Monday 14 September 2015

Selena Gomez Scores First Pop Songs No. 1 With 'Good for You'

selena gomez good for you

Selena Gomez celebrates her first No. 1 on Billboard's Pop Songs airplay chart, as "Good for You" rises 2-1. The sultry single also marks the first No. 1 (and chart entry) on the list for featured rapper A$AP Rocky.
Gomez had previously peaked as high as No. 2 on Pop Songs with "Come & Get It" in 2013. She's notched five top 10s on the mainstream top 40-based, Nielsen Music-measured ranking.

"As an artist, you never know how people will respond to something you've created and that is very personal to you," Gomez said in a statement released by her label, Interscope Records. Referencing her Oct. 9 album Revival, she added, "I cannot thank enough everyone at all the radio stations and my fans for their support and joining me in this next chapter."
"Good" has reached a high of No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, which measures all-genre airplay, sales and streaming. (Check back later today to see where the song ranks on the latest Hot 100.)

Airbus Set to Open Jetliner Production Plant in the U.S.



Airbus Group SE on Monday will inaugurate its first jetliner production facility in the U.S., as the European rival to Boeing Co. seeks greater market share and lower production costs.
Airbus has invested around $600 million to build the facility in Mobile, Ala., which will employ about 1,000 workers. Building jetliners in Boeing’s backyard is Airbus’s highest-profile move yet to bolster its presence in the U.S.
“We wanted to make the U.S. one of our industrial homes,” Allan McArtor, chairman and chief executive of Airbus’s U.S. unit, said in an interview.
Airbus already employs 1,400 workers in the U.S. for activities ranging from building helicopters to providing flight training. The company scaled back ambitious plans to secure Pentagon business after several failures to win high-profile contracts, such as producing aerial refueling planes for the U.S. Air Force.
The company, based in Toulouse, France, initially picked Mobile for the refueling plane program, establishing a relationship that moved to commercial aviation after it lost the military contract to Boeing. Lower labor costs in Alabama and access to a port attracted Airbus to the site, the company said.
The plane maker is betting that, like European auto makers, whose U.S. plants helped spur sales, its jetliner business with U.S. carriers will benefit from a domestic presence. That is key for Airbus, particularly in the narrowbody market, where Mr. McArtor said the U.S. is expected to be the single-largest market over the next 20 years, with combined deliveries of up to 4,800 planes.
Airbus plans to deliver the first of the single-aisle planes to be built in the U.S. to JetBlue Airways Corp. next spring. American Airlines Group Inc. is the biggest operator of Airbus planes in the U.S., and the carrier also has the largest backlog of planes to be delivered.
The company traditionally builds its A320-type planes in Hamburg, Germany, and Toulouse. It opened a site similar to the Mobile final assembly line in Tianjin, China, in 2008. Around 40 expatriates from Europe are in Mobile to help train the local workforce, though that number will be reduced.
The U.S. facility gives Airbus lower-cost production capacity than in its home markets and potential leverage over its European workforce, according to analysts. The move matches one made by Boeing that has added jetliner production outside of its unionized facilities in Washington state at a nonunionized plant in South Carolina.
Mobile’s production output will gradually rise to four narrowbodies. Production could double with only modest investment, Mr. McArtor said.
Airbus currently produces 42 single-aisle planes a month, with plans to boost output to 50 aircraft starting in 2017. The plane maker is considering boosting output to as many as 63 single-aisle planes a month, with a decision expected before the end of the year.
Fabrice BrĂ©gier, who heads Airbus’s plane-making business, has said boosting output is a matter of when, not if. Airbus is assessing whether suppliers can support higher output, with many stretched by also having to satisfy Boeing’s interest in building more planes.
Mr. McArtor said recent global economic turmoil hasn’t shaken Airbus’s confidence that demand for A320-type planes is robust. “Demand for the single-aisle is not vulnerable at all. If anything, it is getting more,” he said.
The company is adjusting some of its production processes to build planes in the U.S. Wings and major parts of the plane that are built in Europe are being shipped to Mobile and then trucked from the port to the factory. Other items, such as engines and interior components that come from U.S. suppliers, will go directly to the Alabama site to cut time and costs.
Airbus will first assemble current model A319, A320 and A321 jets—the backbone of its single-aisle product—in Mobile before transitioning to the updated “neo” versions, for new engine options, which offer lower fuel burn.
Though the Mobile facility currently is intended only to build narrowbody jetliners, Mr. McArtor said there is ample space to accommodate additional commercial jetliner or military work if the need arose.

'Final Fantasy V' for PC to be released Sept. 24 on Steam

 

For the avid role-playing gamers out there, "Final Fantasy" is a gaming franchise that needs no further introduction. It has been a game that many have taken on for decades and now it looks like folks will have the chance to relive those memories once again.
The only difference this time around is that the game will reportedly carry enhanced graphics, although shelling out $15.99 for one could be up for debate.
The game is likely to be similar to the iOS release which puts some concern on how the overall presentation of the game could turn out. Regardless and knowing the abundance of gamers who miss the good old "Final Fantasy" days, expect some folks to try it out to rekindle those good old days with better controls with their personal computer (PC).
The game's PC version will become available starting Sept. 24 and will be distributed by Valve's Steam distribution platform. The availability of "Final Fantasy V" comes no less from Square Enix.
Among the features that "Final Fantasy V" is expected to offer include customization, updated controls, and most likely an optional game boss in Enuo designed by Tetsuya Nomura. An extra dungeon called the Sealed Temple, which was last seen in 2006, will also be included.
The revelation of release for "Final Fantasy V" follows an irregular release of the "Final Fantasy" game franchise. Other planned release for "Final Fantasy" include PC versions for parts III, IV, VII, VIII, XIII, and XIII-2, as well as for "Type-0 HD" and "Lightning Returns." 
For the ones planning to get one, it would be best to take note of the PC requirements before purchasing ahead.
The good news is that most PCs to date should have no problem meeting the requirements. Such include Windows Vista 32-bit, a 2.4 GHz Pentium 4 CPU, 2GB RAM, and DirectX 10.
Check out the game trailer release below:


Watch Mariah Carey play the hero in her new Game of War: Fire Age ad

 mariah carey game of war

I can't speak for my co-workers at The Verge, but I've been waiting with bated breath for Mariah Carey's Game of War: Fire Age ad ever since her relationship with the notorious mobile game was announced in June. TMZ posted a cut of the trailer this morning, and I watched it with fingers over my eyes the way I'd normally watch a scary movie trailer or helmet-to-helmet NFL hit. I'm happy to report that it's a) extremely absurd and b) incredibly wonderful, which is the best possible outcome for the fruit of a marriage between a past-her-prime pop grand dame and a mediocre-but-profitable mobile strategy game.
Of course, Mariah only has about two seconds of screen time in a commercial that's a minute long — but it's an "Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glen Ross"-level cameo. Besieged by waves of enemies streaming in from all directions, two hapless soldiers keep turning to their iPhone for help. (Because how are you going to find the battle without a decent map app?) Their requests fall on deaf ears; the phone can only play the sweeping opening notes of the Elusive Chanteuse' classic ballad "Hero" as their position is further compromised. They're about to be roasted by a swooping dragon when BLAM —
Oh, blessed diva! Oh, imperfect angel! The fire of your mighty crossbow hath purified us! Mariah lowers her winged weapon and turns toward our useless protagonists, resplendent in golden mail. Her voice is like a cool wind on their bloody skin: "Time to be heroes, guys." And then she scampers away with sword held high, a little dash that's definitely real and wasn't rendered using any CGI whatsoever. Our renewed heroes lead a charge of unskilled idiots, one that'll certainly end in death, as Mariah reminds us that we can download and play Game of War for FREE from the App Store now.
To be clear, I think Mariah's video makes for a better ad than the game's ubiquitousobtuse Kate Upton spots. Those commercials seemed mostly focused on getting Upton out of tubs, into revealing dresses, and merely adjacent to combat. Mariah's ad has characters, a story, and jokes, and it frames her as a powerful force rather than a trophy to be saved. They're just frivolous clips selling a sinister free-to-play farce, but it's still a welcome change. I'm not going to download Game of War anytime soon, but I'm happy to watch Mariah wield her crossbow during commercial breaks for months to come.

‘Rugby Challenge 3’ Release Date Happening This Holiday Season? Game’s FanHub Beta Now Available

Rugby Challenge 3 

The "Rugby Challenge 3" release date may be released during holiday season this year.
It was previously reported that the "Rugby Challenge 3" release date will be in the final quarter of 2015. The game, which is being developed by Aussie studio Wicked Witch Software, will be published for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

The "Rugby Challenge 3" release date could happen on holiday season. December would be the ideal time for video games to be released so that fans could buy it with their bonuses or give it to their gamer loved ones.
"Rugby Challenge 3" will feature Rugby powerhouse teams under official license such as the Springboks, Wallabies, All Blacks and England, among others. A new addition to the game is the Be a Pro mode which will allow players to join a club team as a rookie and work on their career for over 13 seasons.
The game will have 11 competitions, which includes Super Rugby, New Zealand's domestic ITM Cup and South Africa's Currie Cup. Rugby Sevens will also be featured.
The upcoming game will also feature a user-generated content tool, named the FanHub. It allows players to create custom players and teams which can be shared online in all supported platforms. The FanHub Beta is now available for free in Steam.
"Create your own super star players, build your own ultimate Rugby team and customize the look of the game with Rugby Challenge 3 - FanHub Beta," the game's description stated.
"Here you can edit your player's appearance, change their attributes to influence their skills and much more."
Players can choose from several team strips such as: Super Rugby, Quad Nations, Euro Nations, Euro Club Championship, ITM Cup, Aviva Premiership Rugby, Bledisloe Cup Series, World Rugby Championship, European Knockout Cup, Pacific Rim Championship, African Nations Cup, South American Shield, Seven-A-Side Championship, International Seven-A-Side Series, Buildcorp National Rugby Championship and the ABSA Currie Cup.


'Robbery' Expansion Pack For 'Battlefield: Hardline' Gets Release Date


EA Games announced that the new “Robbery” downloadable content (DLC) pack for “Battlefield: Hardline” would be getting released on Sept. 16 for “Battlefield” premium members. Those who are not premium users will have to wait sometime after the aforementioned release date, possibly a week after it comes to them.
The expansion DLC is a big one for the game, as it adds a five-on-five mode called “Squad Heist”, along with additional weapons, gadgets, vehicles and even more content. According to GameSpot the “Squad Heist” mode was inspired by the “Squad Rush” mode seen in “Battlefield 4,” so fans of the series cane expect some similarities, with the soldiers getting replaced by cops and robbers.
According to the official “Battlefield” website, the main theme of the DLC pack is robbing people, hence the “Robbery” title. The new maps and modes are designed for the criminal players to make a big plan to get all the goods and for the cops to stop them from executing the plan before it is too late.
“Robbery” is the second expansion DLC pack to hit the game, the first being the “Criminal Activity” expansion. Following the release of “Robbery” two more add-ons will follow: “Getaway,” which is scheduled for a fall 2015 release and “Betrayal,” which will come out sometime in early 2016.
Fans interested in all of the DLC for “Battlefield: Hardline” can purchase them all with a discount by getting the $50 “Hardline” Season Pass. This is not the first game to have a Season Pass and it will not be the last one, so the real question is if hardcore fans want to play more of "Battlefield: Hardline."
Compared to its predecessors, “Battlefield: Hardline” can be considered a bit of a disappointment. The game was met with average and mediocre reviews upon its release, with very little opinions changing since. However, EA Games was very happy with how well the game did in sales, with 80 percent of the sales coming from current-generation buyers.
Those who have not purchased the game yet, but have an interest in cop dramas, can buy “Battlefield: Hardline” in most retail and digital stores. The game is available for PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360 and the Windows PC.

‘Dark Souls 3’ News: Japanese Game Version Gets Release Date for PS4 And Xbox One

Annual Gaming Industry Conference E3 Takes Place In Los Angeles 

On Monday, game developer From Software has announced that "Dark Souls 3" is slated to be launched in Japan on March 24, 2016. The game is expected to be available in both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
This latest development was first spotted on the game's website and has confirmed earlier reports that Bandai Namco and From Software are gearing up for an "early 2016" release date for Japan only, a report from IGN said on Monday.
"On the Dark Souls website, Dark Souls III is listed for release on March 24, 2016 for PS4 and Xbox One, with the PC version 'announced at a later date.' A physical copy of the special edition of the game will cost 7,430 yen, while downloadable versions will set gamers back 6,930 yen," the report said.
"DARK SOULS III is an action role-playing video game designed and developed for the current generation consoles such as PlayStation4 and Xbox One, and it features a number of familiar gameplay concepts from the earlier games in the series. The large-scale game world will feature unique construction of the areas where the players would experience various visual effects such as ashes blown by wind, dynamic lighting and impressive contrast between light and shadow. All features and interactions together make for an ever-more immersive world of Dark Souls," From Software said via its press release posted on the website.
Gematsu reports that the game developers will announce "in the coming days" the game's PC edition's Western release date.The website also reports that "Dark Souls 3" pre-orders for the retail version will commence on Oct. 7 and will come with a specially designed map and the game's official soundtrack in Japan.
It was said that there will be a PlayStation 4 network test to be  conducted on Oct. 16 to 18, between 20:00 and 23:00 Japan Standard Time each day. The game developer has also announced that players can sign up now on the game's website to join the network test, which will be available until Oct. 4 only.

Microsoft Executive Says 'Sea Of Theives' Will Be Rare's Best Game

Sea of Thieves Pirates 

Developer Rare is currently working on “Sea of Thieves” and it will apparently be the studio’s best game, according to Microsoft executive Kudo Tsunodo. Microsoft already billed the game as the most ambitious project that Rare has ever done, so it is quite clear that the company sees value in this pirate-themed online game.
Tsunodo made the highly debatable comment during an interview, which was covered by Games Radar. Apparently, the game’s user-created content will be one of the reasons why “Sea of Thieves” will be a big hit, as players will be able to create their own storylines and memories when exploring the ocean as a pirate. It’s what Rare has always done, and this will apparently be the studio’s magnum opus.
“Sea of Thieves” will also let players explore islands and take on other players in naval battles, among other things, according to GameSpot. Add the possibilities of going on adventures with friends, and it’s easy to see the appeal of this pirate-themed online game.
The game was first revealed during the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) that took place in Los Angeles in June. Not much was revealed about the game, aside from a trailer and the aforementioned comment about how ambitious the title is going to be.
Rare has managed to regain some form of relevance again after having to work on a number of Kinect titles for a few years. Microsoft recently released “Rare Replay” for the Xbox One, which featured bundled 30 classic games from the studio’s library. The 30 games were chosen to celebrate the studio’s 30th anniversary as a very successful video game company and an incredibly influential one as well.
Fans of the studio can probably consider the “Rare’s best game” comment a controversial one, since the studio was responsible for a number of successful titles on the Super Nintendo and the Nintendo 64. Games like “Banjo Kazooie,” “Conker’s Bad Fur Day,” “GoldenEye 007” and the “Donky Kong Country” trilogy are considered some of the best games of all time, so it looks like “Sea of Thieves” has a lot to live up to.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven PS4 vs. PS3 comparison trailer

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven 

Bandai Namco has released a new trailer for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven comparing the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game.
The PlayStation 4 version of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven runs at a resolution of 1080p, while the PlayStation 3 version runs at 720p.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven is due out for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 in Japan on December 17. First-print copies will include a download code for a playable Jotaro Kujo from Part IV: Diamond is Unbreakable.
Find the game’s full list of confirmed characters here.
Watch the comparison trailer below.


DOOM Multiplayer Trailer Highlights Its Best Features

Bethesda and id Software have been slowly releasing snippets from a stage discussion the team had during E3 2015 for Doom, revealing new bits of gameplay and some of the game's features in the process. The newest video briefly covers some of the multiplayer mode's best features.

The video was recently posted up over on the Bethesda Softworks YouTube channel where the two minute video quickly runs through the modes and features of Doom's multiplayer. 

So some of the features they talk about in the video includes the ability to get power-ups like in the original Doom, only this time they've added new power-ups like the ability to turn into a demon to do quad damage on opponents. I wonder if other power-ups like invisibility, super-speed and extra health and armor will also be present?

They talk a little bit about the game's modes as well, including the Clan Arena mode, the Domination mode and Freeze Tag. Unfortunately they don't actually go in depth about any of these modes but we do find out that they're more of a throwback to id Software's days when they dominated the competitive multiplayer scene with Quake.

Beyond that the only thing we know for sure is that Doom's multiplayer will share the same functionality as Doom's single-player, which should be a comforting thought to a lot of hardcore fans who may have been worried that the game may completely alter from one mode to the next. As id Software's team made clear on the stage, the game's multiplayer will be very, very fast.

Of course, the video wouldn't be complete without some sort of fallout in the comment section. Ironically enough the fallout was over Fallout 4.

The Fallout 4 comments never cease to amaze me. There is literally an entire section of the comments just dedicated to arguing about people arguing about Fallout 4 on a Doom video. Nevertheless, in between the arguments there are actually some good discussions in the YouTube comment thread (I know, a true rarity) about what makes an arena shooter good, why they haven't returned in proper form and how id Software could change things around with Doom.

The discussion actually brought out a really good point about how some people prefer scavenging for guns in first-person shooter games; others mentioned that they hate scavenging for weapons and prefer earning them through class-based progression systems; a select few preferred Killing Floor's treatment where you just pay for what you want between each round. I think the diversity of first-person shooters can only help the genre grow since it has become horribly stagnated now that Call of Duty is the champ and it doesn't look like Activision has any plans on changing up the formula enough or introduce a new IP to cannibalize their annual golden cow.

It's interesting that when people weren't arguing over Fallout 4 on a Doom video, they were mostly concerned about how Doom's multiplayer could change the landscape since it was the one first-person shooter that made LAN play popular back in the 1990s. I guess we'll find out if id Software can rekindle the multiplayer magic when the game launches in 2016 for PC, PS4 and the Xbox One. 

‘Hardcore’ Trailer: Sharlto Copley Stars in the Insane First-Person Action Movie

Hardcore trailer 

The Toronto International Film Festival is in full swing, and with it comes teases of some of the movies playing at the Canadian film showcase. Today we have a NSFW glimpse of a sci-fi action movie called Hardcore, which was shot entirely from a first-person perspective, not unlike a live-action video game.
Executive produced by Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted) and written/directed by Russian filmmaker Ilya Naishuller, the first Hardcore trailer has arrived before the film’s premiere, and this looks like an absolutely insane movie, complete with telekinesis, naked girls, tons of gunfire, explosions and a lot of crazy fun.
Here’s the trailer for Hardcore from Biting Elbows:

We’ve highlighted Hardcore before, and even saw a bit of footage from the first-person POV movie last fall. Ilya Naishuller’s work may be familiar to you if you saw the two viral shorts Insane Office Escape and the sequel Insane Office Escape 2, both shot from a first-person perspective, too.
In this trailer, we get a nice set-up of the story, and it really does feel like you’re playing a video game. Specifically, I was reminded of Portal in the opening sequence, but then it just turns into a sort of first-person Grand Theft Auto experience.
Sharlto Copley (District 9) seems to be playing multiple characters, but what’s interesting is that unlike a movie such as Cloverfield, the main character is in a way made to be the viewer. In the synopsis, the main character is billed as “you,” putting you right in the action (though the character’s name is Henry, as said in the trailer). But other actors include Danila Kozlovsky and Haley Bennett as your dead wife, who is suddenly alive in front of your eyes and has just brought you back to life. Yeah, this sounds pretty crazy.
Hardcore is playing at TIFF this weekend, but there’s no word on when we might see the film hit theaters in the United States, so you’ll just have to wait patiently until we get any release information. If you want to know more about the movie, here’s the official synopsis:
You remember nothing. Mainly because you’ve just been brought back from the dead by your wife (Haley Bennett). She tells you that your name is Henry and congratulations, you’re now a cyborg. 5 minutes later, your wife has been kidnapped and you should probably go get her back. Who’s got her? His name’s Akan (Danila Kozlovsky), he’s just a psychotic megalomaniac with telekinetic powers, and a never-ending army of mercenaries. You’re also in an unfamiliar city of Moscow, Russia and everyone wants you dead. Everyone, except for a mysterious British fellow called Jimmy (Sharlto Copley). He might be on your side. Good luck Henry. You’re very much likely to need it…


‘StarCraft 2: Legacy Of The Void’ Release Date Revealed, Watch The Cinematic Trailer Here

StarCraft 2 Legacy of the Void 

“StarCraft 2: Legacy of the Void” finally has a release date, with developer and publisher Blizzard Entertainment announcing Sunday that the game will be available on Nov. 10. The cinematic trailer was also shown for the first time, streamed on video game streaming website Twitch.


“Legacy of the Void” was announced during BlizzCon last year and is the final game in the “StarCraft 2” trilogy, focusing on the Protoss race. During its 2015 second quarter earnings report Blizzard Entertainment hinted that the game would be released this year.
The game is currently available for pre-order through the Battle.net store and comes in a standard edition for $39.99 and a digital deluxe edition for $59.99, which includes bonus in-game items as well as items for Blizzard Entertainment’s other titles like “World of Warcraft” and “Heroes of the Storm.”
The cinematic trailer, in true Blizzard fashion, was full of excitement. It showed the Protoss race fighting to take back their home planet and two Protoss merging together to form Archon. Watch the cinematic trailer below.
“StarCraft 2: Legacy of the Void” should be playable on the floor during BlizzCon, which will be held on November 6-7 in California.