Game and content creators working in the PS4-exclusive Dreams may have just been doing it for fun, but Sony knows their work could be much more than that. It has launched a beta evaluation program that will let creators use their Dreams work for business purposes, including for-profit music videos and concept art.
The beta evaluation is available to those who participated in the Dreams early access period and are over 18. If your account is in good standing, you have the skills needed to complete the full project, and it’s a viable project, you will potentially receive permission for business use.
Sony and Media Molecule are evaluating applications on a per-project basis, and they ask that creators include the game’s “Made in Dreams” logo in the credits among several other conditions.
In a community news update, Media Molecule also specified that creators own the IP rights to any creations they make in Dreams already. Right now, anyone is free to use their creations for personal use, such as on a piece of artwork or clothing. Being able to use the creations in for-profit ventures could potentially change how creators design content.
Dreams allows nearly anyone to become a game designer through its in-game creation tools, and you can make content using a standard DualShock 4 controller. In fact, the pre-made campaign in the game was made using the same tools available to players. Everything from a full-fledged role-playing game to a platformer or first-person shooter is possible in Dreams.
In GameSpot’s Dreams review, Richard Wakeling called it “a refined constructor for building a variety of games, and a community-centric showcase where others can play them.”
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In the big-ticket world of pop-culture memorabilia, there are rare items and then there are the unearthed treasures that make collectors gasp. One such piece is about to hit the auction block: the original artwork to the very first appearance of Flash Gordon from the 1930s.
One of the most significant pieces of original art from the Golden Age of comic strips to surface in the modern era, the 87-year-old art will be auctioned on March 31 by Profiles in History. The pencil and ink artwork from creator Alex Raymond was published on January 7, 1934, the day the strip debuted. It features the first appearance of Flash and his love interest Dale Arden, and the beginning of their space-faring adventures. Pre-auction estimates suggest it could sell for more than $500,000.
“It may be the most important piece of Golden Age comic art to exist,” notes Brian Chanes, the Head of Consignments and Auctions for Profiles in History. “It’s the first appearance. You can’t overstate its importance.”
The first appearance of Flash Gordon and his love interest Dale Arden, first published on January 7, 1934. (Credit: Profiles in History)
Original art from this time frame is impossibly rare. This was back when the art from comic strips and comic books was considered production afterthoughts; most pages would be destroyed or tossed in the trash. The fact that the original art for the debut of an iconic character has survived only adds to the piece’s uniqueness.
For comparison’s sake, the oldest surviving cover art from the granddaddy of comic book heroes — Superman — is thought to be the cover to Action Comics #15. There is one page of art from Marvel Comics #1 known to have survived. For art collectors, the discovery of the very first Flash Gordon art is the comics equivalent to digging up the Ark of the Covenant. It’s that big a deal.
It is also “fresh to market,” which is how collectors refer to pieces that have been buried in private collections and never surfaced publicly. It belonged to a collector who wasn’t active in the art collecting community. His wife reached out to the auction house and mentioned she had some Flash Gordon artwork. “She sent over some images and my jaw just hit the floor,” says Chanes.
The King Features Syndicate strip, dated 1933, helps to confirm the piece’s authenticity. (Credit: Profiles in History)
Certain telltale details confirmed the art’s authenticity. For one thing, the oversized illustration board the art is drawn on is period-accurate, from the 1930s. “Also, at the end of the last panel you see the [strip] King Features Syndicate, dated 1933, because that’s when it was drawn, not published,” notes Chanes. “There are color pencil markings. And the toning of the art board matched the age.”
Note the color pencil markings, which also help to confirm the art’s authenticity. (Credit: Profiles in History)
The same collector also had the original art to the very first Jungle Jim strip which ran as a “topper” to the Flash Gordon adventure. A topper was the name given to a smaller comic strip that ran above a higher profile Sunday strip.
Flash Gordon the character has fallen off the mainstream radar in recent years, aside from a short-lived TV revival on the SYFY network and Dynamite Comics’ ongoing comics series. But his impact on pop culture is immeasurable. Raymond’s creation influenced everyone from Superman to George Lucas, who at one point wanted to use his American Graffiti-acquired filmmaking muscle to adapt the 1940s Flash Gordon movie serials. When that stalled, he moved on to create a certain franchise named Star Wars. Even the costume for DC Comics’ Hawkman was reportedly inspired by the design of the Hawkmen characters from the Flash Gordon strip.
The original art to the very first Jungle Jim strip which ran as a “topper” to the Flash Gordon adventure. (Credit: Profiles in History)
You would be excused if, when reading this, you are inspired to quote Indiana Jones and proclaim, “It belongs in a museum!”
Wouldn’t it be nice if The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art won the auction for this? It would be rather poetic for the Flash Gordon artwork to end up in a museum started by the guy whose own legendary sci-fi franchise owes so much to the space-faring hero.
Even for the auction house that once sold the carpet bag from Mary Poppins and last year auctioned Bernie Wrightson’s legendary Frankenstein illustration for $1.2M, the discovery of Flash Gordon’s debut artwork was a big deal. “The only other time I’ve been as excited was when the captain’s chair from the original Star Trek series turned up,” says Chanes. “But this one takes the cake.”
For more information on the Flash Gordon strip and other auctions, head over to Profiles in History.
It’s Friday the 13th! That means the end of the work week falls on the 13th day of the month. Apparently, it’s also a spooky day filled with superstition. Don’t walk under an open ladder, or you’ll be cursed or something. You know who loves this day? Jason Voorhees, the undead maniac who hacks up campers with his machete. For nearly four decades, he’s been murdering dozens upon dozens of people in the films series.
The Friday the 13th series is one of the most popular and successful horror franchises of all time, mainly because of its terrifying, unstoppable star: the machete-wielding Jason. Who doesn’t love Jason? From his hockey mask to his machete to his strange ability to catch up to someone no matter how fast they’re running, he’s one of the most iconic monsters from the slasher genre.
He’s racked up quite a kill total over the years, and while we tend to rank movies by box office totals or overall quality, we couldn’t think of a better way to rate this series than by the number of kills Voorhees accumulated over the years. Obviously, if you’re a fan of the series, then you know Jason wasn’t the main killer in a couple of the movies in the franchise. Don’t worry, we’re also aware of that as well.
So going through the world of Jason Voorhees and all his horrific murders, here’s every Jason movie, ranked by his body count.
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12. Friday the 13th (1980)
Coming in at last place is the original Friday the 13th, as Jason Voorhees wasn’t the killer. His mother Pamela was. This movie came along early in the slasher movie genre, just a couple years after Halloween.
Total Jason Voorhees kills: 0
Note: Pamela Voorhees killed nine people in case you were curious.
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11. Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)
Conceptually, A New Beginning isn’t a terrible idea, as the movie follows Tommy Jarvis–who killed Jason Voorhees years prior. Tommy now lives in a halfway house for mentally ill teenagers. However, Jason has returned and is on a killing spree. Here’s the crazy twist: it’s not Jason committing the murders. It’s a paramedic named Roy doing all the killing, and there are some really bizarre kills here, like eyes being gouged out by garden shears.
Total Jason Voorhees kills: 0
Note: Roy killed 17 people.
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10. Friday the 13th: Part 2 (1981)
The 1981 sequel introduces Jason Voorhees for the first time; however, he has yet to get his signature hockey mask. He instead wears a burlap sack over his head. At this point in the series, there aren’t any over-the-top kills, as the craziest one is someone being strangled with barbed wire.
Total Jason Voorhees kills: 9
Note: The count is possibly 10 because it’s up for debate that Paul was killed off-screen, but there’s no way for sure knowing who killed him.
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9. Friday the 13th Part III (1982)
Of course, Friday the 13th Part III was in 3D, which was all the rage during the ’80s. This movie marks the first time Jason crushed someone’s head, as well as the first time he wears his signature hockey mask.
Total Jason Voorhees kills: 12
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8. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
While the fourth movie is titled The Final Chapter, in no way is it actually the “final chapter” in the series. This Friday the 13th installment features Jason killing someone with a garden claw.
Total Jason Voorhees kills: 13
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7. Friday the 13th (2009)
The 2009 Friday the 13th reboot packed the first three original films into one, non-stop movie. Jason gets a headshot with a bow and arrow in this one.
Total Jason Voorhees kills: 13
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6. Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)
Jason has been at the bottom of Camp Crystal laying dormant. In The New Blood, a telekinetic teenager releases him and must find a way to stop him. The most ridiculous kill of the film comes from Jason driving a party horn through a young woman’s eye. This is also the movie that features Jason swinging a sleeping bag–with someone inside–against a tree. It’s easily the most memorable kill in the franchise.
Total Jason Voorhees kills: 15
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5. Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)
In Jason Takes Manhattan, Voorhees gets on a boat headed to Manhattan with a group of graduating high school students and takes them all out, one by one. Sadly, unlike the title states, he spends very little of the movie actually in New York City. The kills in this movie get more inventive and one of the most ridiculous comes when Jason literally punches someone so hard that their head flies off their body.
Total Jason Voorhees kills: 15*
Notes: Count could be as many as 18. There are a couple accidents here as well as a guy who Jason throws into a mirror at a diner, but there’s no confirmed kill there. In addition, there is no way of knowing how many people were killed when the S.S. Lazarus sank.
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4. Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI (1986)
Jason comes back to life in the sixth film. Tommy Jarvis, from A New Beginning, tries to dispose of Jason’s body but accidentally brings him back to life. While the movie features a lot of machete-hacking mayhem, the best kill comes from an officer getting a metal dart thrown into his skull.
Total Jason Voorhees kills: 18
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3. Jason X (2001)
Everything about Jason X is ridiculous. In the 25th century, Jason wakes up on a spaceship and insanity ensues. There are a lot of silly kills in this movie, including a woman’s head getting frozen in liquid nitrogen, then smashed on a countertop.
Total Jason Voorhees kills: 21*
Note: There’s no way of knowing how many people died when the Solaris space station exploded.
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2. Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
Freddy vs. Jason pits the two most iconic supernatural killers in horror history–sorry Michael Myers–and they fight to the “death.” There aren’t a lot of inventive kills in this movie; “however, while wielding a flaming machete, Jason does take out a whole bunch of party-goers at a rave, which is quite enjoyable to watch, unless you’re into that whole rave scene.
Total Jason Voorhees kills: 22*
Note: Hard to pinpoint how many people Jason killed during the cornfield rave scene.
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1. Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)
Jason Goes to Hell not only has a ridiculous plot, but it has the most Jason Voorhees kills in the franchise. The supernatural monster is killed by an FBI special ops team, and his spirit–stay with me–starts possessing people, which ends up with the possessed killing everyone around them. It may not be the body of Voorhees, but his spirit is technically doing the killing. The most ridiculous kill comes when a woman is drowned in a deep fryer.
Total Jason Voorhees kills: 25
Note: 10 of the deaths–including a group of civilians that are killed–happen off-screen.
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Total kills
Since Jason’s first murder in Friday the 13th: Part II–in 1981–he’s killed 163 people, and even more if you count the people aboard the space station blowing up in Jason X or those who died when the ship sank in Jason Takes Manhattan. Once again, the kills in the first film and A New Beginning don’t count because it wasn’t Jason doing the killing. So while 163 is our total from this list, a few of the murders are up for debate.
Total Jason Voorhees kills: 163
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Disclosure: ViacomCBS is GameSpot’s parent company
Astronomers have found 139 new “minor planets” in the far reaches of our solar system just beyond Neptune’s orbit, which could potentially boost scientists’ continued searches for the putative Planet Nine.
A new study published in The Astrophysical Journal revealed how data from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) helped researchers to detect a new cluster of Trans-Neptune objects, from which 139 out of 316 minor planets had not been documented before.
The DES operation, spanning across six years, mapped the southern skies to observe galaxy clusters and supernovae in an effort to understand astrological patterns, particularly in relation to dark energy, which is thought to be behind the accelerated period of expansion in our universe.
However, the journal entry explains the study provided more information than anticipated, as data from the first four years of the DES project helped to uncover hundreds of small objects – ranging in distance from 30 astronomical units, close to Neptune’s orbit, and 90 astronomical units (AU) away from the sun.
According to Space.com, scientists hope to adapt this new methodology to aid in their mission to find the theoretical Planet Nine and other undiscovered planets.
“There are lots of ideas about giant planets that used to be in the solar system and aren’t there anymore, or planets that are far away and massive but too faint for us to have noticed yet,” said physicist and astronomer Gary Bernstein from the University of Pennsylvania.
“Making the catalog is the fun discovery part,” Bernstein added. “Then, when you create this resource, you can compare what you did find to what somebody’s theory said you should find.”
This new study puts astronomers on an exciting path towards discovering even more about the galaxy far, far away.
As we know, the Star Wars fictional universe has been steadily evolving for years. From the battle-strewn wastes of Jakku to the lush beaches of Scarif, the recent sequel trilogy and franchise spin-offs have introduced many new planets to the Star Wars solar system.
Earlier this week, Microsoft kicked off its new set of weekly Xbox One deals, offering discounts on a bunch of great games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Hitman 2, and Borderlands 3 Deluxe Edition. While you still have time to grab those deals, a new sale, dubbed the Triple Threat Sale, has popped up on the Xbox Store. For the next six days you can save on the Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry franchises as well as games falling under the Tom Clancy umbrella.
The Division 2’s Warlords of New York expansion released earlier this month, and right now you can grab the Warlords of New York Edition–which includes the base game and the $30 expansion–for $40.19 (was $60). The Ultimate Edition, which also includes the Year 1 Pass, all DLC released to date, and an Ultimate Pack filled with weapons and armor to use in-game, is down to $60 (was $80).
If you’ve missed out on some Assassin’s Creed games, now’s your chance to stock up for less. The most recent entries in the franchise, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Assassin’s Creed Origins, are on sale for $15 each (were $60). Odyssey’s Season Pass, which includes two well-regarded expansions and Assassin’s Creed III Remastered, is 50% off at $20. Alternatively, you can grab Odyssey’s Gold Edition for $25 (was $100) and get the base game and season pass as a bundle. The Assassin’s Creed Triple Pack–containing Black Flag, Unity, and Syndicate–is $29.69 (was $90). Going even further back, The Ezio Collection–Assassin’s Creed 2, Brotherhood, Revelations–is just $12 (was $40).
Square Enix has revealed the three dynamic Final Fantasy 7 Remake themes coming to PS4s soon.
We’ve known about the dynamic themes for some time now but before Friday, March 13, we didn’t know what the themes looked like beyond just a screenshot. The official Final Fantasy 7 Remake Twitter tweeted out previews of each of the three themes revealing the art associated with each and the music as well.
The first theme will be available April 10th for anyone that downloads the free Final Fantasy 7 Remake demo before May 11. It features our main cast looking out at the horizon just as the sun goes down. You can check it out below.
Today we’re giving you a closer look at three dynamic #PS4#FinalFantasy VII Remake themes!
These aren’t the only themes available, and we’ll be posting more over the coming weeks.
— FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE (@finalfantasyvii) March 13, 2020
The second theme shared on Twitter was a dynamic Midgar theme coming to all PS+ users “soon.” It features an expansive wide shot of Midgar and a cool shot of Cloud. The game’s main battle theme plays too.
The third Final Fantasy 7 Remake dynamic PS4 theme prominently features Sephiroth and is a theme available only to those who preorder the game through Amazon in the U.S. or various retailers throughout Europe. You can check out both below.
We’ve shown off two dynamic #PS4 themes today and here’s a third. This Sephiroth theme is available as a pre-order bonus with https://t.co/ThA10iWA8z in the US, and at various retailers throughout Europe.
— FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE (@finalfantasyvii) March 13, 2020
The third theme’s tweet says, “Stay tuned for a closer look at some other #FF7R themes in the future,” so it would seem we could be seeing even more Final Fantasy 7 Remake dynamic PS4 themes soon.
In the meantime, if you haven’t played the Final Fantasy 7 Remake demo, you should at least download it to get the free theme coming April 10. Check out our walkthrough of the demo’s Midgar Mako Reactor section to ensure you find every secret within. We’ve also got a guide showing you how to get the demo’s secret ending.
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Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.
Brace yourselves: IGN’s Doom Eternal review, which is currently being composed by our own Ryan McCaffrey, will land on this very website on Tuesday, March 17 at 7am Pacific time, when the embargle lifts. Well, specifically, it’ll be our review of the single-player campaign only, because the new 2v1 Battlemode multiplayer won’t be switched on until launch on March 20. So our multiplayer-specific review and our final, overall score will follow a couple of days after that, as an ASAP kind of thing.
We know: the anticipation is killing us, too. In the meantime, you should absolutely check out our vast library of Doom Eternal gameplay video and previews. Will it make the urge to play it immediately easier to bear? Well… no. Probably worse, actually. But it’s a good kind of hurt, you know? And if there’s anything you want to know about Doom Eternal, leave your questions below – Ryan won’t be able to say a peep until Tuesday but after that, it’s all fair game (except spoilers).
The Nintendo Switch was the best-selling hardware platform and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare was the best-selling game of February 2020, according to NPD.
Revealed by NPD’s VG industry analyst Mat Piscatella, February 2020’s spending on video game hardware, software, accessories, and game cards totaled $755 million USD, which is a 29% decline from 2019.
Year-to-date 2020 spending for the same parameters totaled $1.4 billion USD, which is a 28% decline from 2019.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare topped the list of best-selling games, followed by NBA 2K20 and Grand Theft Auto V.
While Modern Warfare took the number one spot from Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot from January 2020, the latest DBZ game is still the best-selling game of 2020 YTD. However, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is the best selling game over a 12-month period ending with February 2020.
Tom Clancy’s Division 2, which recently received the Warlords of New York expansion and went on sale for as low as $2.99 USD, returned to the best-selling chart in February 2020.
There were also no newly released titles in February 2020 that broke the top 20 best-selling games list. The Yakuza Remastered Collection was the highest ranking new release at #33.
The NPD Group has revealed the best-selling games of February 2020, which comprises physical games and a limited amount of digital data. In addition to recent heavy-hitters like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, Grand Theft Auto 5 continues to chart more than six years after its initial launch.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare was followed by NBA 2K20 and Grand Theft Auto 5 in February, with Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot and The Division 2 rounding out the top five. Ring Fit Adventure was also in the top 10, which could come in handy for those looking to stay away from a public gym during the coronavirus outbreak.
Interestingly, there was not a single February 2020 game included on the top 20 list. It was a relatively slow month that saw the launch of a few games like Dreams and Darksiders Genesis, but they launched later in the month.
Overall software sales were down 36 percent compared to this time last year, with much of the decline attributed to the slow release period. As we move further into March and April and more highly-anticipated games release, that should begin improving.
Nintendo Switch was the best-selling system in February 2020 and is currently the best-selling gaming console for the year. Despite this, hardware spending was down 34 percent, with players’ eyes likely on the upcoming PS5 and Xbox Series X instead of the older systems.
Just like in January, the Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 remained the best-selling gaming accessory, but accessory purchases were down 14 percent compared to last year.
Total spending for February 2020 totaled $755, down 29 percent from last year. You can see the full top 20 best-selling games for the month below.
Best-Selling February 2020 Games (US)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
NBA 2K20
Grand Theft Auto 5
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
Mario Kart 8*
Ring Fit Adventure
Madden NFL 20
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Minecraft#
Luigi’s Mansion 3*
Red Dead Redemption 2
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
Pokemon Sword*
Just Dance 2020
FIFA 20
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
Need for Speed: Heat
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
* Digital Sales not included
# Minecraft digital sales on Xbox and PlayStation included
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