🎮 The blueprint
A karate classic revisited, a look back to TMNT games, and much more.
Mornin’. As summer draws to a close, our family has been spending more restful days at the beach.
The problem: So has everyone else.
We thought we did it right. We got an early start. We mapped out prime real estate. We used our previous trips to assess when the inevitable rush would happen.
No matter. It’s as if everyone took Ken’s words to heart: “My job…it’s just ‘beach.’” And the sea of unoccupied towels and chairs underscored the point.
(Speaking of which: A recent article in The New York Times outlines proper, if complicated, etiquette for claiming a spot at a public beach.)
Better luck at the pool or local park, I guess.
—Marques Edge, Tim Leong, Eric Alt, Andrew Nusca
P.S. In Friday’s edition, we asked you: Which of these early Activision games featured a parody of Grant Wood’s painting “American Gothic” on the cover? The answer is Worm Whomper.
Buffed/Nerfed
What’s up and down in the world rn.
Buffed: Public libraries. Celebrations of 50 years of hip hop continue as the Brooklyn Library releases 13 limited-edition library cards with artwork from Jay-Z albums. Looks like someone figured out the blueprint to increasing attendance.
Nerfed: Traditional TV. For the first time ever, broadcast and cable television viewership falls below 50% of total U.S. viewing time. According to Nielsen, streaming services increased their share to almost 39%. Looks like our attention continues to move, uh, upstream.
Buffed: Barbie. At more than $537 million, sales of the Greta Gerwig flick eclipsed The Dark Knight as the highest-grossing domestic film in Warner Bros. history. Not too shabby…for a movie, ahem.
Nerfed: Americans in Paris. Security guards discovered that two tourists from the States slept inside the monument overnight after having a little too much vin, according to prosecutors. To quote Pierre Cadault: Ringardes!
Buffed: Tubes in a box. Gadget maker LG has developed a 27-inch TV housed in a suitcase. Priced just under $1,000, the StanbyME Go comes with a built-in battery and speakers. A telly fit for a spy, if you ask us. —ME
The inside story of Karateka
How a karate classic came to be.
In 1984 a new martial arts fighting game called Karateka launched on the Apple II. With its cinematic gameplay and rotoscoped graphics, it was a technical achievement and popular sensation.
Now publisher Digital Eclipse is celebrating the game with a new kind of interactive, playable documentary. (Think of it as a remastered game and a Criterion Collection all in one.)
Editor Tim Leong talked with Digital Eclipse’s Chris Kohler about the making of the karate classic.
Click here to get into the fight.
Shameless plug: More details about ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III’
Earlier this month we learned that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III was coming on Nov. 10.
This week we discovered a bit more about about it.
The follow-up to last year’s spectacular Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II will allow players to seamlessly “carry forward” their journey, inventories, and weapon progression from MW2 to MW3 for the first time.
The game will introduce so-called open combat missions that allow players to make choices to take different paths through certain campaign missions. A new campaign experience will see the return of the villain Makarov.
Meanwhile in multiplayer, all 16 maps from the original Modern Warfare 2 from 2009 will be back with new modes, mechanics, and gameplay. And three new battle maps will be on offer, along with the return of War Mode.
Our favorite? The first-ever Modern Warfare Zombies experience. Urrrrhhhhggghh. (That’s undead speak for “sweet.”)
The new game will be available for Playstation, Xbox, Battle.net, and Steam.
Learn more, and preorder it, here.
A brief history of Ninja Turtle games
Let’s go back.
With Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem currently in theaters, the lovable band of “booyakasha” brothers are back in the pop culture zeitgeist.
Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo have a long history appearing in comics, movies, TV shows, and of course, video games.
Contributing writer Isaac Feldberg looks back at a short history of TMNT games, starting with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, which marks its 10th anniversary this month.
Click here to get the whole story on the half shell.
Your moment of meme
Mixtape Monday
What are we listening to lately? Glad you asked.
Here we go:
Dev Lemonds, “Think About It.” The opening line says it all…then the beat drops and suddenly you’ll find yourself ready to get at your day. Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube. (Recommended by Bud Gibson, Activision)
Arrested Development, “Tennessee.” We included the alternative hip hop group’s “People Everyday” two weeks ago, but this hit’s chorus is too catchy to ignore. Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube. (Recommended by Joel Mitchell, Blizzard)
Kyle Gordon, “Planet of the Bass.” Meant as a parody to ‘90s European dance music, the song became so popular as snippets leaked via social media that the release date had to be moved up. Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube. (Recommended by Dillon Rilea, Activision)
Stan Walker, “Ultralight Beam.” The spirit rises and inspires you to get the week started in this soulful cover of a Kanye West classic. Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube. (Recommended by Louis Nunez, Blizzard)
Fleshwater, "Linda Claire." This headbanger from the band’s debut album unquestionably put them on the map with more than one million streams. Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube. (Recommended by Giovanni Faisca Robles, Activision)
Wormhole
Click the following image and…well, we don’t want to ruin the surprise.
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About us
The Edit is a thrice-weekly newsletter exploring the intersection of gaming and life. Our love letter to millions of gamers around the globe, it is written and published by the Activision Blizzard King global editorial team.