Obsidian's Countdown Continues With New Details

Update: The teaser site for Obsidian's new RPG project we told you about yesterday has been updated, revealing more details about the mysterious "Project X".

The most important change to take note of is the fact that the number four has now become a three, revealing it to be a countdown rather than an indication of what the title may be. This means we should get more answers when the number reaches zero, which will happen on Friday.

New text has also appeared though, which reads, "The book unread is unwritten. The reason we don't explain it is the reason we use it. Its power is in its mystery. That is the Leaden Key, in part, in whole. Is it clear?"

"Digging for truth buries the seeker."

Though that's the only text visible on the page, a quick look its source code reveals a bit more: "Two centuries ago, your divine champion told the people of Dyrwood to grovel at his feet. If you've come on pilgrimage to the blasted crater that was our reply, Godhammer Citadel is *that* way."

So, does this give us any crucial hints about what the game is? The fact the number has changed makes Dungeon Siege 4 a less likely candidate than it was yesterday, but it's still possible. While Obsidian has spent a fair amount of time in the past working on other company's IPs, there's nothing to suggest this couldn't be a brand new endeavour of its own.

We'll find out more over the coming days.

Original Story: A teaser for what appears to be a countdown to the reveal of a brand new game has appeared on popular RPG developer Obsidian's website.

The landing page currently features the number four enveloped by an Ouroboros, an ancient symbol depicting a snake or a dragon eating its own tail. The text below reads: "What do the words mean? Nothing. The Dirge of Eír Glanfath is sound without form, a lone voice crying out in mourning because it must."

Clicking on the image takes you to forum landing page for Project X Speculation & Discussion where Obsidian fans have begun to speculate on what the words mean.

Described as a forum for "Obsidian's next RPG endeavor" it teases said game is so secret "not even its project codename is yet being revealed."

Stick around for updates and speculation.

Source : ign[dot]com

Doctor Who: "Asylum Of The Daleks" Review

Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow.

With a hero, plots and a series mantra that's all about unstable, unpredictable change, it's remarkable that Doctor Who has always been quite so consistent when it comes to punching above its weight.

So it's somewhat fitting that as we edge ever closer to the show's legendary 50th anniversary, showrunner Steven Moffat has issued the writing staff a mission statement to "slut it up with big, huge, mad ideas", and to "write each episode like a movie poster".

While we may have the return of the Weeping Angels, the 'there's-no-way-this-can't-be-amazing' "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship", a Whovian-goes-Western approach to Cowboys vs Aliens, and the ever-impending departure of the Ponds all all awaiting us before Christmas, Moffat himself came up with the idea big, bold and suitably crazy enough to kickstart Series 7 (or 33, depending on your nerdiness) with a bang.

“

still full of vibrancy, surprises and stuffed full of nods towards the Time Lord's future

For an episode focusing on the Doctor's oldest enemy, The Asylum of the Daleks was still full of vibrancy, surprises and stuffed full of nods towards the Time Lord's future. But more on those - or more particularly, her - later.

This season's movie-esque MO lends itself to compressed storytelling, and so it didn't take long before Rory, Amy and The Doctor found themselves individually Dalek-napped, and transported to a parliament almost as terrifying as our own - an amphitheatre chock full of every incarnation of the Dalek the Doctor's ever seen.

The key twist this time? While exterminating was still on the cards, they needed the Doctor and his companions to do them a little favour first - hop down to The Asylum (an intergalactic prison housing their craziest and deadliest), and save their alien bacon.

In modern Who-terms, The Asylum of the Daleks was a triumph. Witty, crazy and with a heartfelt emotional streak throughout, it catered first and foremost to the characters we've come to love. Matt Smith flip-flopped between ice-cool menace (as 'The Predator') and chirpy, charming freneticism (as 'Chinboy') with now expectant ease, but with just five episodes left, Moffat cast the main emotional spotlight on Rory and Amy.

While the initial melodrama-bombshell of their impending divorce was a surprise enough, the revelation of its cause (damn you Demon's Run and your fertility discombobulating ways), and their inevitable reconciliation was pulled off with sincere, and genuinely moving aplomb by Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill.

The biggest surprise of all though? It wasn't the divorce, the brief adventures of Indiana Rory, the episode's The Thing-esque transforming sleeper Daleks, or the particularly 'scrambled' spin on the Dalek's catchphrase (we predict a few fanboys/girls ordering tomorrow's breakfast in a whole new way).

“

Doctor Who may be a show edging ever-closer to its TV Quinquagenary, but it's still one of the smartest, funniest and freshest sci-fis around.

Nope - in a world full of spoilers, plot-leaks and internet reveals, Moffat and co magnificently kept the arrival of the Doctor's new companion completely under wraps. Jenna-Louise Coleman's Oswin/Souffle Girl debuted with an electrifying bang - smart, sassy, somewhat of a genius, and mildly bi-curious, she nearly stole the show. Not only that, she had a pathos-driven, super-twist of an end to an origin story that leaves us guessing not only when but how she'll reappear. Oh, and as what. While the thought of a 'Doctor/dead Dalek spirit guide' odd couple dynamic fills us with nerdy glee, even Moffat's not that crazy.

We think.

In fact, the only downside to the episode was that - with so much of the above going on - the much-mooted 'every Dalek ever' smorgasbord was underwhelming in its brevity, and while they certainly seemed the scariest they've been in years, it felt less a tale about the Daleks than an adventure that just happened to have them in it. That said, we're intrigued to see where their mindwipe reboot leaves their relationship with the Doctor going forward.

Doctor Who may be a show edging ever-closer to its TV Quinquagenary, but it's still one of the smartest, funniest and freshest sci-fis around.

Case in point? Bring on the Space Dinosaurs.

Matt Risley is IGN's resident Doctor Who expert. Follow him on Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

Doctor Who - Asylum Of The Daleks Review

With a hero, plots and a series mantra that's all about unstable, unpredictable change, it's remarkable that Doctor Who has always been quite so consistent when it comes to punching above its weight.

So it's somewhat fitting that as we edge ever closer to the show's legendary 50th anniversary, showrunner Steven Moffat has issued the writing staff a mission statement to "slut it up with big, huge, mad ideas", and to "write each episode like a movie poster".

While we may have the return of the Weeping Angels, the 'there's-no-way-this-can't-be-amazing' "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship", a Whovian-goes-Western approach to Cowboys vs Aliens, and the ever-impending departure of the Ponds all all awaiting us before Christmas, Moffat himself came up with the idea big, bold and suitably crazy enough to kickstart Series 7 (or 33, depending on your nerdiness) with a bang.

For an episode focusing on the Doctor's oldest enemy, The Asylum of the Daleks was still full of vibrancy, surprises and stuffed full of nods towards the Time Lord's future. But more on those - or more particularly, her - later.

This season's movie-esque MO lends itself to compressed storytelling, and so it didn't take long before Rory, Amy and The Doctor found themselves individually Dalek-napped, and transported to a parliament almost as terrifying as our own - an amphitheatre chock full of every incarnation of the Dalek the Doctor's ever seen.

The key twist this time? While exterminating was still on the cards, they needed the Doctor and his companions to do them a little favour first - hop down to The Asylum (an intergalactic prison housing their craziest and deadliest), and save their alien bacon.

In modern Who-terms, The Asylum of the Daleks was a triumph. Witty, crazy and with a heartfelt emotional streak throughout, it catered first and foremost to the characters we've come to love. Matt Smith flip-flopped between ice-cool menace (as 'The Predator') and chirpy, charming freneticism (as 'Chinboy') with now expectant ease, but with just five episodes left, Moffat cast the main emotional spotlight on Rory and Amy.

While the initial melodrama-bombshell of their impending divorce was a surprise enough, the revelation of its cause (damn you Demon's Run and your fertility discombobulating ways), and their inevitable reconciliation was pulled off with sincere, and genuinely moving aplomb by Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill.

The biggest surprise of all though? It wasn't the divorce, the brief adventures of Indiana Rory, the episode's The Thing-esque transforming sleeper Daleks, or the particularly 'scrambled' spin on the Dalek's catchphrase (we predict a few fanboys/girls ordering tomorrow's breakfast in a whole new way).

Nope - in a world full of spoilers, plot-leaks and internet reveals, Moffat and co magnificently kept the arrival of the Doctor's new companion completely under wraps. Jenna-Louise Coleman's Oswin/Souffle Girl debuted with an electrifying bang - smart, sassy, somewhat of a genius, and mildly bi-curious, she nearly stole the show. Not only that, she had a pathos-driven, super-twist of an end to an origin story that leaves us guessing not only when but how she'll reappear. Oh, and as what. While the thought of a 'Doctor/dead Dalek spirit guide' odd couple dynamic fills us with nerdy glee, even Moffat's not that crazy.

We think.

In fact, the only downside to the episode was that - with so much of the above going on - the much-mooted 'every Dalek ever' smorgasbord was underwhelming in its brevity, and while they certainly seemed the scariest they've been in years, it felt less a tale about the Daleks than an adventure that just happened to have them in it. That said, we're intrigued to see where their mindwipe reboot leaves their relationship with the Doctor going forward.

Doctor Who may be a show edging ever-closer to its TV Quinquagenary, but it's still one of the smartest, funniest and freshest sci-fis around.

Case in point? Bring on the Space Dinosaurs.

Source : ign[dot]com

Peter Molyneux's Plans Thwarted by NASA

The first game created by Peter Molyneux since his departure from Lionhead is apparently undergoing a name-change thanks to NASA.

The project, called Curiosity, is being developed by Molyneux's new studio 22 Cans and was recently delayed until next month.

“

Due to NASA and the Martians we are wondering what we should officially name our first experiment Curiosity...

But it appears Curiosity will never be released, at least not titled as it is, due to the Washington-based NASA being uncomfortable with the game sharing a name with its Mars Rover.

Taking to his Twitter account, Molyneux asked fans for help, writing "Humm there is a problem the the name curiosity, we can't use it because of NASA. I wonder what one word would sum up curiosity:the cube."

The news appeared to be verified when the 22 Cans account posted a similar question, sharing "Due to NASA and the Martians we are wondering what we should officially name our first experiment Curiosity..."

There's already a wealth of suggestions out there, including Cuberosity, but there's still time to share your ideas.

Due out next month, Curiosity will launch on PC, iOS and Android platforms. The game is planned as a social experiment which revolves around breaking apart a giant black cube with the help of thousands of gamers worldwide.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant and would quite like Molyneux to knuckle down on Black & White 3. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

Vegas: A New Kind of CBS Crime Series

The new CBS series Vegas is a change of pace for the network – a period piece, set in the 1960s, with more of an overreaching plotline than most of their procedural dramas.

Dennis Quaid stars as Sheriff Ralph Lamb, a real life person who Vegas co-creator Nicholas Pileggi (Goodfellas, Casino) originally had written a feature film script about, after executive producer Arthur Sarkissian met Lamb and agreed his story was incredibly compelling. Speaking at the TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour this week, Executive producer Cathy Konrad said she felt that as a feature, they were trying to cram so much of this man’s life into two and a half hours and she suggested it might be better as a TV Series instead.

Vegas centers on the ongoing struggle between Lamb and mobster Vincent Savino (Michael Chiklis). Discussing their dynamic, Walker said, “Lamb is trying to preserve what he believes the values of the Old West are in this area while not being against progress, per se, and Vincent Savino is trying to change the culture of Vegas as well - not necessarily as a mobster, but also as a man who has a quest for legitimacy. They find themselves on the same side of the law – not often, but often enough because there are worse people out there that are coming into vogue. So in order to kind of preserve this delicate balance, both of them move. It's a shifting target. So they are not always against each other. We certainly don't want Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner every week. We found enough tension so far to keep them going after each other.”

While certainly back into darker terrain, following No Ordinary Family, Chiklis said he felt Savino was very different from his memorable role as Vic Mackey on The Shield. “I just think that the potential of this character is fascinating and exciting to me.”

As for what drew Quaid to his first ongoing TV series, the movie star said, “I came in because a lot of exciting things are happening on television now, I think. A lot of the best writers have come to television. I think they feel like they have more control, and the storylines get continued. And when I was offered this, it was really about the team more than anything else, and the story really interested me. But, you know, Nick Pileggi and Greg and Jim Mangold and everybody that was in it, it just seemed really authentic and a chance to really play a character and let him unfold over a long period of time.”

Quaid noted that Lamb, “had quite a life, you know, and that was certainly part of the attraction, to be the sheriff of Las Vegas for 20 years, and especially this period of time because this is really when Vegas became Vegas as we know it today. And Ralph had a lot to do with shaping that, and he was also part of the landscape before all of this happened. He’s a fourth generation rancher, I think, going back to the Indian wars. And so I think we all have kind of a fascination with Las Vegas, and I thought the idea of playing this era would be a lot of fun.”

Quaid added, “Ralph also represents the people who really lived in the area of Las Vegas and had been around for generations. And to have these outside forces coming in vis a vis the mob -- really kind of coming in, in their minds, to take over in their town is sort of an invasion. Ralph and the locals really want to keep as much control as they can over their own town.”

Walker admitted it was always a challenge using real people on a TV show, mixed in with fictional characters. “That’s always the challenge. As my partner Cathy says, we don't want to let the truth get in the way of a good story, but the amazing thing about Vegas in 1960 in these men's stories is that the truth is the best story. Nick Pileggi showed that in the way that he portrayed Casino - that these stories are vibrant. These are larger than life characters who pop off the screen. So as a writer, it's a gift. It's literally the chest you keep on opening and find the glittering coins because there's so much value and depth and meat in those stories, we just try to use as much as we can.”

Vegas -- which also stars Jason O'Mara, Carrie-Anne Moss and Sarah Jones -- will mix weekly investigations for Lamb with an overreaching story. When it came to CBS tackling this series, Konrad said, “I think that the interest was to paint a broader palette, to make a bigger world, and I think that the networks were seeing the savvy [audience] and how cable has been playing in that arena. And I think that this fit in a really nice basket for them, and it's been energizing for everybody to be able to have that freedom as filmmakers to make something, to not be put in the procedural bucket and have to live there, to know that you can get that story across but to have continuing stories for our cast that can grow I think that's the reason why we have this amazing cast, because they see that potential as well.”

Vegas premieres Tuesday, September 25th on CBS.

Source : ign[dot]com