness of The Shield, while in recent years delivering terrific (even when frustratingly ratings-challenged) programming like Terriers and The Chicago Code.

All of which is to say, Ryan’s involvement immediately had me interested in Last Resort, the new ABC series he created with Karl Gajdusek (Dead Like Me). And the very happy news is, wow, does this show deliver. Last Resort is easily fall’s best new TV series.

Andre Braugher stars as Captain Marcus Chaplin, commander of the nuclear submarine the Colorado. When Chaplin is confronted with that horrific moment where he’s actually given orders to fire his nukes on Pakistan, the highly suspicious circumstances of the orders doesn’t sit right with either him or his XO, Sam Kendal (Scott Speedman). Chaplin’s instincts are correct, and his refusal to carry out the order without more information suddenly makes him and his crew enemies of the state, with their lives on the line.

With more than one crew member shocked (if not filled with outright rage) at his decisions, Chaplin impulsively takes the sub to a small, inhabited island – creating a new home base for all onboard, while they try to sort out why these insane turn of events have occurred and who is behind them.

Martin Campbell directed the pilot to Last Resort, and the action veteran brings to the proceedings the intensity and skill he gave Bond films GoldenEye and Casino Royale – giving the show a big, appropriately intense vibe almost from the start.

If I have any quibble about the Last Resort pilot it is that it does feel almost too jam-packed – if any series could have benefited from an old school two-hour “event” premiere episode, it would be this one. For instance, we might have spent a bit more time on the Colorado as the crew goes through a normal routine, as the episode, in the interest of brevity, begins with them rescuing a team of Navy SEALs (who are being suspiciously tightlipped about their own mission), and at first it’s easy to feel a bit out of sorts about what exactly is going on.

Overall though, Ryan, Gajdusek and Campbell are to be highly commended for efficiently and effectively conveying so much in just 44 minutes. Even with the limited time they have, they distinctly establish the characters and relationships on the Colorado before the true crisis begins, from Sam’s longing to get home to his wife, Christine (Jessy Schram), to the struggle the sub’s third in command, Lieutenant Grace Shepard (Daisy Betts), has establishing authority among certain members of the crew, thanks both to her gender and to her powerful Admiral father (Bruce Davison), who some feel helped secure her position.

The cast are excellent, with Braugher bringing exactly the right feel of leadership, intelligence and cunning to the role of Chaplin. We have to believe that Chaplin is a man with a long, honorable history in the military -- that his decision to not fire when ordered to do so would not be one he’d make lightly -- and Braugher is exactly the right actor to portray that history and someone who has to handle so much weight on his shoulders without crumbling under the pressure.

With just a couple of big scenes each, for the most part, plenty of other cast members quickly establish fertile ground to build upon – including Autumn Reeser as Kylie Sinclair, a D.C. power player who has a vested business interest in what’s happening on the Colorado, but is not simply the ice cold opportunist she appears to be; Daniel Lissing as one of those aforementioned Navy SEALs hiding secrets of his own; and Dichen Lachman, Sophie Girard and Sahr Ngaujah as residents of the island the Colorado arrives at, who quickly have to make some big adjustments to their lives.

An alum of Ryan’s previous military-based series, The Unit, Robert Patrick, is great as Master Chief Joseph Prosser, conveying a complicated mixture of character traits, as Prosser is clearly old fashioned and rigid, but also doing what he feels is right through and through…. In what is possibly a combustible combination.

Last Resort has such a tense, “How will this be resolved?!” scenario, it’s hard not to also wonder, “How do you sustain this for several years?”, if it finds its deserving success. But the pilot feels so confident and powerful, I’m more curious than concerned when it comes to answering that second question.

It’s rare to have a truly terrific pilot episode. By their very nature, they are just chapter one in what’s meant to be a long story - burdened with establishing the overall situation and filled with exposition and introductions. Last Resort stands out as one of those shows that grabs your attention from the get go and delivers a tricky balance of strong character beats and big action set pieces. Don’t miss this one.

Last Resort premieres Thursday, September 27th at 8pm on ABC.

Eric Goldman is Executive Editor of IGN TV. You can follow him on Twitter and IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Red Hood and the Outlaws #0 Preview

One of the major points of contention in the New 52 with continuity sticklers is just how exactly Jason Todd, Batman's second Robin and unfortunate recipient of a crowbar beating from the Joker, returned from the great beyond. Red Hood and the Outlaws #0 aims to explain just that; assuming that this time he wasn't brought back by a reality-shattering punch from Superboy Prime, that is. Which was kind of awesome.

Red Hood and the Outlaws #0 hits on Wednesday.

Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator himself. Follow Joey on Twitter, or find him on IGN. He loves superhero pets so hard.

Source : ign[dot]com

Skyrim: Hearthfire DLC Available Now

Hearthfire, the second downloadable content pack for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, is available now on Xbox Live. The pack will cost 400 Microsoft Points ($5.00) and, like all Skyrim downloadable content, will start as an exclusive for Xbox 360 players.

As Bethesda announced last week, Hearthfire lets players purchase land and build a house from the ground up. According to Xbox Live’s Major Nelson, you’ll be able to go “from a simple one-room cottage to a sprawling compound complete with an armory, alchemy laboratory, stable, garden and more.” Players will also be able to use tools and a carpenter’s workbench to turn stone, clay or logs into furniture and can also adopt children.

We first heard the Hearthfire name back in May, when a trademark listing suggested that Bethesda had new content in the works. Hearthfire follows Dawnguard, which launched on June 26th and was later released on PC. Currently, Bethesda says that Skyrim’s downloadable content may never come to PlayStation 3.

For more on Skyrim, check out our Skyrim wiki guide and Skyrim iPad app, and keep checking back to IGN for our Hearthfire impressions later this week.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following him on Twitter or IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Website Teases The World Ends With You Announcement

A website has gone live that teases an impending announcement about The World Ends with You.

The game isn't explicitly name checked but everything about the site points towards 2008's acclaimed action RPG, from the font used for the countdown clock, to the music and the silhouetted cityscape of Shibuya. At the bottom of the page, it even says the character design by Tetsuya Nomura and Gen Kobayashi – the two artists who worked on the original title, as well as Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy franchises.

At the time of writing the clock has 6 days and 14 hours remaining. So expect more information to be revealed at the beginning of next week.

The World Ends with You was released on Nintendo DS in Japan back in 2007 and was localised for Western markets in 2008, and was generally well-received by critics. IGN's review gave the game a 8.9.

Daniel is IGN's UK Staff Writer. You can be part of the world's worst cult by following him on IGN and Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

“Game for Cats” Developers Stop In-App Purrrchases

Humans aren’t the only ones who love Apple’s iPad. With an eye for how intently cats will stalk laser-points and toy mice, one intrepid app design firm set out to make the purrrfect iOS game for felines (“NOT HUMANS,” their website asserts).

The Fruit Ninja-style game snowballed into a big success story, and anyone who got tired of watching their cat pounce on a virtual laser-pointer could unlock a virtual mouse as an in-app upgrade. The developers covered their tails with a claws clause in their terms of use, explaining that, you know, cats have claws. 

But there was one catch. Hiccup, the almost too-perfectly named app development company behind “Game for Cats,” began receiving complaints from iPad owners who thought their pets were initializing the in-app purchases without their consent.

“

I'm not sure a cat could make this purchase.

The development firm wasn’t convinced. “I'm not sure a cat could make this purchase,” Hiccup’s Nate Murray told IGN, “you have to enter your password before buying DLC.” While they haven’t issued refunds, Hiccup’s staff did land on its feet.

A recent update to the app won’t let you pawse the game, much less buy additional content, without authenticating yourself as a human by scanning your hand. 

What with in-app purchases requiring a password, the hand-scanning feature was mostly a gesture of good faith, but Murray told us designing it was tricky. “I call this the Game-For-Cats-Law-of-Touch-Screen-UI: any UI feature that is too hard for a cat is too hard for your average iPad user.” The hand-scanning step, which really just requires keeping four points of contact still for a couple seconds, is “more-or-less cat-proof.”

As yet, none of the cat-burglars in question has been implicated in this week’s iOS in-app hacking exploits, but we’ll keep you posted. Are your pets devious enough to rack up iTunes charges? Let us know in the comments.

Source : ign[dot]com