NBA 2K’s Mike Wang ‘Immediately Regretted’ Jumping Ship to EA

In the world of video games, especially with massive companies like 2K Sports and EA, it’s incredibly rare to hear a developer admit they “immediately regretted” jumping from one company to the next. That’s just what happened on this month’s episode of IGN Unfiltered, where editor Ryan McCaffrey spoke with NBA 2K gameplay director Mike Wang.

Wang accepted a position at NBA 2K developer Visual Concepts just as NBA 2K6 was wrapping up development. Wang stayed on through NBA 2K7 and 2K8 before making the decision to jump ship to 2K Sports’ biggest rival, EA’s NBA Live, which was trailing behind 2K in critical reception at the time. It wasn’t simply a matter of money, though. Wang’s reasoning was practically Machiavellian.

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See Which Anime Were Watched Most in 2018 on Crunchyroll by Country

Crunchyroll released its data on the most-watched anime by country in 2018 exclusively to IGN, and it turns out a large number of its users are fans of shonen.

In the slideshow below you can view Crunchyroll’s infographics on the most-watched anime by country.

Here are all the anime shown in the infographics:

  • My Hero Academia
  • Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
  • Black Clover
  • Darling in the Franxx
  • Hanebado!
  • Citrus
  • Dragon Ball Super
  • One Piece
  • Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody
  • Megalobox
  • The Ancient Magus’ Bride
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Electronic ‘Skin’ Could Help Future Prosthetics Feel Pressure and Temperature

Scientists are working on developing electronic skin for human-machine interactions such as prosthetic devices, robotics, wearable health monitors, and virtual reality, reported by Science Daily and sourced by the American Chemical Society.

Electronic skins would allow sensations similar to nerves in the human body to be felt, such as pressure and temperature changes.

An ultra thin, stretchable form of electronic skin was in a recent report in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces by researchers. A challenge scientists are finding is keeping the flexibility for movement while putting an ultra thin electrical circuit onto a complex 3D surface.

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Best And Worst Movie And TV Reboots, Adaptations, And Remakes Of 2018

Netflix’s Diablero Is Demonic Fun

This is a spoiler-free review for the first season of Diablero, which is currently available to stream on Netflix.

Movies about demons are a dime a dozen, but in researching where the progenitor of demonic televisions shows started, the seed seems to be rooted in the CW’s long-running series Supernatural. Since that time, demons, Satan, and the interplay between Earth and the spirit plane has been grist for so many television shows it boggles the mind. The fad is working its way into foreign-language shows now, and Netflix’s latest series, the Spanish-speaking Diablero, draws heavily from its US imitators. That’s not to say it’s a copycat — despite a hokey story that hits every familiar beat in the Necronomicon these shows utilize, the characters’ tenacity makes the show’s eight episodes a breeze, despite the dark content.

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How To Train Your Dragon 3 Is A Sad And Satisfying Ending To The Franchise, Star Says

It’s been nearly nine years since the first How to Train Your Dragon film arrived in theaters, launching an animated franchise that has spun off into sequels, a TV series, and a number of short films. Now, with February’s How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,, the adventures of Hiccup and his best dragon friend Toothless are coming to an end.

This third and final movie–for now, at least–will give fans a closure that a lot of other franchises don’t get the luxury having. “I think they’re gonna be simultaneously sad and satisfied,” star Jay Baruchel, who voices Hiccup in the films and TV series, told GameSpot.

It’s not just the fans that will have to come to terms with the end of the franchise, though. Baruchel himself is saying goodbye to a character he’s played longer than any other. “It’s hard not to get a bit kind of wistful, a bit melancholy,” he said. “You know, I auditioned for this movie when I was shooting a movie called Tropic Thunder… There’s very few things I’ve done for this long. I’ve been a son for 36 years. Been an actor for 20 some odd [years]. [I’ve] never played a part for as long as I played Hiccup. So it’s gonna be [melancholic] to say goodbye.”

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Still, as producer Brad Lewis explained to GameSpot, it’s best to go out on top. “When you fall in love with characters and you fall in love with a world in a story, obviously, you don’t want that to end,” he said. “At the same time, you also don’t want it to get cheap. You don’t want it to feel artificially extended, and relationships start to meander, right? You want it to have an intense emotional focus. So, for me, the great thing is we’ve been really focused on taking this trilogy and having these characters and these stories really have a conclusion to them.”

Like Baruchel, though, Lewis expects there to be a bit of sadness from the audience, now that it’s coming to a close. “Like all great endings, there’s bittersweet aspects to it,” he teased. “There’s things that you’re happy about, things that you wish emotionally that were really tough to accept. But that’s, you know… if we can do that to an audience, then we’ve really done our job.”

How to Trains Your Dragon: The Hidden World hits theaters on February 22.

Fortnite Challenge Guide: Letter N, O, M, S Locations (Season 7, Week 4)

Fortnite is now in Week 4 of Season 7, which means there’s new challenges to do for those precious Battle Stars. Among the paid Battle Pass-exclusive challenges is a multi-stage one that begins by tasking players with search for the letter ‘O’ west of Pleasant Park. There’s a further three parts to this challenge, with each one requiring players to find a letter. While the game provides the name of the location where these can be found, we’ve got more specific details that’ll help you get to them quicker.

First up is the letter ‘N’, which under a frozen lake. One glance at the map and you’ll know that can be found in the bottom left of the island, but if you aim yourself to land at the grid reference C7 you’ll see there’s a number of black floor panels in the middle. Equip your pickaxe, destroy those, and you’ll fall into the area below where the letter can be found.

Next up is the ‘O’ in Pleasant Park, which is at the grid reference B4. You’ll need to look for the house, head left of the gate, and you’ll find it tucked away in the corner. Simply walk up to it, search it, and it’s on tot he next one.

After that, it’s the letter ‘M’ at Dusty Divot. This one is pretty easy to find as it’s at the very center of the forest at grid reference G6. In the top left of that grid block you’ll find a collection of what looks like metal containers and small white buildings, and there’s a door in. Pop inside and you’ll find the ‘M’ waiting in the corner of the room.

Finally, the letter ‘S’ is at Wailing Woods at grid reference I3. At the very center of the hedge maze is the wooden shack with the “Leave” sign on it. Smash the barrier directly below it and head inside, and you’ll want to find the room in the north with old computers and the colorful lockers next to them. In there is a smaller room where you’ll find the ‘S’ waiting for you. With that done, you’ll have collected all the letters, which spell “NOMS” and you’re done.

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Fortnite Letter N, O, M, S Locations

  • Letter N: North of Polar Peak (C7)
  • Letter O: House at Pleasant Park (B4)
  • Letter M: Center of Dusty Divot (G6)
  • Letter S: Center of Wailing Woods (I3)

The other tricky challenge for Season 7, Week 4 involves taking out enemies at Expedition Outposts. We’ve put together a guide for exactly where you can find these outposts, and the the best way to give yourself the edge for when you get there.

While you’re completing these, it’s also worth taking a look at our 14 Days of Fortnite event guide, which breaks down all the special challenges available until January 2. They’re quite easy to complete and you’ll get yourself some nice cosmetic unlocks for doing them.

Fortnite Challenge Guide: Expedition Outpost Locations (Season 7, Week 4)

We might be in the Christmas break period but that doesn’t mean the Fortnite challenges are on hold. We’re now in Season 7, Week 4, and the latest selection of challenges have gone live for players to grind out and earn Battle Stars. As always, they’re split into the free and paid Battle Pass categories, and in the former there’s one that’ll need you to head to very specific locations on the map, then eliminate enemies there.

Those specific locations are Expedition Outposts, which look like little red bunkers with a globe icon surrounded by arrows on them. They’re usually surrounded by X-4 Stormwing planes, which are visible from quite high up and thus serve as good markers. In total, you’ll need to take out three enemies at Expedition Outposts and, to make things easier, we’ve got a list of all the places you’ll find one.

Of course, getting to the outposts is the easy part; eliminating enemies is where it gets difficult. To give yourself the edge focus on being quick, as these locations often have chests with good drops in them. If you’re lucky enough to get to a chest before others, you may be able to grab a good weapon and take out enemies with less powerful guns at their disposal. Take a look below for the full list of Expedition Outpost locations.

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Expedition Outpost Locations

  • South east of Lazy Links (F3)
  • North east of Pleasant Park (D3)
  • South west of Pleasant Park (C4)
  • West of Dusty Divot (F5)
  • West of Lonely Lodge (I5)
  • West of Paradise Palms
  • South of Shifty Shafts (D8)

With this challenge done and dusted, you can move on to the remaining ones. We’ve got a full list Fortnite Season 7, Week 4 challenges and, as you’ll see, there’s a few you can complete while doing this one. Specifically, the challenge that involves doing damage with a pickaxe. If you’re bold enough, you may be able to get your outpost eliminations using the pickaxe.

Don’t forget to take a shot at the 14 Days of Fortnite event guide challenges too, as they’re quite simple and will unlock some very cool cosmetic rewards. Once you’re done with all those, you may feel like mopping up challenges from previous weeks, and you can use our full Fortnite Season 7 challenge guide for help with that.

Fortnite Week 4 Guide: Search The Letter ‘O’, Eliminate At Expedition Outposts, And More (Season 7)

Get up off that couch and warm up those Fortnite fingers because there’s another batch of weekly challenges for you to complete. We’re now in Season 7, Week 4, and that means there’s new Battle Stars to be earned, and doing so will level up your Battle Pass and get you one step closer to unlocking all those cosmetic rewards.

As always, there’s two categories of challenges. The first is available to everyone, while the second is exclusive to those that have a paid Battle Pass. In the free section players will need to use an X-4 Stormwing plane in five different matches and launch fireworks three times for five Battle Stars apiece. The harder challenge in this group involves eliminating three opponents in Expedition Outposts, which will net you 10 Battle Stars.

For the paid tier, meanwhile, players are tasked with starting off a three-stage challenge by destroying 80 chairs. When you’ve done that, you’ll unlock the second stage, and completing that will reveal the third and final stage in turn. After that, they’ll need to get up-close and personal with enemies to deal 100 points of pickaxe damage for five Battle Stars.

For the remaining stars there’s another multi-stage challenge which begins by searching the letter ‘O’ west of Pleasant Park. That’s the first part of a total of five stages, so there’ll be more to do after that. The final challenge tasks players with taking out three enemies at either Happy Hamlet or Pleasant Park. Take a look below for the full list of challenges.

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Free

  • Use an X-4 Stormwing plane in different matches (5) — 5 Battle Stars
  • Launch fireworks (3) — 5 Battle Star
  • Eliminate opponents at Expedition Outposts (3) — 10 Battle Stars

Battle Pass

  • Stage 1: Destroy chairs (80) — 2 Battle Stars
  • Deal damage with a pickaxe to opponents (100) — 5 Battle Star
  • Eliminate opponents at Happy Hamlet or Pleasant Park (3) — 10 Battle Stars
  • Stage 1: Search the letter ‘O’ west of Pleasant Park (1) — 3 Battle Stars

If you haven’t been keeping an eye on Fortnite, you may have missed the 14 Days of Fortnite event that’s been happening. Every day until January 2, developer Epic Games will be updating the game with one challenge per day which, if completed, will unlock a new customization option. We’ve been updating our 14 Days of Fortnite event guide regularly and, based on what we’ve seen, the challenges are quite simple, so they’re a quick and easy way to score some cosmetics.

If doing these challenges has got put you in the mood to grind out some more, we’ve got a comprehensive Fortnite Season 7 challenge guide that’ll help you with all the trickiest challenges from previous weeks. If you’re planning to unlock everything in the season 7 Battle Pass, you’ll want to get it all done as early as possible, as the last week rush to finish everything can be brutal.

Best Buy’s Deals On PS4, Xbox One, And Nintendo Switch Games

Christmas has come and gone, which means the big shopping frenzy has drawn to an end. Thankfully, you can still get some great deals on video games if you know where to look. This week’s sale at Best Buy finds discounts on a number of big games for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Let’s take a look at what kind of deals area available between now and December 30.

Fans of tiny retro consoles can get a killer deal on the PlayStation Classic this week. This plug-and-play system comes with two controllers and 20 games, and while it normally retails for $100, it’s on sale this week for just $60, bringing it more in line with the pricing of Nintendo’s Classic consoles. In other hardware news, if you buy any new Xbox One S or X, you’ll get a $50 e-gift card for free.

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As for the games, some of the fall’s biggest titles are on sale for steep discounts this week. Fallout 76 is down to $40, as is Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Both of those games are big enough to keep you playing well into 2019. Battlefield V is even cheaper this week at $30, and it’s scheduled to keep getting free updates for months to come.

No matter which console you have, you can save money on exclusives as well. Anyone with a PS4 can pick up Persona 5 for $30, and PSVR owners can grab the delightful platformer Astro Bot Rescue Mission for $20. Xbox One owners can get Forza Horizon 4 for $35 or State of Decay 2 for $20. Switch owners can pick up Fire Emblem Warriors for $45 or Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle for $25. And no matter which system you have, you can get Starlink: Battle for Atlas Starter Pack–which comes with a toy ship, pilot, and weapons–for $35.

You’ll find more of our picks below, or you can view the full list of games on sale at Best Buy this week here.

PS4

Xbox One

Nintendo Switch