Rovio Announces Angry Birds Spinoff Bad Piggies

Rovio has announced Bad Piggies, an Angry Birds spinoff that lets you play as the pigs. Launching on September 27th, Bad Piggies will not involve the franchise’s trademark slingshot but will instead utilize “all new, never-before-seen gameplay.”

“There’s a lot of empathy towards the lovable enemies from the Angry Birds games, and we’ve been constantly asked: what about the pigs’ side of the story?” said Rovio CEO Mikael Hed. “Bad Piggies gives you the chance to play as the second-most-loved characters in the Angry Birds universe, and explore this rich world through their green eyes.”

Bad Piggies will launch for iOS, Android and Mac, with PC and Windows Phone versions to follow.

“We’ve had a lot of fun creating a totally new and unique gameplay experience,” added Rovio Games executive vice president Petri Jarvilehto. “There’s so much more to these pigs than what is seen in the Angry Birds games, and Bad Piggies is the first glimpse into what’s going on in the imaginative and ingenious minds of the pigs.”

No Bad Piggies gameplay has been shown off yet, but you can keep an eye on the game’s official site for updates as they’re announced.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following him on Twitter or IGN.

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Madden NFL 13 Sells 900,000 in 24 Hours

EA has announced that more than 900,000 copies of Madden NFL 13 were sold during the game’s first 24 hours on sale. According to EA, the figure marks the franchise’s best launch during this console generation, a rise of 7% on HD platforms compared to last year.

The franchise also saw its highest ever first day online usage, with peak simultaneous users up 28% over Madden NFL 12’s first day. “Madden NFL 13 is the most innovative entry the franchise has ever seen and we’re thrilled that fans have embraced it with such a huge first day,” said EA Sports executive vice president Andrew Wilson.

EA also noted that Madden has received 665,464 social interactions on Facebook and Twitter since launch and “has been mentioned on average every six seconds on Twitter.” It’s also seen good reviews, with EA mentioning nine scores of 90 or above, accounting for “the biggest single-year jump in critical acclaim for an EA Sports game in four years.”

Madden NFL 13 launched on August 28th. In addition to its new Infinity physics engine, this year's installment also adds new Connected Careers and Kinect voice controls. For a full rundown, check out our Madden NFL 13 review.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following him on Twitter or IGN.

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Uncharted Movie Loses Another Director, Gains New Writers

The writers of the National Treasure franchise have boarded Sony's Uncharted movie as Limitless director Neil Burger exits the long-gestating game-to-film adaptation. Burger had succeeded Oscar nominee David O. Russell, whose story plans rankled fans as did his choice of Mark Wahlberg to play hero Nathan Drake.

Variety reports Marianne and Cormac Wibberley will rewrite Uncharted: Drake's Fortune for Atlas Entertainment and Arad Prods. (the former's Charles Roven produced the Nolan Batman films, while the latter is run by Spider-Man producer Avi Arad). "Project will wait to tap a new helmer until the Wibberleys complete their script," according to the trade.

In addition to scripting the National Treasure movies, the Wibberleys also scripted Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle and created the TV series Common Law.

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Dragon Age 3 details allegedly leaked in fan survey

An online survey leaked on the Bioware Social forums today purportedly contains details on the next installment in the Dragon Age franchise.

The survey reportedly sheds details on the game's plot, offering a synopsis that reads: "A portal between the worlds unleashes hords of demons in the land, civil wars rip apart nations and the corruption is limitless. Someone is behind the shadows, drawing the threads which destroy the world. Time has come for the Inquisition."

"Take the Inquisitor's cloak and lead the only force able of bringing light into the darkness. Choose the direct method and gather your armies, send spies into the shadows or engage in a political war, make friends and use your connections indirectly: it is up to you how you lead the inquisition. But you'll have to take lead of it from the beginning. Make your player a rogue, warrior or mage and set up your crew from up to ten (!) complex companions to lead them against those who attack you by systematically spying on, revealing and destroying them."

The purported survey also asked people about potential upcoming titles for the game, offering them the choice of the following: Dragon Age 3: The Breach, Dragon Age 3: Exarch, Dragon Age 3: Inquisition, Dragon Age 3: Inquisitor, and Dragon Age 3: Apocrypha.

They were also gauged on their interest in several different costume styles which can be viewed in a Neogaf thread here. Some of the details are backed up by what Bioware hinted at PAX East this year. However, again this is all just a rumor, and we do not know if any of this information is factual. It's definitely fun to think about though. 

Source : gamesradar[dot]com

Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers Blu-ray Review

On the heels of the success of Halloween 4, which had successfully revitalized the dormant franchise, Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers hit theaters just one year later. Unfortunately though, it was a huge step down in quality, delivering a very subpar and frustrating installment of the series.

Where Halloween 4 had managed to get the elements right for a crowd-pleasing entry in the series that didn't insult the audience, Revenge was not nearly as satisfying. First off was the decision to essentially undo the wonderful twist ending to the fourth film: while these events are not ignored, they are quickly made to be far less severe than they appeared and their ramifications are ultimately not dealt with. It was a real copout and letdown for audiences who were very excited to see where the series was going to go, after 4 seemed to strongly hint that some big changes were in store.

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers Blu-ray Review

Once again, Michael is pursuing his young niece, Jamie (Danielle Harris) and Harris is easily the best thing about Halloween 5. In an unnecessary move, Jamie has been rendered mute as the film begins, but Harris again brings a lot of gravity and seriousness to her role as this very traumatized little girl, who once again finds Uncle Michael trying to kill her on a night most kids have a ton of fun on. Also back again is Dr. Loomis (the late Donald Pleasance), here perhaps at his most manic and unhinged; in a few scenes, Jamie seems in danger from Loomis too, who seems like he's finally really lost it a bit, having pursued Michael all these years.

On the other hand, the film is a total mess when it comes to introducing new characters. Tina (Wendy Kaplan) takes up a ton of screen time - a flighty friend of Jamie's family who finds herself in the midst of Michael's new killing spree. The character is meant to be a funky, offbeat girl who dances to the beat of her own drum, in her own, lovable way. However, she comes off as insufferably annoying, with her little noises and forced quirks. And then there are the "comic relief" cops, who seem to have been transplanted in from Police Academy, and come complete with nauseating sound effects and wacky music.

Where Halloween 4 (mostly) had characters behave more appropriately and proactively, Halloween 5 is firmly entrenched in the cliché horror movie realm where the characters do everything movies like this are mocked for, continually putting themselves in needless danger. Meanwhile, a well-liked returning character is dispatched early on here, and not only does it feel like a questionable decision, but then it's not used in any interesting way, nor even mentioned or discovered by anyone else for the next hour of the film.

Then there's the incredibly random and out of nowhere inclusion of the Man in Black, a mysterious stranger who watches from afar throughout the film, clearly having a connection to Michael that raises many questions the film gives no answers to. Halloween 5 features a huge cliffhanger, which while nowhere near as powerful as Halloween 4's conclusion, definitely left the fans anxiously awaiting what would happen next. Sadly the answers Halloween 6 delivered six year later were some of the worst, most laughable decisions possible. Of course, you don't want to hold another film against it, but Halloween 5 is a poor film by itself.

There are a couple of nicely done sequences, most notably a rather scary and claustrophobic scene in which Jamie is trapped inside a laundry chute, with Michael doing everything he can to pull or stab her out of it. But more often, the film just doesn't hit the mark and coming off of Halloween 4, it's easy to note how little the film works by comparison.

Halloween 5, for all its faults, was always a rather well-shot and often “pretty” example of a slasher movie, and the new, first-ever Blu-ray release of The Revenge of Michael Myers definitely delivers a strong transfer. Even better looking than the already-impressive 2006 DVD, Halloween 5’s transfer is very clean and clear and the best this movie has ever been, visually. The audio isn’t as impressive, but is serviceable.

The one brand new extra feature is a new commentary track from Don Shanks, who played Michael Myers in the film, and Justin Beahm (editor-in-chief of halloweenmovies.com and author of the upcoming Halloween: The Complete Authorized History). Beahm’s presence helps the commentary immensely, as he asks Shanks a lot of questions about his time on the set, although there are moments where the actor’s memory and/or area of expertise can’t fully answer a question. Still, it’s an informative commentary. [Note: The packaging incorrectly says the new commentary is with Dominique Othenin-Girard and Beahm.]

Ported over from the 2006 DVD is an earlier commentary from Danielle Harris, Jeffrey Landman (he played Jamie’s young friend, Billy) and director Dominique Othenin-Girard. As weak as a film as Halloween 5 is, this is a great commentary track, with Landman providing plenty of great stories (this guy has an impressive memory) and Harris and Othenin-Girard engaging in a friendly but in-depth conversation, as she asks him some rather pointed questions about some of his decisions on the film that it’s clear she wasn’t quite thrilled with.

Also ported over from the 2006 DVD is a rather random assortment of behind-the-scenes footage, though the “Inside Halloween 5” featurette from both the 2001 and 2006 DVDs is not on this release. However, the two commentaries provided are more than sufficient when it comes to discussing the making of this film from several key players.

Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers will be released on Blu-ray on Tuesday, August 21st.

Eric Goldman is Executive Editor of IGN TV. You can follow him on Twitter and IGN.

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Resident Evil's Weirdest Enemies

Through the years, the Resident Evil franchise has offered its fair share of epic, zombie-fueled adventures. From the exceptional first entries that focused on survival horror to the more action-oriented modern releases like Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5 - the franchise stands as a shining example of how to do zombie-gore right.

The funny thing is, the more memorable Resident Evil enemies usually aren't traditional zombies. In fact, some of them are downright weird. Elephants, giant snakes, plants, dudes in armor - when you really think about it, some of the creatures we've taken down in the name of survival have been pretty damn freaky.

In honor of the forthcoming release of Resident Evil 6, we've compiled the absolute weirdest enemies the RE franchise has to offer. These are in no particular order - although I think we can all agree the zombie elephant would have been number one. Take a look, then let us know your own favorites in the comments afterward.

On to the weirdness!

Neptune

As if Great White sharks weren't frightening enough, the bastards at Umbrella had to go and make B.O.W.s out of them. Bop it on the nose! I hear they hate that...

Hunter

Good ole hunters - giant, reptilian B.O.W.s with giant claws and mean tempers. He looks like he's yelling, "WHY ARE MY HANDS SO BIG!?"

Eliminator

ZOMBIE MONKEY! How can you not like that? Still - it's freaking weird.

Plague Crawler

Ew. Freaking... EW! Giant bugs are not only nasty, and unsanitary, they're also just not normal. Bugs should stay bug-sized.

Stalker

You only thought Aslan was on your side.

Web Spinner

This one's kind of just a spider. But it's HUGE! That's weird.

G

Not surprisingly, G is a product of the G-Virus. It's born from a human host - which is not only strange, but also endlessly unsettling. Also, if you looked at that and didn't think "zombie E.T." - shame on you.

Duvalia

This dude makes those Plagas that burst from your neck seem downright friendly. Disgusting.

Titan

It's a zombie elephant. What more do you need to know?

Alligator

A zombie alligator is different from a regular alligator because... it... well... it's bigger. That's about it.

Queen Leech

A former pet of Dr. Marcus, the Queen Leech is a product of Progenitor virus experimentation. That's what you get for keeping a leech as a pet. Freak. It also looks strangely like Bongo Bongo from The Legends of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Except without the bongo...

Ivy

A lot of the other enemies on this list are funny, but still frightening. This one is a plant with legs - which is just dumb.

Cephalo

It's like some sick game of jack-in-the-box, but where Jack is a disgusting Plaga that pops out of a zombie's severed neck rather than a box. Thanks for stomping all over our innocence, RE. At least he's wearing sandals, though. You can't be afraid of a man in sandals.

William Birkin

Man, and you thought your family was messed up. Worst. Father. EVER.

Armadura

A suit of armor infected by a Plaga. WTF?! So many questions... so few answers.

Big Man Majini

This one is basically just a big dude. The fact that he doesn't look at all like a zombie is the weird part. Um, ya. Moving on.

Licker

Its body is rotting, but its brain is perfectly intact? Its tongue is longer than its neck? This classic villain makes no sense. Watch out though! It'll lick you to death! Nooooo!

Giant Moth

Look at his mouth - this guy was clearly infected by the Zoidberg virus. Seriously though, what were they hoping to accomplish with this one? When is Umbrella going to learn that no one benefits from giant, infected bugs?

Bitores Mendez

That... has got to hurt.

Ghiozzo

That ginormous fish-monster could never fit in that tiny pool. Weird!

Lurker

Okay, this guy is just awesome. Expect to trip the **** out if you lick this frog's back. And maybe die. And maybe turn into a zombie. Proceed with caution.

Ndesu

He was actually only unshaven before the mutation happened and now look - a full beard! Also, he wears a dead dude for a belt buckle.

Executioner

At what point did he decide it was a good idea to stick nails in his head and torso? Dumbass.

Cerberus

The RE developers sure do love their zombie dogs. He looks more like a "Spot" to me though. I mean, come on. Silly RE developers. Cerberous has three heads.

Yawn

The most badass of badass snakes, Yawn is an awesome - though admittedly weird - B.O.W. that likes to hang around creepy mansions. That expression though - not frightening. He's either yawning, as his name implies, or the happiest puppy ever. I wish I felt half that good right now.

Were those weird enough for you? Did we miss any? Sound off in the comments below, and be sure to let us know your picks for the weirdest Resident Evil enemies.

Audrey Drake is an Associate Editor at IGN and a proud member of the IGN Nintendo team. She is also a lifelong gamer, a frequent banisher of evil and a wielder of various legendary blades. You can follow her wild adventures on her IGN blog and Twitter. Game on!

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Hybrid Review

The doom and gloom of brutal sci-fi warfare may be a far cry from the bubbly color and cutesy sheen of developer 5th Cell’s most famous franchise, Scribblenauts, yet the studio’s creative touch doesn't shine as brightly in its new divergent online-only multiplayer shooter -- at least not on the surface. Hybrid masks its highly innovative third-person combat with generic factions, standard weapons, and a presentation that's been cribbed many times before. But underneath all of that lies some of the craziest, most unique multiplayer mayhem I've hopped into in a long time.

Hybrid's three-on-three matches have teams of alien and human combatants gunning the hell out of one another across a medley of stark futuristic battlefields. While many of the weapons, play modes, and settings feel all too familiar, the bizarre way battles play out makes for a completely fresh, thrilling experience. Instead of running around freely on foot, everyone is stuck fighting from behind cover for most of the game. The only way to move around the map is to zip between fortified positions by picking another patch of nearby cover and making a wild, jetpack-aided beeline to safety. It's way cooler than it sounds. A lot can happen in the time it takes to rocket between locations, and the unpredictable ting of danger that comes with each commitment you make adds to the excitement.

Once you hit the air, you automatically fly to your selected destination, freeing up your focus to spray bullets at foes in any direction as you move. There's some built-in maneuverability to let you dodge and boost as you go, and selecting a different cover spot within view lets you change course on the fly. You can also tap a button to make a split-second retreat if things get too gnarly up ahead, which happens often. You could get blasted out of the sky in mid-flight or wind up landing face-to-face with a foe waiting for you on the opposite side of the barrier you just flew to. Firefights flow at a crazy pace, forcing you to keep a close eye on enemy positions and pull off turn-on-a-dime moves to stay alive.

Midair jetpack-fueled duels add chaos to Hybrid's cover-based shooting.

Successful kill streaks up the ante by letting you summon multiple tiers of AI-controlled robot drones to aid in battle, ranging from massive well-armed bots that pack a mean punch to heat-seeking ninja droids that emit a horrifying screech as they zoom in to insta-kill a single foe. In addition, unlockable special abilities and perks make leveling up feel satisfying and add nice depth to combat, since they expand your death-dealing repertoire with fun extras like teleportation, a self-destruct sequence, drone hacking grenades, increased firepower. You can only equip one cool-down ability and one persistent perk at a time, but there's a staggering amount of room for strategic variety.

Brisk one-off matches offer intense bursts of trigger-happy bliss on their own, but the fact they also play into a larger persistent global meta-game is what makes blasting from one battle to the next so addicting. Since you're recruited for one of the two warring factions from the get-go, every round you fight in a given territory earns points for your side and helps level-up your base in that region. Capturing territories takes a lot of joint effort but rewards your faction precious dark matter orbs that push you closer to winning the war. The meta-game is well underway, though there's plenty of contested territory left to capture before the season wraps up with a winner and everything is reset.

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