Month: April 2019

Epic Games announced Tuesday the launch of their new online store, which will have an 88 to 12 percent split for developers.

A date for the store opening has not been released, but a statement from Epic said it will launch soon and will include, “a hand-curated set of games on PC and Mac and will open up more broadly to additional games and other open platforms throughout 2019.”

Games developed with any game engine are allowed in the store, but the first releases include Unreal, Unity and others.

Epic has stated they will not take a profit from any of the games made with Unreal Engine.

“As a developer ourselves, we have always wanted a platform with great economics that connects us directly with our players,” Epic Games founder and CEO, Tim Sweeney, said. “Thanks to the success of Fortnite, we now have this and are ready to share it with other developers.”

One of the features of the store, is the Support-A-Creator program, which will connect developers with over 10,000 creators – from those on YouTube to anyone who streams on Twitch.

The Support-A-Creator program will reward those creators in their efforts of bringing forth exposure to the game developers. Epic Games said the store is meant to bring together players, developers, and content creators.

In July, Bloomberg said that Fortnite has helped Epic Games become worth $8 billion, as it has reportedly made $1 billion from in-game purchases alone. In October, Epic Games acquired the Helsinki-based anti-cheat company, Kamu.

Jessie Wade is a news writer at IGN. Follow her on Twitter @jessieannwade.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Troy University’s Hannah Day, South Alabama’s Devin Brown and Florida Atlantic’s Kylee Hanson were selected Louisville/Slugger NFCA Division I Player and Co-Pitchers of the Week, respectively, for contests played March 14-20.

Day, a native of Crestview, Fla., had a weekend to remember that attributed to her .812 (13-for-16) batting average, six home runs, 20 RBI, 12 runs and 2.125 slugging percentage over four games last week. In Troy’s three-game Sun Belt series at Appalachian State, she hit .857 (12-for-14) with three doubles, all six long balls, 19 RBI and 11 runs scored. The senior rightfielder reached base safely in her first 10 plate appearances and posted four-plus RBI in all three contests.

“I’m very honored to have received this recognition,” Day said. However, this would not have been possible without our coaches and each of my teammates doing their job. Our coaches prepared us with a game plan and we bought in and in the end it paid off.”

Following a 3-for-3, four-RBI outing in the opener, Day was 5-for-5, clubbing three home runs, registering two doubles, knocking in program-record nine runs and scoring five times. Her 16 total bases matched an NCAA single-game mark and her three dingers tied a school record. Day closed out her monstrous weekend, going 4-for-6 with a double, two more homers, six RBI and four runs scored.

“Hannah is one of those special players and competitors,” said head coach Beth Mullins. “She has worked hard to help her teammates and this program be successful. It is a huge honor for her and Troy softball that she has been recognized with this award.”

Highlighted by a perfect game, Brown went 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 17 innings for the Jaguars last week. The senior righty struck out 11 of 15 batters against Louisiana-Monroe to become the second Jaguar to toss a perfect game.

“This is a really big honor for our team,” said Brown. “We played really well together last week, and we took a big step forward. This is a big moment for me, and I’m very happy about it.”

Brown, a sophomore from Mobile, Ala., preceded the perfecto with a one-hit shutout of the Warhawks, striking out seven and walking one in five innings. She also twirled a four-hit complete game against Southern Miss in which she struck out 10 and surrendered an unearned run in a 5-1 non-conference victory. For the week, she allowed five hits and held opponents to a .089 batting average.

“I’m really proud of Devin and her progression,” head coach Becky Clark said. “Last week, she was really efficient, which is one of the things we’ve been emphasizing in the bullpen. It was a great week for her, and I’m happy to see the work she’s been putting in pay off for her and her teammates.”

Hanson twirled three two-hit shutouts and struck out 23 in helping Florida Atlantic to three of its five wins and catapult them into the No. 23 ranking in this week’s USA Today/NFCA DI Top 25 Coaches Poll. It’s the program’s first ranking since 2004 and also the Owls’ first 3-0 conference start since 2008.

“It’s an honor,” said Hanson. “There has been a lot of hard work and preparation that the team has put into this season. It feels like everything is coming together.”

The junior from Jupiter, Fla. opened the week with an eight-inning gem against RV UCF. Hanson struck out a week-high nine batters. In a pair of shutouts at Conference USA foe Middle Tennessee, the right-handed hurler struck out six in the opener and closed out the series with eight. In the finale, the Conference USA Preseason Pitcher of the Year did not allow a runner into scoring position.

“We expected big things out of Kylee this season and she has lived up to those expectations,” said NFCA Hall of Famer and FAU head coach Joan Joyce. “This award is nice because it means that her hard work is being recognized.”

Player of the Week
March 22 – Hannah Day (Troy)
March 15 – Fiana Finau (New Mexico State)
March 8 – Sierra Romero (Michigan)
March 1 – Cammi Prantl (Ohio State)
Feb. 23 – Ali Aguilar (Washington)
Feb. 16 – Lexie Elkins (Louisiana-Lafayette)

Pitcher of the Week
March 22 – Devin Brown (South Alabama)
                   Kylee Hanson (Florida Atlantic)
March 15 – Meghan King (Florida State)
                 Sara Groenewegen (Minnesota)
March 8 – Carley Hoover (LSU)
March 1 – Heather Stearns (Baylor)
Feb. 23 – Jailyn Ford (James Madison)
Feb. 16 – Jill Compton (Fresno State)

Selected Top Performances
Nevada’s Jennifer Purcell – Mountain West Player of the Week – .778 (14-for-18), 4 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 7 R, 7 BB, .840 OBP; tied NCAA record with 13 consecutive hits over four-game stretch… Florida State’s Jessica Burroughs – Co-ACC Pitcher of the Week – 2-0, 0.50 ERA, 21 K, 14 IP… Missouri’s Paige Lowary – SEC Pitcher of the Week – 4-0, 0.36 ERA, 1 ER, 22 K, 19.2 IP…USF’s Kristen Wyckoff – American Athletic Conference Player of the Week – .769 (10-13), 9 R, 8-8 SB, .824 OBP… Ohio’s Savannah Jo Dorsey – MAC East Pitcher of the Week – 4-0, 0.00 ERA, 5H, 39 K, 23.2 IP… Arizona’s Danielle O’Toole – Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week – 2-0, save, 1.00 ERA, 8 K… Hofstra’s Michaela Transue – CAA Player of the Week – .818 (9-for-11), 2B, 3B, HR, 9 RBI, 5 R, 4 BB… South Carolina’s Ansley Ard – SEC Player of the Week – .600 (6-for-10), 2 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R…  North Dakota State’s Jacquelyn Sertic – Summit League Pitcher of the Week – 2-0, save, 0.58 ERA, 14 K, 5 H, 12 IP… Colorado State’s Holly Reinke – Mountain West Pitcher of the Week – 3-0, 0.91 ERA, 18 K, 3 CG… Tulsa’s Caitlin Sill – American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week – 3-0, 1.17 ERA, 17 K, 2 CG, SHO… Fordham’s Sydney Canessa – Atlantic-10 Player of the Week – .500 (9-for-18), 2 2B, 3B, HR, 11 RBI, 6 R, 5 SB… Louisville’s Maryssa Becker – Co-ACC Pitcher of the Week – 2-0, 0.50 ERA, 1 ER, 9 K, .095 opp BA… Fordham’s Jessica Hughes – Atlantic-10 Rookie of the Week – .588 (11-for-17), 2B, 4 SB, 11 R, 6 BB, .696 OBP… UNCW’s Peyton Jordan – CAA Pitcher of the Week – 4-0, 0.00 ERA, 14, BB, 1 XBH, .159 opp BA… Northern Illinois’ Emily Naegele – MAC West Player of the Week – .421, 4 HR, 13 RBI, 1.105… Southern Illinois’ Shaye Harre – MVC Player of the Week – 5-for-8, 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 4 R, 1.875 SLG, .717 OBP… Louisiana’s Kylee Jo Trahan tossed a perfect game (5 IP, 9K) at UT Arlington.

Conan the Barbarian is returning to Marvel Comics in 2019, and Marvel isn’t wasting much time before putting the Cimmerian warrior in the path of the Avengers.

This unlikely team-up was revealed in the solicitation for Avengers: No Road Home #6. Based on the solicit text, it sounds as though the Scarlet Witch will bring the team back in time to the mythical Hyborian Age and join forces with Conan to battle the Night Queen.

The solicit teases, “It all starts when The Scarlet Witch enters the Hyborian Age, and continues when the Avengers take their fight to the Queen of the Night! And while Conan and the Avengers will fight together, the question remains… whose side is Conan really on?”

Marvel raised the prospect of a Conan/Avengers team-up earlier this year when news first broke that they had reacquired the Conan license. Here’s a teaser image featuring Conan joining forces with both Thor and Wolverine:

This wouldn’t be the first time Conan has crossed paths with Marvel’s heroes. 1984’s What If? #43 explored a hypothetical reality where Conan found himself stranded in the present. But based on this news, Marvel may be seeking to integrate Conan’s mythology more firmly into the larger Marvel Universe.

Avengers: No Road Home #6 will be written by Jim Zub, Mark Waid and Al Ewing and feature art from Sean Izaakse. The book is scheduled to debut in March 2019.

Let us know in the comments below if you’re excited at the prospect of Conan becoming an Avenger. And then see why we think Conan returning to Marvel Comics is a good sign for the publisher.

Jesse is a mild-mannered writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.

We’re two weeks away from Christmas, and if we’re all being totally honest, a lot of us have yet to finish our holiday shopping. (Or, in some cases, really even start. Cough.)

It can be overwhelming to figure out what to get the woman in your life, especially if she’s picky, particular, or likes the finer things in life.

That’s why we’re here to help you out. Here are 22 cool gifts for her that we guarantee she’ll really love.

1. Google Home

Price: $180

Where to buy it: Indigo

2. Set of five Isabel Marant rings

Price: $120

Where to buy it: Net-A-Porter

3. Desktop jellyfish aquarium

(Jellyfish are sold separately. You can buy them here.)

Price: $520

Where to buy it: Cubic Aquarium

4. Colour-changing puzzle

Price: $132

Where to buy it: MoMA Design Store

5. Nintendo Switch

Price: $470

Where to buy it: Nintendo

6. Warby Parker “Flynn” sunglasses

Price: Starting at $150

Where to buy it: Warby Parker

7. Instax Camera

Price: $89.99

Where to buy it: Indigo

8. Birthstone stacking ring

Price: $225

Where to buy it: Nordstrom

9. Heat-resistant hair tool case

Price: $40

Where to buy it: Uncommon Goods

10. Fitbit Alta with leather band

Price: $99.99 for tracker, $79.95 for band

Where to buy it: Fitbit

11. Classic leather tote bag

Price: $420

Where to buy it: m0851

12. Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt cologne

Price: $184

Where to buy it: Jo Malone

13. Jenny Bird ear cuff

Price: $85

Where to buy it: Jenny Bird

14. Kombucha brew jar

Price: $59

Where to buy it: Well.ca

15. HP Sprocket bluetooth photo printer

Price: $99.99

Where to buy it: Staples

16. Saje Gold Marble Ultrasonic Diffuser

Price: $90

Where to buy it: Saje

17. Toshiba Wireless Bluetooth Speaker

Price: $200

Where to buy it: Best Buy

18. Set of cocktail glasses

Price: $13 each

Where to buy it: Crate+Barrel

19. Customizable wedding poster

Price: $400 – $665

Where to buy it: Uncommon Goods

20. Zodiac necklace

Price: $101

Where to buy it: Mejuri

21. Minimalist growhouse set

Price: $201

Where to buy it: Anthropologie

22. Corkcicle insulated stemless champagne flutes

Price: $30

Where to buy it: AGO gift shop

JOLIET, Ill. — Dick Smith, a longtime coach at the University of Saint Francis and Valparaiso University, who also was an accomplished author and served his country in the U.S. Army and as an FBI special agent, died Saturday after a long battle with cancer. He was 83.

Smith served two 10-year stints as St. Francis head coach — most recently from 2003-12 — winning 562 games over his 20 seasons at the school. He was a part of 143 more NAIA victories as an assistant to his former all-conference pitcher Ali Franzen from 1999-2002 at St. Francis, and he claimed 24 Division I triumphs as Valparaiso’s head coach in 1995 and 1996.

In all, he was a member of the Saints’ staff for 27 of the program’s 37 years and was involved in softball for a total of 67 years — including the last 59 as a coach — starting in 1953 when he was introduced to the sport while in the Army. He had written for the NFCA’s member newspaper, Fastpitch Delivery, for most of its two decades of publication, and also wrote for Women’s Fastpitch World and penned two books, including Fast Pitch Softball Fundamentals.

“Our entire NFCA community is deeply saddened by the passing of Dick Smith,” NFCA Executive Director Carol Bruggeman said. “Coach Smith was one of our most selfless members. He dedicated his time and talents equally between the softball teams he coached and the NFCA. His educational insight shared through his column in Fastpitch Delivery helped numerous coaches across the country. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Smith family.” 

After retiring from the FBI, where he did domestic counter-intelligence during a 21-year career that followed a stint in Army intelligence, Smith joined the St. Francis staff in 1981 under head coach Ed Serdar. Together, they led the 1982 squad to an NAIA World Series runner-up finish in just the program’s third season and Smith took over the reins in 1985.

In his first 10 seasons, Smith went 304-199 with three NAIA World Series appearances, seven Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference titles and another seven NAIA District 20 championships. His teams were ranked in the NAIA Top 20 Poll in eight of those years. After two seasons at Valparaiso, Smith won 258 more games in his second 10-year run at St. Francis.

During his 20 years as Saints head coach, his teams won 30 games seven times on the field and he graduated 100 percent of his players off the field.

“We are saddened to hear the news of Coach Smith’s passing,” Dave Laketa, University of St. Francis director of athletics said in a statement posted on the school’s athletic website. “He was a tremendous asset to our softball program and was very giving of his time and donated a lot to the program. We were extremely fortunate to have had him involved for nearly three-quarters of the program’s existence.”

“Dick never concerned himself with the wins and losses of the program or the many championships that his teams won,” Laketa continued. “His main concern was that the young women that he recruited to the program were successful in the classroom and after they left St. Francis. Everything else was topping on the cake.”    

A graduate of Huntington (Ind.) High, where he starred in baseball, and Indiana University, where he earned both bachelor’s and law degrees, Smith spoke six languages — English, Japanese, Latin, Polish, Russian and Spanish. He is survived by his wife, Ruth, his son, Ernie, daughter-in-law, Debra, and three grandsons. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Tracy.

Friends and family will be received on Thursday from 2-8 p.m. at the Monee Funeral Home in Monee, Ill., and a funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday at the same location with an 1 p.m. burial at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, Ill.  

The St. Francis softball team will honor Smith with a patch on their helmets this season.

— Some information courtesy of the University of St. Francis

By IGN Staff

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Every month, the IGN Prime team provides members an opportunity to grab great games and goodies picked by the Prime team.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A 5-0 showing at the prestigious Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic keeps Florida the unanimous No. 1 choice in this week’s USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll.

Behind a strong effort in the circle and timely hitting, the Gators (16-0) remained undefeated in 2016 by sweeping through five tough opponents in Cathedral City, Calif. last week. Facing strong competition, pitching was key as they won four of the five game by three runs or less. The staff recorded two shutouts against now-No. 23 Nebraska (8-0) and Utah (1-0) and allowed just a run in victories over then-No. 11 UCLA and then-No. 9 Washington. The Gators also defeated North Carolina State, 5-2.

Even though the top seven spots remained the same, the margin between programs, especially two through four, tightened up. Only 20 points separate No. 2 Michigan (728), No. 3 Auburn (728) and No. 4 Alabama (718).

The Wolverines (12-2) put forth a 4-1 outing at the Mary Nutter which included wins over then-No. 12 Oklahoma (16-9) and Long Beach State (10-4), who is receiving votes. They also run-ruled Oklahoma State (11-2) and North Carolina State (9-1). Their lone setback was a one-run defeat to new-No. 8 Washington (5-6).

The Tigers ran their record to 15-1 after a 5-0 weekend as the host of the Tiger Invitational. Auburn opened with back-to-back triumphs over Boston College (5-1 / 6-0) before run-ruling St. John’s (9-1), Western Illinois (14-1) and Indiana State (21-0). The win over the Sycamores marked the third time the Tigers have posted 20-plus runs in 2016.

The Crimson Tide, playing at home for the first time, moved to 15-1 with a perfect 5-0 week. Following a mid-week 8-0 home-opening win over Troy, Alabama needed a little late-inning magic to stay undefeated during its annual Easton Bama Bash. The Tide recorded walk-off wins against No. 15 Arizona (4-3), Marshall (4-2) and then-No. 14 Tennessee (6-5), which included erasing seventh-inning deficits against the Wildcats and Vols. Also of note, the win over Arizona was the first in Tuscaloosa in program history. They would go on to defeat the Wildcats (9-1) again the following day.

LSU racked up five home wins over South Alabama, Illinois State (twice) and Texas Tech (twice). The Tigers (13-2) blanked the Jaguars, run-ruled the Redbirds and edged out the Red Raiders 3-2 in eight innings and 5-3.

Louisiana-Lafayette put together six home wins, the final four via run-rule and shutout, improving to 14-1 and remaining in the six spot. Oregon (12-4) stays at No. 7 after earning four wins at the Mary Nutter, including then-No. 17 Missouri and then-No. 20 Fresno State at the Mary Nutter. The Ducks lone loss was a walk-off defeat to No. 23 Nebraska.

Washington and Georgia flipped flopped positions. The Huskies (12-3) are eighth after a 3-2 showing at the Mary Nutter. They picked up significant wins over Nebraska in extra innings (6-5) and No. 2 Michigan (6-5), on a walk-off sacrifice fly and were edged out by No. 1 Florida (3-1).

Georgia fell a spot to No. 9, dropping one game at the Mary Nutter to then-No. 11 UCLA (6-14). The Bulldogs did defeat LIU Brooklyn, Cal State Fullerton, Northwestern and San Jose State.

Rounding out the top 10 is James Madison. The Dukes (12-1) opened up at home with triumphs against Toledo (12-3), Saint Joseph’s (2-1) and Robert Morris (8-0).

Texas A&M continued its rise, moving up five more positions to No. 11. Nebraska (10-3) and previously-ranked Baylor (11-3) joined the rankings at 23rd and 24th respectively, while Texas and California dropped out.

The USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll is voted on by 32 NCAA Division I head coaches, one representing each conference. Records reflect games played through Feb. 28, 2016.

— Image courtesy of Jim Burgess 

2016 USA Today/NFCA Division I Softball Coaches Poll
Week 3 | March 1, 2016 (Results through 2/28)

Rank Team Points 2016 Record Last Poll 1 Florida (32) 800 16-0 1 2 Michigan 738 12-2 2 3 Auburn 728 15-1 3 4 Alabama 718 15-1 4 5 LSU 659 13-2 5 6 Louisiana-Lafayette 644 14-1 6 7 Oregon 568 12-4 7 8 Washington 546 12-3 9 9 Georgia 524 13-1 8 10 James Madison 521 12-1 10 11 Texas A&M 455 17-1 16 12 Florida State 424 13-3 13 13 UCLA 411 9-6 11 14 Oklahoma 402 10-4 12 15 Arizona 344 11-5 15 16 Tennessee 308 10-5 14 17 Kentucky 292 14-2 18 18 Missouri 267 9-2 17 19 Arizona State 224 14-2 19 20 Minnesota 204 10-4 21 21 Notre Dame 162 12-3 23 22 Fresno State 108 12-3 20 23 Nebraska 85 10-3 RV 24 Baylor 64 11-3 RV 25 UCF 48 7-8 22

New to Poll: No. 23 Nebraska, No. 24 Baylor

Dropped Out: No. 24 Texas, No. 25 California

Receiving Votes: Oregon State (45), California (41), Texas (30), Florida Atlantic (18), Mississippi State (16), South Alabama (3), Kent State (1), Long Beach State (1), McNeese State (1).

The USA Today/NFCA Division I Softball Coaches Poll is voted on by 32 NCAA Division I head coaches, one representing each conference.