Atari, the video game brand currently amid a comeback, has announced its latest venture: hotels. The video game company announced that it will begin development on a line of Atari-themed hotels, with the first one to start construction later this year.
Atari announced that it is partnering with the strategy agency GSD Group and Phoenix, Arizona-based real estate developer True North Studio to begin development on a hotel themed after the video game brand.
The plan is to combine a hotel with video game experiences. Atari is promising a “unique lodging experience combining the iconic brand with a one-of-a-kind video game-themed destination.”
Plans include “the latest VR and AR” games as well as “state-of-the-art venues and studios to accommodate esports events,” at select venues. The first hotel location will be in Phoenix, Arizona while additional hotels are being planned in Las Vegas, Denver, Chicago, Austin, Seattle, San Francisco, and San Jose.
Since 2017, Atari has been pursuing an aggressive branding operation. The company announced a new console called the Atari VCS which is not a retro console, but a new hardware system that the company says can play games in 4K resolution, HDR, and 60 fps. It has been described as a “less ambitious Steam Machine.”
Another product Atari released is the Speaker Hat, a baseball cap with built-in Bluetooth speakers. This hat was released as part of its lifestyle line. So it seems that next to a new console and speaker hat, a hotel is the next logical step for the company.
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Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. He owns an Atari Speaker Hat and you can reach him on Twitter.
The CinemaScore is one of the major factors studios use to determine how well a movie will perform at the box office. Unlike Rotten Tomatoes, which calculates ratings based on the official reviews of critics, CinemaScore ratings are determined by polling ordinary moviegoers. The ratings can fall anywhere from A+ to F, and it’s pretty rare for a movie to be so universally disliked that it earns the dreaded “F” rating.
Unfortunately, that rare phenomenon has already happened twice in 2020. Two new horror movies – The Grudge and The Turning – have both earned F scores from unhappy audiences. But they’re not alone. Several big-name directors like Stephen Soderbergh and Darren Aronofsky have seen their worked slammed with an “F” CinemaScore. From Solaris to mother! to Wolf Creek, here are some other films that placed at the very bottom of CinemaScore’s rankings (whether they deserved it or not).
We can’t say we’re surprised The Grudge and The Turning have joined the handful of horror movies to earn an F score. In IGN’s review of The Grudge, we said this spinoff is “a trudge through muck, meandering plot, half-baked performances, and tired tropes that should’ve been retired by the end of the 2000s.” Meanwhile, in our review of The Turning, we said the movie “damns itself with good ideas turned bad and a flat-out ugly execution.”
In psychological terms, it’s the most selfish part of you, the part that cares only for your own comfort and survival. The reptilian brain-stem. The flavor-blasted crunchwrap supreme of human consciousness. Excess, hunger…the need to rip and tear. Those primal instincts we so often try to subsume.
No wonder, then, that id Software is the team responsible for one of the most brutal, nightmarish testaments to bloody vengeance ever programmed. Here’s 9 fun facts about the DOOM franchise plus one infernal lie. See if you can exorcise the demon of falsehood before the end of the article…or GO TO HELL.
A BLAZE IN THE NORTHERN SKY
Hey, you know Doomguy, the guy from DOOM? You know, Doom Marine, the DOOM Slayer.
This dude.
A being of many names — all similar — the Doomguy lacked an official designation until the release of the first DOOM novel, Knee-Deep in the Dead, in 1995, which revealed his much-feared monicker to be Flynn “Fly” Taggart.
Although since then, a much more interesting canon has also been built between various id games, including Commander Keen, the Wolfenstein Nazi-verse, and the relatively obscure DOOM and Wolfenstein RPG mobile games. Various easter eggs across the games strongly imply that B.J. Blazkowicz of Wolfenstein fame once severed the arm and leg of a demon, who returned (all patched up) in the DOOM storyline as Cyberdemon, after promising B.J. to torment all of his descendents as payback. Those descendents included Billy Blaze, Commander Keen himself, who apparently took a stage name when he donned the football helmet, because his real name is Billy Blazkowicz II.
MASTER OF PUPPETS
DOOM didn’t just popularize and codify the FPS genre, it was a flashpoint game tied into the effort to censor violence in gaming at the time, which ultimately resulted in the founding of the ESRB and content ratings on games. Worried about their ability to distribute the game should the censors come after them, the id team actually released the first chapter of DOOM as shareware, with the other two parts available for purchase. id also offered brick-and-mortar stores free copies of the game in exchange for nothing more than shelf space. At the time, both were incredibly bold marketing ploys, and they paid off handsomely.
MACHINE HEAD
How handsomely? In the wake of DOOM’s release many companies, including id Software, had to introduce new policies prohibiting spending your whole workday tearing demon ass when you’re supposed to be writing TPS reports. At one point, DOOM was even installed on more PCs than Windows 95, the just-released operating system that basically every PC owner owned as a matter of course. The game was so popular that despite swirling controversy, Bill Gates reportedly considered buying id and even shot a video with himself as the Doom Marine to try and capitalize on DOOM’s runaway success.
Bill Gates in: DOOM
HALLOWED BE THY NAME
Where’d they get the name DOOM, anyway? Probably the Necronomicon, right? Like carved into the back? Or maybe one of the devs had a nightmare and woke up with blood shooting out of their eyes and the blood pooled all on its own on the floor and spelled out DOOM? Nope. Although the source is almost as frightening: Tom Cruise’s mouth. John Carmack, Id’s co-founder, has said the title came from the 1986 Martin Scorsese movie The Color of Money, in one scene of which Cruise refers to his custom pool cue as “DOOM.” Said Carmack, “that was how I viewed us springing the game on the industry.” You know, with the severity of Tom Cruise and Paul Newman playing billiards. VICIOUS.
IMAGES AND WORDS
In the same interview, Carmack described some of the influences that helped bring DOOM into an unready world. Some make sense, like the general ass-kicking vibe and obsession with chainsaws and shotguns stemming from the team’s love of Evil Dead II, or the sci-fi, meddling-with-alien-technology storyline being inspired by the Alien franchise. In fact, in its early planning stages, DOOM was being designed as an Aliens game, an effort that ultimately never saw the light of day. And it should be noted, much as Aliens found its patron saint of creepy concept art and character design in H.R. Giger, the art team behind 2016’s DOOM have cited noted Polish artist and creepmaster Zdzislaw Beksinski as an inspiration, especially for the sickly, stifling color palettes on display in Hell itself.
Untitled, Zdzisław Beksiński (1984)
Other influences are less obvious: the entire concept for Hell-portals flooding our dimension with demon-spawn actually sprang from the end of a Dungeons & Dragons campaign…which also explains why the Cacodemon looks like a Beholder!
A LEAN NIGHT
Did you know the sound effect of an Imp dying in the old DOOM games is just the pitched-down sound of a camel grunting because it’s horny? Specifically one available for decades in a sound effects library shared by a number of studios, which is how it came to be that the exact same sound file you’ve heard play a million times as you shot a million Imps in their stupid faces is also in David Lean’s timeless masterpiece Lawrence of Arabia. It’s like the Wilhelm Scream of how camels are sometimes horny.
OVERKILL
DOOM made a number of startling graphics advancements by developing much of the game using 3-D clay models and photography, which is impressive, because all I’ve ever made using clay models and photography are crappy, phoned-in Mother’s Day presents. One notable example is how much better the guns looked in DOOM compared to Wolfenstein 3-D, id’s previous game. In reality, most of the guns in DOOM were based on photos of toy guns purchased at the local Toys “R” Us.
Aside from leading the charge on fronts gamers now take for granted, like map-building and bloodsplosions, DOOM was also one of the very first games to offer a robust 3-D environment in which to connect with your friends’ machines and see who’s best at killing. Which was what we used to have to call that activity, until John Romero, Id co-founder, coined the word “Deathmatch” to describe DOOM’s multiplayer capabilities.
Or maybe he didn’t. There’s still some disagreement on the subject, but most gaming historians nowadays credit Romero as the source of the enduring term, although Romero himself has often noted that it was the efforts of the vibrant DOOM player and modder community that really pushed the game to evolve.
VULGAR DISPLAY OF POWER
The original DOOM was even used by the United States Marine Corp as a training tool, before being later replaced by the more proprietary government-developed game America’s Army. But in the mid- to late-90’s, there were indeed rooms full of Marines playing a modded version of DOOM to prepare them for the real-life horrors of war. According to Sgt. Dan Snyder, an officer involved in early efforts to gamify Marine Corp training, “It’s about repetitive decision making. We’re trying to get these things ingrained by doing them over and over, with variations.”
So the goal wasn’t necessarily to create an ultra-realistic simulator to prep soldiers for missions, but rather to desensitize them to the sheer act of making a split-second decision to inflict violence or death. Okay!
THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST
The id team have always been into fan-service and, as such, most DOOM stuff is stacked to the flaming rafters with easter eggs. Just a few true examples: Doom’s dedicated Network Port is Number 666, a sprite of John Romero’s severed head on a pole can be found hidden behind DOOM II’s final boss the Icon of Sin, who can also be spotted in 2016’s DOOM hanging out in the Necropolis.
Here’s lookin’ at you, cryptid.
Speaking of the new DOOMs, 2016’s also included a package of Dopefish Noodles, a Vault Tec sign, the Soul Cube from DOOM 3, a dead Skyrim guard with an arrow in his knee, and a Xenomorph skull. So they’re easter eggs, but, like, easter eggs filled with blood and black stuff and heavy metal music plays when you open them.
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So which of the facts was whack? Which truth lacks proof? Which assertion deserved nothing but desertion?
If you guessed it was just the very last bit of the last section, you improbably win! There is in fact no xenomorph skull in 2016’s DOOM, although all the other easter eggs I shouted out in that segment were real.
What’s that? That’s not how YOU play 9 facts and a lie? When you play at home, the lie has to be fully a lie? Splitting the segments into partial lies is a bullshit way to trick you and make you lose the game? Oh my…sounds like I didn’t play fair. I wonder what force could have compelled me to fill this video with 99% true interesting facts about DOOM when you, the audience, were promised at least 10% lies. Could it be….SATAN?!
Probably.
Hey, let’s talk about DOOM in the comments and how excited we are for Eternal and not at all the minutiae of how your particular family plays this party game, huh? And for all your gaming trivia, history, and rigged-guessing-game needs, stay tuned to IGN.
Metro Exodus developers have announced that the Sam’s Story expansion will release on February 11, 2020, for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, and Stadia.
After discovering Moscow wasn’t the only city left standing after the war, Sam has dreams of finding his family alive. The new Metro Exodus expansion will continue Sam’s journey as he attempts to find his way back to the United States.
Sam must journey through the, “remains of Vladivostok’s tsunami ravaged harbors, ruined industrial buildings, and crumbling residential districts” and will be required to use, “every tactic he has learned so far to survive.”
The Metro Exodus Sam’s Story will be free to those who own the Expansion Pass, which costs $25 and gives players access to The Two Colonel expansion as well. Additionally, Sam’s Story will be the final Metro Exodus expansion.
For those who just want to purchase the Sam’s Story expansion, it is available for $8.
The iPad: it’s a convenient, powerful device that can replace a laptop or desktop computer for many people. In my opinion, even at its list price it’s one of the best deals in all of technology. Right now on Amazon, you can save a bunch of money on the latest models, including all-time low prices on Wi-Fi + Cellular iPads. The rest match the Black Friday sale prices. Let’s dig in and take a look at the deals on these terrific Apple tablets.
If you don’t need the cellular connection to do your work (and play), you can save up to $99 on the Wi-Fi model. The silver version of the 32GB one is on sale for $79 off. If you prefer gold or space gray, you can still save $50. But if you ask me, if you’re going to put a case on it anyway, you might as well save a few extra bucks and get it in silver.
This is the lowest price we’ve ever seen for the Wi-Fi + cellular version of the newest iPad. Some of the colors are backordered, but if you order now you’ll lock in this all-time low price and it’ll ship when it’s back in stock in a week or two.
All of these iPads are the latest model, released just a few months ago. They run on the powerful A10 Fusion chip and sport a blisteringly gorgeous (and larger than previous generations) 10.2-inch Retina display. They have a Touch ID fingerprint sensor to help you say goodbye to entering passwords, an 8MP back camera, 1.2MP front camera, and stereo speakers. They also support Apple’s Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil (see below).
The Apple Pencil is a surprisingly high-tech device that lets you do things like draw pictures and take hand-written notes on your iPad. The Smart Keyboard is a gorgeous piece of tech that doubles as an iPad cover and comes in handy for anyone who plans to type a lot on their device.
All models of AirPods (Apple’s wireless earbuds) are also on sale for their lowest-ever price right now. After a simple setup process, they’ll quickly pair with your iPad and iPhone, and switch between the devices automatically.
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Chris Reed is IGN’s shopping and commerce editor. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.
Pokemon Go‘s January Community Day may have only recently ended, but Niantic is already getting prepared for next month’s event. February’s Community Day is set for February 22, and this time, the developer is giving players a chance to determine what the featured Pokemon will be.
In an effort to make Community Days even more community-driven, Niantic is allowing players to vote on next month’s featured Pokemon. There are four candidates, each of which will be able to learn a different event move if they are selected as the Community Day Pokemon. You can see the candidates and their prospective Community Day moves below:
Featured Pokemon
Community Day Move
Vulpix / Alolan Vulpix
Weather Ball
Machop
Payback
Rhyhorn
Rock Wrecker
Dratini
Superpower
Voting will be held on February 1, from 12 AM to 11:59 PM local time. Rather than simply casting your ballot online, however, you’ll be voting by completing special Field Research tasks that will be distributed at PokeStops throughout the voting period. There are four different tasks–each in favor of one of the aforementioned candidates–and the winner will be determined by the global number of tasks completed.
After the voting period ends, Niantic will announce the winning Pokemon on Monday, February 3, and the Community Day will follow on Saturday, February 22. Like January’s event, it will take place at different times depending on which hemisphere you live in. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Community Day will run from 11 AM to 2 PM local time; in the Southern Hemisphere, it will run from 3 PM to 6 PM local time.
In addition to increased Pokemon spawns, February’s Community Day will offer another bonus: triple the usual amount of Stardust for each Pokemon you catch. You can read more details on the event and the voting process on the official Pokemon Go website.
In the meantime, Pokemon Go’s annual Lunar New Year event is underway. Until February 3, certain red-colored Pokemon will appear more often in the wild, and you’ll be able to complete rat-themed Limited Research tasks on February 2. The Legendary Pokemon Heatran is also still available until February 4, and there are a few live events lined up for Pokemon Go (as well as Niantic’s other mobile games) this year. You can catch up on more news below.
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DICE has begun teasing its next big Battlefield 5 update, titled Into the Jungle. The full reveal for Chapter 6 will be coming tomorrow, January 28, with an overview trailer. No release details have been announced.
The teaser from Twitter shows a lush jungle scene–presumably in-engine–with “Chapter 6: Into the Jungle” watermarked. It provides a link to a YouTube video that will go live on January 28 at 9 AM ET / 6 AM PT. That video currently displays a thumbnail of a woman with camo face paint. DICE promises the trailer will feature “gameplay and a full feature breakdown.”
This will be the first big update of the new year, following the release of the Year 2 Edition that compiled much of the first year content. That version included 17 primary weapons, four vehicles, two Epic soldier outfits, 10 weapon skins, and four vehicle skins. It released alongside the latest DLC, the Pacific Theater update. DICE also added the fan-favorite Wake Island map in December.
“Conquest and the map roster don’t mesh well together, however, Grand Operations–and the other modes within it–steal the show and foster some of the greatest moments the franchise has offered,” Michael Higham wrote in GameSpot’s Battlefield 5 review. “You might be surprised by the impact of the slight changes made for this entry, especially when you’re deep into pushing or defending objectives in Frontlines alongside teammates fulfilling their roles. That’s when Battlefield V is at its best.”
Officially revealed more than three years ago, The Last of Us Part II will finally arrive on PS4 May 29. If you’ve been anxiously awaiting the sequel to the PS3 classic, you may want to check out The Art of The Last of Us Part II, an art book created by Dark Horse Books and developer Naughty Dog filled with imagery from the game and developer commentary. Super fans will want to take a peek at the Deluxe Edition, which just went up for pre-order at Amazon.
The Art of The Last of Us Part II Deluxe Edition comes with a slipcase and lithograph
The Art of The Last of Us Part II Deluxe Edition | $90
The Art of The Last of Us Part II Deluxe Edition includes an alternate cover and a slipcase featuring Ellie playing the guitar. It also comes with the gorgeous lithograph shown above. It’s certainly a pricey book at $90, especially when you consider that the standard edition is available for $36. We also don’t know much about the contents between the covers just yet or whether it will be lengthier than the 200-page standard edition.
Both editions of the official art book release June 16. Amazon’s pre-order price guarantee ensures that you will get the book for the lowest price that’s offered between now and release day. Art books often receive discounts prior to release, so we’ll update this article if the Deluxe Edition goes on sale.
Metro Exodus is getting a second expansion, and it’s coming sooner than you might think. Developer 4A Games announced that the new DLC, Sam’s Story, will come to PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Stadia on February 11.
According to the official site, Sam’s Story is a sandbox-survival expansion, following Sam as he journeys from Vladivostok to his home in the United States. Sam hopes to find his family, and that hope was rekindled when the Spartans discovered that Moscow wasn’t the only city left alive. But the trip will be treacherous–hence the survival aspect. A teaser shows a gun that has fallen into the water with the ominous tagline, “The Journey Ends.”
This is the second in the two-part expansion pass, the first of which was The Two Colonels expansion released last summer. Both stories feature completely new characters. The expansion pass costs $25.
“At first glance, Metro Exodus gives you that wide-open, free, and dangerous world unbound by tunnels, though the scope of its tale focuses on what drives you personally and the lengths you’re willing to go to protect what matters most,” Michael Higham wrote in GameSpot’s Metro Exodus review. “The open sandboxes may not be strongest addition, but the game still embraces the sense of vulnerability and post-apocalyptic terror alongside impactful weapons used in refined combat and stealth scenarios. You may miss the mystery and intrigue of the previous games, but Exodus puts together a charismatic crew of friends and family that you’ll want to follow to the ends of the earth.”
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