Are You Playing Black Ops 2 on Launch Day?

The crazy popular series, Call of Duty, continues on November 13th with Black Ops 2. With a new branching campaign, retooled multiplayer, and at least three to four robots, Black Ops 2 should make quite a splash.

We want to know what your launch day plans are. Will you rock a midnight launch party? Play a few hours after school or work? Call in sick? Knowing this stuff helps us understand you and further our steps for global domination  better serving you as a reader. Take our extremely short, hyper easy, totally cool survey and let us know. It takes less than 15 seconds -- no joke.

Go ahead, take the survey. We'll wait here.

No, really, it's fine. Take your time. We're not going anywhere. Go ahead. We promise we'll be here when you get back.

All done? Super, thank you so much for helping us out. We've entered your data into our Neural Matrix Hub and have used it in our quest for bettering the world through the joy of video games. Or something like that.

Ryan Clements writes for IGN and is totally not plotting to overthrow the current world governments and instate his own order fueled by k-pop. Follow him on Twitter at @PwamCider.

Source : ign[dot]com

Black Ops 2 Multiplayer Matchmaking Explained

The multiplayer matchmaking system in Call of Duty: Black Ops II will work using latency and ping, Treyarch has confirmed.

In a series of tweets, game design director David Vondehaar explained that the upcoming entry in the Call of Duty series wouldn't rely on region-based matchmaking, as was the case in previous games.

In response to being asked whether the locale-preference in matchmaking would again appear in Black Ops II, the following exchange took place:

In theory, this should result in fewer instances of host migration and drop outs, which have frustrated Call of Duty players in previous instalments. This isn't the only good news we've had for Call of Duty multiplayer fans recently; earlier this month Treyarch announced that the Call of Duty Elite service would be free to Black Ops II players.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II is due to release on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on November 13, and on the Wii U on its respective launch dates.

Thanks, CharlieIntel.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant and a meleeing ninja when it comes to COD. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

Black Ops 2 Multiplayer Matchmaking Explained

The multiplayer matchmaking system in Call of Duty: Black Ops II will work using latency and ping, Treyarch has confirmed.

In a series of tweets, game design director David Vondehaar explained that the upcoming entry in the Call of Duty series wouldn't rely on region-based matchmaking, as was the case in previous games.

In response to being asked whether the locale-preference in matchmaking would again appear in Black Ops II, the following exchange took place:

In theory, this should result in fewer instances of host migration and drop outs, which have frustrated Call of Duty players in previous instalments. This isn't the only good news we've had for Call of Duty multiplayer fans recently; earlier this month Treyarch announced that the Call of Duty Elite service would be free to Black Ops II players.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II is due to release on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on November 13, and on the Wii U on its respective launch dates.

Thanks, CharlieIntel.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant and a meleeing ninja when it comes to COD. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

League of Legends - Mono.Ferus v CLG.Black battle for the final spot for IPL5

Mono.Ferus vs. CLG.Black

Finally, the last IPL5 online qualifier is coming to a close. In the grand finals for the last spot in IPL5, on one side we have Mono.Ferus who have been proven and recognized as a power house online competitor. However, they have yet to fully prove themselves at a LAN event; will this be their chance? On the other side, we have CLG.Black, the underdogs of the tournament that have already knocked out two world class teams. Will they complete a hat trick of upsets, or will they just barely fall short? One advantage CLG.Black seems to have in this competition is the absence of one player in their roster. They have brought in two different subs in their matches against iG and Dignitas, who knows who they'll bring in next? The main person CLG.Black needs to watch out for is, of course, Aphromoo. Aphromoo has an amazing ability to carry his team to victory. He still needs the support of his team, but, even despite that support, it is amazingly hard to have one player consistently carry a team game after game. The key to CLG.Black's victory lies in their ability to shut down Aphromoo. They must also be aware because Mono.Ferus uses a lot of early aggression to snowball their team, so keeping wards up and having map control is extremely important.

For Mono.Ferus, they need to watch out for whichever wild card CLG.Black brings in as their sub. Being a little extra prepared never hurts, and keeping an open mind with CLG.Black's strategies will allow Mono.Ferus a little more adaptability. CLG.Black is no longer a team Mono.Ferus can freely underestimate, and they need to keep that in mind. It seems CLG.Black is already improving their team chemistry with their new role switches, but if Mono.Ferus can successfully pressure lanes with their early aggression, they can easily snowball the game in their favor. CLG.Black has not yet shown they have the strength to repel a lot of early aggression. They failed to repel iG's early aggression despite winning the series, and Dignitas made no aggressive plays so it was a non-issue. CLG.Black seems to favor late game team compositions so if Mono.Ferus allows CLG.Black to reach the late game without major struggle, they could see the tables turn on them.

I Sorely underestimated CLG.Black in my last preview for their match with Dignitas. While my opinions have changed about CLG.Black, I still say they are at a slight disadvantage. CLG.Black still has no real answer for early aggression. Aggression that will definitely be applied by Mono.Ferus. However, If they can once again execute that mobile team we saw in game two against Dignitas, they may have a better chance at keeping themselves in the game. That mobility may also allow CLG.Black to quickly get to the back line and take down Aphromoo should Mono.Ferus be complacent. So overall, Mono.Ferus has the advantage in this matchup, but even the smallest hint of complacency can immediately turn the tides in CLG.Black's favor.

Source : ign[dot]com

League of Legends - CLG.Black once again prove themselves against Dignitas

Dignitas vs. CLG.Black

For this match up, CLG.Black brought in Wingsofdeath as they're top laner and keeping everyone else as they were against iG. It would soon be proven whether or not this change would benefit CLG.Black.

Game one

Dignitas

Bans: Orianna, Alistar, Jayce

Picks

• Ezreal - Imaqtpie (adc)
• Blitzcrank - Patoy (support)
• Shen - Crumbz (top)
• Shyvanna - IWDominate (jungle)
• Karthus - scarra (mid)

CLG.Black

Bans: Diana, Evelynn, Rengar

Picks

• Maokai - Sycho Sid (jungle)
• Sona - BloodWater (support)
• Kog'Maw - Zuna (adc)
• Singed - Wingsofdeath (top)
• Lux - LINk115 (mid)

In game one, both teams opted for a passive farming game. Being the mechanically superior team, Dignitas pulled out ahead and slowly gained control of the game. Funnily enough, both teams decided to attempt a split pushing strategy with Singed for CLG.Black, and Shen for Dignitas. However, in the face-off between Shen (Crumbz) and Singed (Wingsofdeath), Crumbz had the upper hand. With Dignitas as a whole having the farm lead, and a more threatening split pusher, the passive play had completely different meanings for both teams. CLG.Black seemed to continue trying to be careful, while Dignitas seemed to be patiently waiting for their chance to win. This chance presented itself when Dignitas was able to pick up baron after winning back to back team fights. This allowed Dignitas to be more aggressive which won them a 4-0 team fight in a final push for the win.

Game two

Dignitas

Bans: Rengar, Jayce, Shen

Picks

• Kha'zix - Crumbz (top)
• Corki - Imaqtpie (adc)
• Orianna - scarra (mid)
• Taric - Patoy (support)
• Malphite - IWDominate (jungle)

CLG.Black

Bans: Diana, Evelynn, Karthus

Picks

• Ezreal - LINk115 (mid)
• Sona - BloodWater (support)
• Lee Sin - Sycho Sid (jungle)
• Olaf - Wingsofdeath (top)
• Sivir - Zuna (adc)

In game two, CLG.Black drastically changed their strategy. CLG.Black realized they can't play too passively against Dignitas and picked a mobile team. Sycho Sid on Lee Sin, was able to make good use of his mobility to effectively gank and counter gank. With such a mobile team and having more aggression, CLG.Black was able to gain the lead. Finally, at around 27 minutes, CLG.Black was able to ace Dignitas which allowed them to take an inhibitor and baron. Straight off of baron, IWDominate (Malphite) was caught out of position and killed, forcing the surrender from Dignitas, knowing they can't hold off a push from a baron buffed team in a 4v5 situation.

This game was drastically different from game one. CLG.Black's mobility allowed them to dodge AoE ultimates, and split Dignitas for more favorable team fights which always gave them the upper hand and allowed them to win.

Game three

Dignitas

Bans: Jayce, Sona, Ereal

Picks

• Varus - Imaqtpie (adc)
• Shyvana - IWdominate (jungle)
• Orianna - scarra (mid)
• Lulu - Patoy (support)
• Shen - Crumbz (top)

CLG.Black

Bans: Evelynn, Diana, Rengar

Picks

• Cassiopeia - LINk115 (mid)
• Alistar - BloodWater (support)
• Corki - Zuna (adc)
• Nidalee - Wingsofdeath (top)
• Lee Sin - Sycho Sid (jungle)

After a lane switch from both teams, Dignitas continued their passive play while Sycho Sid (Lee Sin) focused his aggression towards top, which helped Corki (Zuna) gain an early advantage against Varus (Imaqtpie). Bot lane became a farming lane between bruisers like game one. The game progressed with neither team gaining a clear lead. Eventually, Wingsofdeath would emerge as the hero of this match. After a certain point, Wingsofdeath (Nidalee)  refused to leave bot lane, constantly placing pressure on turrets. Of course, Crumbz, with his global presence, was the ideal candidate to stop Nidalee. However, CLG.Black would not allow the first game to repeat itself. The remaining four players of CLG.Black baited baron which pulled Shen away from the bot lane and allowed Nidalee to take the inhibitor turret. Realizing their advantage, CLG.Black would continue to pull Dignitas into fights, allowing Nidalee to whittle away the enemy base. Finally, with an open enemy nexus, CLG.Black engaged in a 4v4 team fight at top lane. Dignitas, hoped that Shen could keep Nidalee at bay, however, their expectations fell short. Nidalee was able to kill Shen and move on to win the game for his team.

Key Plays

• Constant baits and pressure from CLG.Black in game 3 allowed Nidalee to split push.
• Game 2, IWDominate (Malphite) was caught out of position after CLG.Black took baron, forcing the surrender

MVP

The MVP is undoubtedly Wingsofdeath in game three. Despite being the sub, he single handedly won the game with his Nidalee split push. He created a situation in which Shen could not leave bot lane without suffering consequences, and gained a lead big enough to beat Shen 1v1 for the win.

Other Thoughts

I felt Dignitas had no real will to win this match. There was no aggression, no threats created, and no drive to win. Dignitas played solidly, but too passively. This passivity allowed CLG.Black to walk all over them in games two and three. Even with their defeat in game two, Dignitas failed to make any aggressive responses in game three (despite game three being the closest match). On the other hand, CLG.Black immediately realized what they needed to win, and executed very well despite another change to their roster. They played much more in sync than even the match against iG. As the underdogs of multiple matches, their drive to win and adaptability allowed them to win this match. While once again, they seem like the underdogs in their match-up against Mono.Ferus, they have already proven, by knocking out two world class teams, that they are not to be underestimated.

Source : ign[dot]com

Black Ops 2 Weapons Can Earn Prestige

Treyarch has revealed that weapons in Call of Duty: Black Ops II will be able to earn Prestige levels.

Alongside the 55 levels and 10 Prestige levels that your soldier will be able to earn, Treyarch’s David Vonderhaar has revealed that all guns in the forthcoming shooter will be able to Prestige two times.

“

Did you know that you can Prestige any gun two times?

According to MP1st, Vonderhaar tweeted the site, "Did you know that you can Prestige any gun two times?"

Supposedly weapon XP in Black Ops II won't reset whenever you prestige, which made the site ask Vonderhaar, "if weapon XP converts to next prestige, will you have to prestige your weapon or will it go back down to 0 or stay at max?"

Vonderhaar replied, ”Stays where it was. Weapon level and weapon prestige level totally independent of your level. Not reset by level prestige.”

Call of Duty: Black Ops II will release on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on November 13, and will be available on the Wii U when it launches.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant and his favourite COD is the one that comes with chips. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

Ubisoft Sues Black Eyed Peas for $1 Million

Ubisoft has sued The Black Eyed Peas for breach of contract. As reported by Courthouse News, the suit is for $1 million and alleges that Ubisoft created “an iPad and iPhone version of a popular Wii game” -- namely, The Black Eyed Peas Experience -- that the band “refused to accept, reject or pay for.”

The suit is against a group called BEP Music that holds a trademark for 2011’s The Black Eyed Peas Experience, which hit Xbox 360 and Wii. The suit alleges that in June 2011 BEP Music “entered into a license agreement” that “licensed to Ubisoft the exclusive, worldwide right to use, among other things, the names and likenesses of a music group and its members...to develop, produce, and distribute a video game...on all existing and future handheld and home consoles and iOS platforms, including the iPhone and iPad." Ubisoft claims that it submitted the game to BEP Music for approval in March of this year and the group “never responded to Ubisoft's request for approval of the IOS game within the requisite ten business days, or ever. Thereafter, Ubisoft continued to repeatedly request, both orally and in writing” that BEP approve the game.

"Since March 2012, and despite Ubisoft's repeated requests, BEP Music has breached the contract by failing and refusing to either approve or disapprove the IOS game in writing or otherwise,” Ubisoft claims. “Ubisoft has performed all of the obligations required of it under the contract, except as those obligations that have been excused by BEP Music's conduct or by operation of law. At the time of BEP Music's breach of contract, Ubisoft had spent 181,000 Euros (approximately $233,000) in developing the iOS game. As a direct and proximate result of BEP Music's breach of contract, Ubisoft has suffered damages in an amount in excess of $1,000,000, which not only includes Ubisoft's out-of-pocket development costs, but also the profits Ubisoft has lost and will continue to lose as a result of BEP Music's breach of contract."

The Wii and Xbox 360 version of The Black Eyed Peas Experience was released in November 2011 and “is currently still being distributed pursuant to the contract and has thus far been successful for Ubisoft,” according to the suit. We’ve reached out to Ubisoft about the lawsuit and will update with any comment we receive. Until then, you can read our The Black Eyed Peas Experience review.

Source: Courthouse News via The Escapist

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

Treyarch Defends Black Ops' Ageing Engine

Treyarch has defended using the seven-year-old IW engine to power Call of Duty: Black Ops II.

In an interview with OXM, game design director David Vondehaar explained that modifications had been made to ensure the game ran robustly, and admitted he was baffled that anyone would criticise the title's technical performance.

“

To me, it's like I never really understood. It runs at 60 and it's gorgeous. What exactly is there to be upset about with the engine?

"Anybody who comes at the engine needs to remember it's the 60 frames they love in the first place," he asserted. "And we can make it beautiful - that's through years and years of working with the engine, improving upon it and improving the pipeline and improving our approach, our lighting rendering.

"People like to talk about the engine, but the truth of the matter is that this isn't like something that was invented six years ago. At this point that engine doesn't resemble anything like any engine - we've ripped out the UI system, the rendering and the lighting are all new, the core gameplay systems are all new.

"To me, it's like I never really understood," Vondehaar concluded. "It runs at 60 and it's gorgeous. What exactly is there to be upset about with the engine?"

The IW Engine has been used by both Infinity Ward and Treyarch for the companies' work on the Call of Duty games. It was first used for Call of Duty 2 back in 2005, and the exact engine being used for Black Ops II is a modified version of the IW 3.0 engine that was used for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, as well as the original Black Ops. The PC version of the game is also confirmed to take advantage of DirectX 11 video cards.

The first image of the Nuketown 2025 pre-order bonus map for Call of Duty: Black Ops II was unveiled yesterday, and the game itself is due to release on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on November 13, and on the Wii U on its respective launch dates.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant and a meleeing ninja when it comes to COD. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 -- Everything We Know About Zombies

After months of speculating, the veil has finally been lifted on Call of Duty: Black Ops 2's Zombie gameplay. While we still haven't gotten a chance to try it, a recent visit to Treyarch resulted in a glut of information about the evolution of the mode, and what fans can expect on November 13th. What started as something simple and silly, a treat for those who beat Call of Duty: World at War, is being developed into the biggest, most fully-featured Zombies game yet.

See the new zombies trailer right here.

The biggest change to Call of Duty: Black Ops 2's Zombie gameplay comes in the form of its campaign mode. Titled Tranzit, this tosses you and up to three of your friends into the biggest world the team at Treyarch has ever created for Zombies. Your goal in Tranzit is simple: kill all the undead that you come across and leave a trail of bodies in your wake. You and your team jump between a number of locales along the way, doing what appears to be defensive stands and clearing them out before moving on to the next place. However, getting from place to place isn't a simple loading screen, but instead requires you to get there by foot or by bus. It's unclear whether or not you'll be able to steer the bus, but the first trailer makes it pretty clear you'll be defending yourself and perhaps even building barricades in order to survive the journey between survival spots.

You'll also have plenty to look out for while you're battling in the zombie-infested wasteland, as Tranzit now includes "buildables," something Treyarch describes as elements you can put together to do things like open up new parts of the world or make weapons. As for how the campaign ends? That's anyone's guess. Treyarch is playing whatever story it's inserting into Tranzit close to its chest, which fits with its strategy of letting the fans parse together the narrative through message boards and other online communities.

If Tranzit doesn't sound like your thing, if you're the type of person that just wants to hop in with friends and defend a single position, you'll be pleased to hear that Survival mode is returning with Black Ops 2. Playable either solo or with three friends, Survival offers the classic survival experience wherein you build defenses and hold out. The nitty-gritty details haven't been discussed, but the environments you play in are apparently custom-made takes on locations from the Tranzit campaign.

Cooperative play isn't for everyone, and while Black Ops 2 will feature a competitive multiplayer mode as well, Treyarch's also developing a new take on competitive play for Zombies called Grief. Internally the team at Treyarch likes to refer to Grief as "4z4," because unlike traditional competitive games both sides have to deal with a third party that wants their brains -- the Zombies. In Grief, your only goal is to have your team outlive the other, but, unlike every other Call of Duty mode you've ever played, you can't shoot other players. Instead you have to "grief" them and get the zombies to do the work for you. Treyarch's being disappointingly mum in regards to how "griefing" actually works, so for now we're left to speculate about how we'll be attempting to kill our friends come November.

If there's a rule or any other part of Zombies' three modes that you don't like, Treyarch wants you to tweak them and create your own using the Custom games feature -- a first for Zombies. You can live out your hardcore zombie fantasy and make it so only headshots kill, turn off magic items and set your starting round.

 

Previously, the Zombie portion of Treyarch's Call of Duty games felt like a distraction, a way to break up the multi-hour sessions with the competitive multiplayer. Black Ops 2 aims to change it into something on par with the multiplayer and campaign. This isn't just a mode, it's a series of modes buried within a game, a testament to Treyarch's dedication to the fans. Without their input and devotion, Zombies wouldn't exist as it does today.

Source : ign[dot]com

Black Ops 2 to Simplify Multiplayer Perks

Call of Duty: Black Ops II will feature a simplified perk system that may be nerfed without warning, according to the game's multiplayer designer.

Speaking to CVG, David Vondehaar admitted that the increasing complexity of perks as the series has progressed was one of the first things he wanted to address.

“

I can nerf perks and I will, mark my words. A perk should never be something you need just to compete.

"Perks were pretty important for us to rethink, because they were getting too complex, " he said. "You had perks, perk pros, perks that influence you, perks that influence your gun, perks that influence team mates.

"We've simplified that so perks only ever affect your character, and more importantly, Black Ops II's perks aren't absolutes. In Black Ops our only balancing options were to remove the perk or keep it; now we can tune any perk by increments to nerf it or improve it.

"I can nerf perks and I will, mark my words," Vonderhaar continued. "A perk should never be something you need just to compete. A perk is 'I got a parking spot,' or 'the soda machine gave me free soda.' Your life shouldn't depend on it. The community helped me understand that, and that's why our new system has no absolutes. We can try to make it the most balanced CoD ever."

So it looks like any die-hard COD fan is going to need to be prepared to adapt their tactics in response to any nerfs. But whether Black Ops II can manage to be the game that finally does away with cookie-cutter strategies and builds when so many others have failed remains to be seen.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II is out on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on November 13, and on Wii U from launch.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

Amazon Outs Black Ops 2 Zombies Campaign

A product listing for Call of Duty: Black Ops II has revealed that Zombies will be included as an option in the game’s campaign. A rundown of key features on Amazon listed “The inclusion of Zombies in gameplay, both as an option in multiplayer, and as a campaign option.”

The section related to Zombies has since been removed, but was captured in a screenshot by Kotaku. While Activision has never detailed Black Ops II’s Zombie functionality, zombies were teased shortly after the game’s announcement, and later revealed to be involved with the game’s Nuketown map.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II hits stores on November 13th. We don’t know much else about Zombies yet, but Activision has already has already revealed the first details about Black Ops II multiplayer. We’ve reached out to Activision for comment about Zombies and will update with any additional info we receive. Until then, read about how Black Ops II reboots Call of Duty’s multiplayer as well as the game’s eSports initiative.

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

Black Mesa Half-Life Remake Available Now

As announced earlier this month, the first part of fan-made Half Life remake Black Mesa is available for free starting today. The game can be downloaded through Black Mesa’s official site and allows players to play through the game up to Lambda Core. Black Mesa a total conversion of Half-Life 2, rebuilding Half-Life from the ground up in Source.

The game can be played by anyone who downloads Valve’s free Source SDK, and a full list of system requirements is available on Black Mesa’s site. Black Mesa will also be distributed via Steam in the future as part of Valve’s Stream Greenlight program.

Look out for impressions of Black Mesa later today on IGN.

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

Winter Soldier #10 Review

Bucky just can't catch a break. Things keep getting worse for the poor guy and Winter Soldier #10 solidifies that. Black Widow is still brainwashed, and it looks like there may be no coming back. She's killed some very close friends. It's emotional, engaging, action-packed stuff. It's the kind of thing that will be sorely missing when Ed Brubaker leaves the Marvel Universe.

Brubaker keeps the stakes high. Winter Soldier has been a fantastic series since day one, but the recent story arc is really firing on all cylinders. This is Bucky's corner of the Marvel Universe, and it's a dark place filled with betrayal, murder and violence. The dialogue is snappy,the story is great and the characters are wonderfully realized. More people should be reading Winter Soldier.

Butch Guice steps in on pencils this issue. His layouts are fantastic, using a bending, disorienting layout for the flashbacks. It works well, giving a sense of chaos as the Black Widow pummels her way to freedom. It's not perfect -- Steve Rodgers looks a little off, for instance – but it's a damn fine looking issue. It's also worth noting that Marvel has started listing Bettie Breitweiser as providing “Color Art” instead of being credited as a colorist. I couldn't agree more, because what Breitweiser does is absolutely stunning. It is art and it's simply beautiful.

Benjamin has a crush on Rashida Jones. There, it's out in the open. Your move, Jones. Follow Benjamin on Twitter, or find him on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Pokémon News: Catch Genesect!

We're only a few weeks out from the stateside release of Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, the next set of games in the core Pokémon series. To celebrate the October 7 launch of these new games, Nintendo is finally giving players outside Japan the chance to catch the elusive legendary monster Genesect.

I choose you, Genesect!

Anyone who purchases either Pokémon Black 2 or Pokémon White 2 between October 7 and November 12 can receive Genesect simply by connecting to the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. It has a signature move called Techno Blast, and is a Bug- and Steel-type Pokémon with the ability to adjust its power levels based on the foe it's battling.

For all things Pokémon, keep it here on IGN - and don't forget to check out our latest Pokémon Profile - this week it's Bulbasaur!

Audrey Drake is an Associate Editor at IGN and a proud member of the IGN Nintendo team. She is also a lifelong gamer, a frequent banisher of evil and a wielder of various legendary blades. You can follow her wild adventures on her IGN blog and Twitter. Game on!

Source : ign[dot]com

Can You Run Call of Duty: Black Ops 2?

Are you planning on checking out the PC version of Treyarch’s inevitable best-seller? If so, hopefully you’re not still running Windows XP, because it’s not supported in Black Ops 2.

According to Treyarch, “Since we upgraded the engine to use DirectX11, Windows XP is no longer supported. It requires Windows Vista or later.”

In terms of specifics about the engine upgrade, “The DX11 API is leaner than DX9 and requires less CPU time to do the same amount of work. It is important to point out that this benefits the entire range of supported GPUs, not just DX11 hardware. We have also added more “quality vs performance” options than ever before so you can customize your experience to either run faster or to satisfy your taste in eye candy.”

Also posted were the minimum hardware requirements for Black Ops 2:

• OS: Windows Vista SP2 or Windows 7
• CPU: Intel Core2 Duo E8200 2.66 GHz or AMD Phenom X3 8750 2.4 GHz
• Memory: 2GB for 32-bit OS or 4GB for 64-bit OS
• Video Card: Nvidia GeForce 8800GT 512 MB or ATI Radeon HD 3870 512 MB

Source : ign[dot]com

Detective Comics Annual #1 Review

Prior to the New 52, much of Tony Daniel's Batman work was centered around establishing a new version of Black Mask, a villain who turned out to be none other than Dr. Jeremiah Arkham. Recently, Daniel has returned to Black Mask in his Detective Comics run, though now Roman Sionis is back under the mask and Arkham is on the right side of the law again. Detective Comics Annual #1 offers Daniel a chance to explore the current status quo of these characters outside the confines of the main series. Though it definitely has its rough patches, this annual isn't a bad way for Daniel to end his writing stint on the series.

This is one of those issues where Batman is basically a glorified guest star. But the benefit to having such a large, diverse, and downright awesome rogues gallery is that it's okay to relegate Batman to the background now and then. The majority of Daniel's attention is focused on Sionis. In many ways the villain is reverting to a more old-school version of himself, between the hypnotic powers and the return of the False Face Society. I miss the more sadistic take on the character seen in the days of Judd Winick's Batman run and the War Games crossover, but this version has its merits as well.

Black Mask may be the star, but he's hardly the only familiar Bat villain to make an appearance. Whether explicitly mandated or not, it's seemed that most of the New 52 books have focused on introducing new villains in their first year rather than relying on old favorites. It's a nice change to see characters like Clayface and Tweedledum and Tweedledee about and there's another mystery villain who Daniel puts to great use as a foil to Black Mask. In general, the issue makes effectvie use of the annual format, building on past plot points but not relying so much on continuity that newcomers cant enjoy the story.

There are some fairly significant problems with the script, unfortunately. The book becomes unintentionally silly at times despite the fairly grim tone. Part of this is because Daniel's dialogue doesn't always function as intended. Characters who are meant to come across as tough and scary instead trip over awkward lines. This is a problem that has plagued Daniel's Batman work to one degree or another from the beginning. The final showdown is also unnecessarily silly. I was reminded of Cartman's psychic showdown from the South Park episode "The Real Psychic Detectives."

Romano Molenaar and Pere Perez divide up the art duties on this issue. Molenaar's work resembles a more loose, frenetic version of Daniel's, and fits the general aesthetic of the series pretty well. It does become a bit too loose and lacking in detail at times. Perez's work is a little more straightforward and plain but also more detail oriented. It's not a visually spectacular issue by any means, but both artist contribute some memorable action scenes.

Detective Comics Annual #1 does little to push any of the characters involved forward or make changes to the Bat universe, but it does at least solidify Black Mask and a handful of other villains' places in the New 52. Hopefully Detective Comics can find a stronger sense of identity and purpose as the creative team shifts in the coming months.

Jesse is a writer for IGN Comics and IGN Movies. He can't wait until he's old enough to feel ways about stuff. Follow Jesse on Twitter, or find him on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Wii U Version of Black Ops 2 Appears on Resume

A Wii U version of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 appears on the resume of an Activision quality assurance tester. According to the LinkedIn page of a tester named Randall, QA testing for Black Ops II has been in the works since May, and his responsibilities included “QA testing on PS3 and Wii U, multiplayer testing while collaborating with team, ad hoc testing, and regression. Bug writing, research, and documentation are performed with each issue that is found.”

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard rumors about a Wii U version of Black Ops II, but marks the closest thing so far to official confirmation. Back in June, magazine scans suggested that Wii U would receive Black Ops II before Christmas 2012, and video game analyst Michael Pachter recently theorized that Nintendo developed its Wii U Pro controller specifically to convince Activision to make a Wii U version of Call of Duty.

The last few Call of Duty games have come to Wii, including Modern Warfare 3 and the original Black Ops. Treyarch’s previous game, Call of Duty: World at War, also received a Wii version.

For now, Call of Duty: Black Ops II has only been announced for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 & PC and is set to launch on November 13th. We’ve reached out to Activision for clarification about a Wii U version, but until they comment, be sure to read about all the changes to Black Ops II’s multiplayer as well as its eSports functionality.

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

Black Ops 2 Will Make eSports Important to You

Treyarch wants more than to exist in the eSports arena -- it plans to dominate it, but not in the way you expect. Call of Duty is such a juggernaut that Black Ops II could probably brute force its way to the top with Activision marketing money and sheer numbers. With a few strokes of brilliance, though, Black Ops II involves its entire audience in the constant competitive spectacle.

You Are the Shoutcaster

If you find yourself better at observation than competition, the role of a shoutcaster -- or CODcaster, in the Black Ops vocabulary -- could be something that’s up your alley. Any player can switch to the shoutcaster “team” before a match starts, thus opening their adversarial player slot for another person, and broadcast their live commentary to anyone willing to listen. Shoutcasters function like a sports broadcaster, giving viewers a play-by-play account of the events on screen, as well as identifying players accomplishments and notable strategies. Users can also team up and co-broadcast any match, whether it’s live or recorded in your Black Ops II Theater.

There’s more to proper shoutcasting than just yelling into your mic, though. Using your controller or mouse and keyboard, shoutcasters can easily shift player perspectives to get a greater view of the most important action. Itemized counters indicate who’s scoring well, carrying the flag, or capturing a control point, so you’ll always know where to go to give your audience the best perspective. Other functionality includes a top-down view of the map with every player’s location, listening in on live team chat, and customizable menus to maximize your presentation. Players can also It’s a terrific system that’s easy and fun to use, and in the hands of a skilled shoutcaster, it’s entertaining as all get out to watch.

League of Legend

Treyarch kept off-handedly mentioning eSports when Black Ops II came up in conversation, but we didn’t really know what any of that meant. Call of Duty’s League system is emblematic of what the developer’s looking to achieve. Players divide into one of seven divisions based on their skill level – not their rank or Prestige. The Starcraft-style ladder system moves better players up into higher leagues and matched them against similarly skilled opponents. Those of us who are, uh, terrible, will find talentless hacks to team up with, and have fun in our own corner of the playground. How well you play and place in each match determine how quickly you move up or shift back down. It’s about consistency, which keeps players happy, which keeps them playing.

It’s Always On

At any given moment, you could be part of a Black Ops broadcast. Any user can live stream a custom match by simply turning it on in the options menu, and when Black Ops II releases on November 13, everyone will have access to streaming matches on all platforms. You can load up a live stream on your PC at work, or a mobile browser on the train, and watch a game happening right then and there. Treyarch isn’t talking yet about a potential iOS and Android app for streaming, or how Elite functions with eSports – but this is a strong start.

Mitch Dyer is an Associate Editor for IGN's Xbox 360 team. He’s also quite Canadian. Read his ramblings on Twitter and follow him on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Is This the Iron Man 3 Trailer Description?

It seems as though we may have stumbled upon our first trailer description for Shane Black's Iron Man 3. Of course, keep in mind that the authenticity of the following text has yet to be confirmed. From Ain't It Cool News:

"It opens with a voice over of Tony Stark talking about how the events of New York (I'm assuming the Avenger Movie) changed him, and how he’s just not 'into it' anymore. First scene is Iron Man with battle damage, laying down amid rubble and taking [off] his faceplate to show a bleeding Stark. Scenes of him arguing with Pepper Potts in the armory (cool shots of alternative Iron Man suits including the red white and blue one we've seen already), press conferences, Tony looking solemn, Tony talking with someone who looks like a psychiatrist, and a short shot of Don Cheadle in military uniform (no War Machine in the preview).  Also one scene of who I presume is the Mandarin, forcefully landing and cracking the ground. However, it looked like a silver Iron Man. I was unable to tell in the brief view who it was (maybe due to unfinished CGI).

We then get a voice over from Ben Kingsley, talking about how there there are no heroes and how he will teach everyone, especially Stark, a lesson. This is over scenes of the alternative Suits getting blown up, Stark going into surgery, and a fleet of helicopters launching missiles which blow Stark's home up and apart (the CGI looked nearly finished) and sending Stark and Pepper into the sea below. Then a close up of Kingsley with no helmet in the Mandarin armor.

It ends with Iron man underwater swimming towards what looks like his 'heart reactor thing.' Then the logo, then Stark walking in the snow dragging a large bag, then the logo again.

All and all, a somber trailer, dark and  humorless, which seemed more in tone with The Dark Knight Rises than with any of the other Iron Man movies or the Avengers."

IGN Movies reached out to a rep over at Disney, who had no comment on the report. In the meantime, what are your thoughts on this new info, if at all accurate? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Iron Man 3 is scheduled to hit theaters in May 2013.

Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love on Twitter and IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Pokémon Black 2 and White 2: Something Old, Something New

We're about two months away from the October 7 launch of Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, the first numbered sequels in Pokémon history. While I’ve been messing around with the Japanese version of Black 2 since late June, I recently had the opportunity to see the North American version in action. From what I’ve seen, PokéFans should be excited.

Here’s what I found out… but beware, minor spoilers follow. If you want to go into the game knowing absolutely nothing about what’s new or what to expect, your ride ends here - and you’d do well to avoid the Internet for the next two months.

Picking Up Where Black/White Left Off

As we already knew, Black 2 and White 2 takes place two years after the events in Black and White. You begin your journey in Aspertia City, on the opposite side of the Unova region - and quite a bit has changed. The part I went hands-on with at the demo was from the beginning of the game, right after running into a couple of familiar faces from Black and White - Bianca and Cheren. Bianca, who gives you your starting monster, is now Professor Juniper’s assistant, and Cheren is the first gym leader you must conquer.

Leave that low level Purrloin alone, you big jerks!

Without giving away anything past the game’s outset, it looks like Team Plasma is back to its old tricks, but this time without N’s leadership to guide them. Reassembled as a band of pirates rather than knights, their ultimate goal is to fulfill a Unova prophecy by finding Kyurem and joining it with Reshiram and Zekrom. As you’d expect from direct sequels, Black 2 and White 2 feel very much like a continuation of the same thought process as Black and White, but with a brand new adventure to battle your way through and some well-done adjustments and additions (which I’ll get to in a bit).

A Link to the Past

Like all Pokémon games, Black 2 and White 2 are designed with accessibility in mind, so even people who’ve never thrown a Poké Ball in their life can jump right in. Even so, BW2 include some incredible nods to the past, most notably the Pokémon World Tournament. Here, trainers will have the chance to go up against every single gym leader, Elite 4 member and Pokémon Champion from all the core games. From Brock and Misty to Cynthia and beyond, they’re all here and ready to put your monsters to the test once more. While I didn’t get the chance to try the tournament for myself, as someone who’s played all of the games since the beginning, I’m terribly excited to finally have a quick, easy way to battle all my favorite gym leaders and so on from games past.

What happened to N?! Only one way to find out...

It was also revealed during my demo that those who played through the  original Black and White will be amply rewarded via Memory Link. This new system allows you to transfer over your save data from the original games for the purpose of unlocking special vignettes that tell the story of what happened between these two sets of games. Want to know what befell N and other juicy character details? If you played Black or White, the answers await you in this new adventure. The further you made it in the game (for instance, whether you just completed a few gyms, beat the Elite 4, or went the whole nine yards and tracked down all Seven Sages), the more vignettes you’ll unlock - a great incentive to finish Black or White before the October release date.

If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Join ‘Em

A few other new additions that were on display include an area called Join Avenue. The person who runs the place is apparently in over his head, and has asked you to take over as manager and help bring the building to life by populating it with merchants and customers. You do this by inviting people you’ve battled against, traded with or met via Tag Mode to join in on your little social experiment. The more people you meet the livelier the place will become, and the more you’ll be able to upgrade the variety of shops that pop up, which sell all manner of cool items you can’t get anywhere else in the game.

That better be one tasty dinner for that price.

The game has also added a new feature to the Pokédex called Habitat mode. This addition allows you to see which Pokémon you can catch in each section of the map, designating which ones you’ve caught and giving you a stamp for nabbing all the monsters in a given area. This should prove a useful tool for those on the prowl to catch all 649 monsters - as well as those who are just to eager to finally catch an Eevee in the wild for the first time. In-game achievements in the form of medals will also be rewarded to Poké Masters who reach certain goals, from catching a certain number of monsters to saving often to beating the Elite Four.

While I only went hands-on with a very early segment of this new adventure, which I'd actually already played through on the Japanese version, what I was shown from later in the game has me pretty jazzed to get my hands on the English version. If it is indeed an improvement over the exceptionally well-made Black and White, it's safe to say we can expect great things from this Poké sequel.

Audrey Drake is an Associate Editor at IGN and a proud member of the IGN Nintendo team. She is also a lifelong gamer, a frequent banisher of evil and a wielder of various legendary blades. You can follow her wild adventures on her IGN blog and Twitter. Game on!

Source : ign[dot]com