AFL-CIO Calls on Game Developers to Unionize

The AFL-CIO, the United States’ largest federation of labor unions at 12.5 million members, has put out a call to game developers to unionize.

The letter, which was written by AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer Liz Shuler on Kotaku, is “the group’s first major public statement about organizing game developers.”

She begins by bringing up the fact that “growing by double digits, U.S. video game sales reached $43 billion in 2018, about 3.6 times greater than the film industry’s record-breaking box office.”

These sales numbers, she adds, are “built by legions of tireless game developers,” who have “built new worlds, designed new challenges and ushered in a new era of entertainment.”

Continue reading…

The Origin of Every Character in Jump Force

There are a ton of characters in Jump Force – 40 playable to be exact, – hailing from 16 different anime and manga series. I did the math, that means in order to be fully caught up enough to know all about all these characters and the anime they’re from, you’d need to have watched 3,781 episodes of anime (please don’t check the math).

Fortunately, you don’t have to do that. Here are the origins of all 40 anime/manga characters from Jump Force.

One Piece

Monkey D. Luffy

luffy-1550102584224

Continue reading…

Witcher Tabletop RPG Getting Free “Easy Mode”

R. Talsorian Games has announced that for Free RPG Day – an annual event in June where the tabletop roleplaying community aimed at introducing players to new games – they will be giving away a streamlined version of The Witcher: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game.

Called “Easy Mode,” the free version of the game consists of a 24-page booklet containing a condensed version of the Interlock rule system, pre-generated characters and a ready-to-run adventure path for whomever in your group opts to GM. We had an excellent time playing the full version of the game with its creator, Cody Pondsmith, and highly recommend you check out this free trial if you’re interested in getting into tabletop RPGs.

Continue reading…

5 Ways Black Panther’s Success Could Inspire Video Games

Nearly a year after its release, the cultural impact of Black Panther continues to be undeniable. Between unprecedented box office triumph, overwhelming critical love, award nominations and wins, the Grammy Award nominated soundtrack curated by Kendrick Lamar, and every mention of “Wakanda Forever,” director Ryan Coogler created more than just a highlight within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Black Panther has single-handedly pushed blerd (black nerds) lifestyle into mainstream pop culture. There’s even an annual three-day Wakandacon event in Chicago dedicated to this new phenomenon. With all the historic bullet points Black Panther checked off, it still comes at a time where video games are regularly outpacing box office sales. Red Dead Redemption 2 marked the biggest opening weekend sales in entertainment history at $700 million, for example. Now that gaming continues to be the dominant art medium in America, can the industry replicate the same societal effect?

Continue reading…

Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III to Conclude Trilogy

The 80th anniversary of Batman and the 35th anniversary of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be celebrated this May with a six-issue conclusion to the crossover trilogy that has brought together these iconic characters.

Announced by DC, IDW and Nickelodeon, Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III will begin on May 1, 2019, and will see Batman and the TMNT fighting together against Krang once he “has gotten his hands on the most dangerous technologies in the DC Universe – and no universe is safe from his wrath!”

The first two volumes saw our heroes face off against the Foot Clan in Gotham and then against Bane in New York.

Continue reading…

Aspiring Engineer, Designer, or Product Manager? Check out our 2019 Internships!

TL;DR: https://www.ign.com/code-foo/2019

Hello internet! We are excited to announce that IGN’s 2019 paid internship programs are now accepting applications! For the past eight years, IGN has run a paid internship called Code Foo for aspiring web developers. This year we’re changing things up a bit. In addition to Engineering, we will also be offering paid internship programs for Product Management and Design! Each program will run in tandem for eight weeks. We’re looking for impassioned coders, designers, and product managers to learn and work alongside us on projects that are seen by millions of people.

Continue reading…

Ranking the Movie Batmans

With Ben Affleck confirming that he has hung up his cape and cowl and won’t be playing Batman again, the time has come to once again light up the Bat-Signal, call all the Dark Knights to action, and figure out who the best movie Batman truly is.

Whether they appeared only once as the Caped Crusader or starred in a full-fledged trilogy, these stars all hold the honor of donning the cape and cowl of Gotham’s one true protector. Whether it was an animated release, a colorful tongue-in-cheek romp, or a grounded and gritty take on the vengeful vigilante, the following actors breathed life, for better or worse, into Bruce Wayne and his cranky costumed alter ego. (And a note: We’re not including the Batmen from the old movie serials here because movie serials aren’t really movies.)

Continue reading…

Smash Bros. Tournament Bans Ice Climbers’ ‘Wobbling’ Technique

Get On My Level, a Canadian fighting game championship, is banning Ice Climbers’ infamous “Wobbling” technique in this year’s tournament.

Announced by GOML, the decision came following player feedback, and fans on Twitter and Reddit are largely pleased by the news – though some fans are less than thrilled by the news. This rule applies only to Smash Bros. Melee matches, as Wobbling is impossible in all other versions of Smash. The tournament, which takes place in Toronto, Ontario from May 17-19, 2019, will also feature Tekken, Dragon Ball FighterZ and Street Fighter V.

Continue reading…

Apex Legends Caustic Guide: How To Gas Your Enemies Into Oblivion

Apex Legends is similar to other battle royale games, but it where it differs is its emphasis on teamwork. The game has eight different character to choose from, each with their own unique abilities. Deciding which character to play as and knowing how their abilities can best contribute to your team’s survival is essential.

For a character like Caustic, defensive tactics is the name of the game. His deadly gas traps can easily overwhelm and hinder mobility of enemy squads, offering your fellow teammates fertile opportunity for an easy ambush. At a glance, Caustic’s abilities often seem more contextual than universally functional, but with a little practice, you can use that to your advantage.

Keep reading for all the information you need on Caustic’s abilities, including his strengths and weaknesses, as well as tips on how to use him effectively and help your team to victory. We’ve also got plenty more guides, including things that Apex Legends doesn’t tell you, a list of myths we’ve tested about how the game works, and a full rundown of the game’s best guns. You might also want to check out our Apex Legends review.

General Overview

As stated above, Caustic’s strategies are a bit contextual. His Gas Traps are lethal, but it takes a firm understanding of their capabilities to use them effectively. And with such a large map where numerous battle scenarios are possible, finding the right time to leverage Caustic’s strengths proves more difficult than you’d expect. That said, getting a feel for that takes time, so remain patient and don’t hesitate to adjust his abilities to the needs of your team.

In battle, Caustic is best in close quarters situations. His gas abilities let you control a fight by blanketing areas to force enemies out of or away from them, and can give your team a serious advantage as your opponents are damaged, slowed, and blinded. He’s also good for countering tracker or scout characters such as Bloodhound or Wraith–gas traps placed carefully can slow people following you, block pathways, and force players to move through pathways that help your teammates.

No Caption Provided

Use Caustic to try to control the battlefield and give your team strategic advantages, and sew chaos among enemy teams whenever possible by gassing them out. Just be aware that your gas can negatively affect your teammates. It won’t kill them, but it can blind and slow them.

Abilities

Tactical: Nox Gas Trap

Caustic can drop Nox Gas Trap canisters that release deadly gas when shot or triggered by enemies. Gas effectively blinds enemies, while damaging them over time, making it great for close-range encounters.

Passive: Nox Vision

Nox Vision allows you to see enemies through Gas. It’s pretty convenient, as enemies afflicted by your toxic gas are highlighted in green for both you and your squadmates.

Ultimate: Nox Gas Grenade

Caustic’s Ultimate Ability Nox Gas Grenade blankets a large area in Nox Gas. This ability can be used defensively or offensively, putting enemy squads into a state of panic in confined space or sending them running in the other direction.

Tips To Play

While you’re likely to be inclined to surprise enemies with Caustic’s traps, it’s a great idea to set some down as you’re fighting to tip the balance in your favor. It’s also possible to block doors and hallways with your traps, which can physically impede people from getting past them. You can throw up to six Nox Gas Traps at a time. You have three on cooldown, but once that ends, you can drop three more, or drop one as you get them back off a cooldown. Another great way to use the Nox Gas Traps is laying them down behind your team as you move up. This will alert you if anyone’s triggered them or are trying to sneak up on you. In addition, you can drop traps near downed enemies in hopes of luring their teammates near them. Any traps you don’t use, you can also pick back up, so keep that in mind.

No Caption Provided

The enemy outlining provided by Caustic’s Nox Vision is a nice perk that should encourage you to use your traps more liberally. The gas won’t hurt your teammates but be aware that their visibility in gas is still similar to smoke grenades, so try not to go overboard–lest you want to frustrate your squad.

Caustic’s Nox Gas Grenades are useful in leading enemies into an ambush. It’s also particularly useful in pushing enemies away, so you can give your squad time to revive downed teammates. You can even throw them in the opposite scenario, preventing enemy squads from bringing back their friends.

Another handy strategy is comboing Caustic’s gas trap and gas grenade in a confined space. If you’re able to block an enemy into a room with a trap, throw a grenade inside. Assuming they aren’t smart enough to grenade the door, this deadly combination should make for a guaranteed kill.

All this talk about deadly gas is great, but don’t think the enemy is completely powerless. Beware of incoming Grenades or Arc Stars while your gas is active on the field.