Watch Dogs Delayed

Ubisoft's biggest video game release of 2013 has a setback- and you're not going to like the repercussions...
Ubisoft Montreal have this week announced a delay in the release schedule of their upcoming open-world video game Watch Dogs. Based in a separate universe to their bestselling Assassin's Creed franchise, the title will be set in a free-roamable near future version of the city of Chicago and feature protagonist Aiden Pearce attempting to save his family in a world where information is everything.

At this late stage in the day, this development decision could be one which acts in a detrimental manner for Ubisoft's financial state in the 2013-2014 fiscal year. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag should still sell admirably, although Assassin's Creed III's mixed reception could very well hamper the numbers, and Ubisoft have today confirmed that neither Rayman Legends nor Splinter Cell: Blacklist met their sales expectations, which will mean that the loss of Watch Dogs until next Spring bodes ill for how this fiscal year will turn out come its climax.

Watch Dogs hacks onto PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo WiiU and PC in Spring 2014.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2: The Game Announced

Beenox Studios return with a tie-in video game for one of 2014's biggest superhero blockbusters.
Activision Games and Beenox Studios have today announced the development The Amazing Spider-Man 2: The Game for release next year. Set within the timeline of the superhero film sequel, this tie-in product will feature a distinct narrative that blends new gameplay sequences with narrative adaptations of the movie's major setpieces.

The Game's initial premise does not so much follow up Beenox's first tie-in storyline as a hanging plot thread from the original film. The storyline will focus on the Webbed Wonder's search to find Uncle Ben's killer in New York, although scenes from the second flick itself such as the Rhino's opening confrontation with Spider-Man are likely to be integrated into the overall experience. Beenox are promising an expanded open-world Manhattan, missions themed around the exploits of Peter Parker and the reprisal of wall-clad webs as upcoming gameplay innovations this time around.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2: The Game will retail on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo WiiU, Nintendo 3DS and PC in Spring 2014.

New Batman Arkham Origins Details Revealed

Discover the identity of Black Mask's seventh hired assassin poised to kill the Dark Knight!
Warner Brothers Montreal have this week announced new details on their upcoming open-world superhero video game Batman: Arkham Origins at the New York ComicCon. The prequel title takes place nine years before the events of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, set on Christmas Eve with Batman hunted across Gotham by eight assassins desperate for a cash prize.

On top of the minor news that Arkham Origins will have costumes which influence its gameplay, the main narrative's seventh assassin has been officially confirmed. We knew so far that Deathstroke, Deadshot, Bane, Copperhead, Firefly and Lady Shiva (thanks to an achievement list leak) would be part of this rogue team of killers, and WB Montreal have announced that Electrocutioner is their penultimate adversary. A minor villain in DC lore, the character will here play a role as one of the game's earlier boss battles, where the Caped Crusader will acquire his latest gadget, the Shock Gloves. The Electrocutioner reveal trailer can be glimpsed below...

Batman: Arkham Origins glides onto Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo WiiU, Nintendo 3DS and PC on October 25th.

New LEGO Marvel Superheroes Details Revealed

One month to go until a blockbusting open-world video game experience lands- find out more now.
Travellers Tales have this week unveiled new details on their upcoming open-world platformer LEGO Marvel Superheroes at the New York ComicCon. The development studio confirmed a series of new characters set to feature in the final product on launch day in just a month's time.

Here's a full round-up of each and every one of the new superheroes and supervillains announced for the line-up of the Marvel Universe character ensemble:

• Ultimate Electro
• Shocker
• Pyro
• Nightmare
• Absorbing Man
• Maleketh
• Kurse
• Taskmaster
• Power Man
• Iron Fist
• Havok
• Polaris
• Moon Knight
• Aunt May
• She-Hulk
• Superior Spider-Man

LEGO Marvel Superheroes assembles on Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Nintendo WiiU, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation Vita and PC on November 15th.

Who News: First Series Eight Director Announced

BBC One confirm the first member of the directorial team for Doctor Who's new series...
The BBC have today announced the first director of the eighth new season of Doctor Who since its revival. This latest piece of news follows the corporation's surprise announcement last week of nine previously missing classic episodes of the show being recovered last week, and comes ahead of the series' 50th Anniversary Special's broadcast next month.

Ben Wheatley is the man in question, set to direct the first two episodes of Series Eight. Both adventures will be written by Steven Moffat, which seems to imply that in a similar vein to Series Six, the next run will open with a two-part story. Wheatley is best-known for his acclaimed direction of motion pictures including A Field in England, Kill List and Sightseers, and his agreement with Moffat to helm the first two episodes to feature Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor should drive the show into bold new territory when it returns later next year.

Doctor Who will return for its blockbuster 50th Anniversary Special, The Day of the Doctor, this November 23rd on BBC One, with its Christmas Special set to broadcast on Christmas Day and Series Eight due to commence airing in Autumn 2014.

New Agents of SHIELD Episodes Commissioned

You still can't touch Lola, but you'll be able to witness her in action for at least nineteen more episodes.
ABC Studios have today announced the commissioning of a full season of episodes for Marvel's Agents of SHIELD. A natural event for popular shows entering their first season, this development means that ABC hold great confidence in Agents' potential for strong viewing ratings and consistently notable viewing ratings.

This particular development will be a matter of major excitement for fans, expanding Season One from its original five-episode test run to a staggering twenty two instalments. Certainly, Joss Whedon and the show's production team will be glad to hear the news, considering that it should enable them to convey fully the narrative arc of Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg)'s mysterious revival from the land of the dead. Just how did he fail to bite the bullet? That's beyond this writer's knowledge for now, but discovering the truth on the matter should be one of the most thrilling experiences of the coming months...

Marvel's Agents of SHIELD continues on Friday October 18th at 8pm on Channel 4.

Doctor Who Missing Episodes Recoveries Announced

How can the 50th Anniversary get any bigger or better? Why, with the return of two classic Doctor Who stories from the dead...
BBC Worldwide have today announced the recovery of nine previously missing classic episodes of Doctor Who. Revealed at a press conference and screening yesterday, the news comes in the midst of the 50th Anniversary year, with the 50th Special The Day of the Doctor set to broadcast amongst a wealth of celebrations next month.

The full story of the nine-episode recovery will undoubtedly be unveiled in full during the weeks to come, but suffice to say that it entailed Philip Morris (head of the Television International Enterprises Archive) heading to Nigeria and finding ten tapes of classic episodes, nine of which were thought lost from the archives completely. Here's a round-up of exactly which episodes from the Patrick Troughton era have been recovered:

• THE ENEMY OF THE WORLD (1967)- Episodes 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 (Episode 3 Already Found)
• THE WEB OF FEAR (1968)- Episodes 2, 4, 5 and 6 (Episode 1 Already Found, Episode 3 Due For Screencap Reconstruction)

Both classic stories are available now for download on iTunes. Doctor Who: The Enemy of the World comes to DVD on November 22nd and Doctor Who: The Web of Fear retails in 2014.