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Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 14, 2014 in Videogames 
BioWare has been focusing pretty heavily on Mass Effect and Dragon Age lately, but they’ve had a new IP in the works that has now been revealed. Shadow Realms is an episodic online action-RPG set in a modern world with fantasy elements. Four players can play co-op, or they can also play 4-vs-1 against a player controlled Shadowlord who controls enemies and sets traps to stop the players. It’s PC-only, and you can sign up for the alpha now. It’s interesting, but I wonder if this will match the story and dialogue-driven games that BioWare is known for. Read more…
Tags: BioWare, Shadow Realms
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 14, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Almost two weeks after the premiere, and I’ve still got Guardians of the Galaxy on my mind. (That’s partly because I’ve only seen it once, unlike most people I know, but if I could barely justify the cost of an LA movie ticket, then seeing it more than once was definitely out.) What’s not entirely surprising but still impressive is that the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack (not original score), a.k.a. Awesome Mix Vol. 1, has hit #1 on the Billboard charts, making it currently the most popular album in America. This is more impressive when you realize this is the first time an album made entirely of previously-released songs (all those hits 60s and 70s) has ever topped the charts. Congrats! But an unrelated Guardians tease is even more tantalizing. Read more…
Tags: Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel, Music
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 13, 2014 in Videogames 
Sony just released an interactive teaser on PlayStation 4’s digital store called P.T., made by unknown developer 7780s Studio. But just like Moby Dick Studios’ The Phantom Pain was a front for Konami’s Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, P.T. is really Silent Hills, a new entry in Konami’s Silent Hill series. While conventional wisdom states that only Silent Hill 1-4, the games made by Team Silent, are really worth playing — or even less, depending on your opinion — this may be one to watch for based solely on the people who are making it. Metal Gear Solid boss Hideo Kojima has teamed up with filmmaker Guillermo del Toro to make the game, and the main character is played by The Walking Dead‘s Norman Reedus. That sounds actually sounds pretty cool! Maybe if we’re lucky, we’ll get to see more at the upcoming Tokyo Game Show. Read more…
Tags: guillermo del toro, Konami, PS4, Silent Hill
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 13, 2014 in Videogames 
Remedy has been very hesitant to show much of Quantum Break, their ambitious game/TV show hybrid for Xbox One. But it seems the floodgates have opened, because now we have eight minutes of semi-interrupted gameplay. I say “semi” because while the gameplay is uninterrupted, main character Jack has the power to mess with time in all sorts of fun ways. He can stop time to run past enemies, stop an enemy’s time to do extra damage, or even stop an entire moment. But judging from the end of the clip, it seems some enemies have their own time-warping powers that you’ll have to contend with. There’s still quite a lot we don’t know about Quantum Break, but it looks very promising, so I’d keep an ear out for any additional information. Read more…
Tags: Quantum Break, Xbox One
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 12, 2014 in Videogames 
As one of the oldest characters in the series, it was a safe bet that Kano would return in Mortal Kombat X. In the latest video, Creative Director Ed Boon breaks down the new changes to the character. Besides the usual visual overhaul, take note of the glowing circle on his chest. Players can change it to one of three colors, each representing a customized style of combat with different movesets. While I’d imagine the character is mostly the same between versions, each one gives him certain toys to play with. Cutthroat Kano uses knife combos, Cybernetic Kano uses laser eyes and weapons, and Commando Kano is a grappler. I hope each character in the game gets several customization options, since it’s a good way to add variety to the cast. Read more…
Tags: Mortal Kombat, PS4, Xbox One
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 12, 2014 in Cinema 
I always thought that many internet denizens get too worked up when celebrities die, even though they didn’t know them personally. But while most of us may never have met Robin Williams, I’m sure we all have a favorite movie of his that we love to death. That’s why I was surprised to become so bummed out learning that Williams has just passed away. Though details are still coming in, it appears he committed suicide via asphyxiation following a recent resurgence of depression and drug rehab. Read more…
Tags: Robin Williams
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 7, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
In the original plan for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy movie, Ronan the Accuser was assisted by the Badoon race. Obviously, that’s not the version of the film we got. Since Fox somehow got the rights to the Badoon when they licensed the X-Men and Fantastic Four properties, Marvel couldn’t use them in their official films. (Never mind the fact that Fox hasn’t used the Badoon and in all likelihood won’t ever use them.) Instead, Marvel used the Sakaarans. But apparently the Badoon were on the table at some point, as concept artist Goran Bukvic created this piece above that shows what the Badoon might have looked like using a Badoon Bazooka. There’s also some additional concept art here, including an unused environment piece for Spartoi, a planet — to avoid anything too spoiler-y — tied to Star-Lord’s past. I’m with most fans that wish Fox and Sony would stop putting out their middling, uneven films and sell back all their Marvel rights to Marvel. But until then, here’s glimpses of things that almost were. Read more…
Tags: Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 7, 2014 in Videogames 
There’s really no reason to ever play the original PlayStation version of the first Resident Evil game, since the 2002 GameCube remake completely blew the previous versions out of the water. Next to gorgeous pre-rendered backgrounds, the PS1 version just looks laughable. But there’s the rub: it’s hard to update the game in high-definition when all your backgrounds were made for 4:3 480i screens. Capcom has announced an HD remake, with better models and upressed backgrounds.
Read more…
Tags: Capcom, Resident Evil
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 6, 2014 in Videogames 
Previously rumored as Comet, Ubisoft has announced Assassin’s Creed: Rogue for a PS3 and Xbox 360 release on November 11. Since Assassin’s Creed: Unity is only for current-gen consoles, Rogue will be exclusive to last-gen systems. The story follows Shay Patrick Cormac, a former Assassin who is betrayed and joins the Templars to hunt his former allies. The game is set during The Seven Years War, with locations in the northeastern US. Naval combat should also be returning, which should delight anyone who played Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, a game that added much depth to sailing compared to its predecessor. The only downside is that this isn’t on newer systems; while Black Flag was available on both old and new systems, it had some nice bells and whistles on PS4 and Xbox One, including a higher resolution. With 2014 release trends on these newer systems, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Assassin’s Creed: Rogue: Remastered released in 2015. Read more…
Tags: Assassin's Creed, PS3, Ubisoft, Xbox 360
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 6, 2014 in Cinema 
Not content with the 2003 TV movie version, Disney is planning a big screen adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, a science fantasy novel that’s the first of the Time Quartet (now the Time Quintet, I suppose). Though a director has not been confirmed, Variety has announced that Frozen co-director Jennifer Lee will write the screenplay. Lee in particular will be well-experienced when it comes to writing strong female leads, having written the screenplay to Frozen as well. While it could be argued that Frozen‘s feminism isn’t necessarily that progressive as it appeared to be, it was still a strong step in the right direction, dismantling many tropes used in earlier Disney princess movies. Tasking Lee to adapt a book whose lead is a female science nerd seems like a safe bet. I have fond memories of reading the book, so I’m looking forward to the adaptation! Read more…
Tags: A Wrinkle in Time, Disney
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 5, 2014 in Videogames 
There are Monopoly variants of pretty much every other thing in existence, so why not The Legend of Zelda? Nintendo’s mainstay fantasy series is lending its branding to this new version of Monopoly, despite the economic system of Hyrule likely being incompatible with the fanciful capitalism of this Depression-era game. But whatever, everyone knows how to play Monopoly, even if finishing a game (and doing it without burning bridges) is much harder. You can get Zelda Monopoly on September 15 for $39.99, but be sure to buy it from Gamestop; like videogames, Gamestop really wants you buy from them, so their version will offer a Hyrule map lithograph and an exclusive Ocarina game piece. Read more…
Tags: Board Games, Legend of Zelda
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 5, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Birdman is the story of a washed up actor once known for his comic book role who tries to make a comeback. While real-life Michael Keaton is doing okay, I’d like to imagine that Birdman is the true story of where his life went after playing Batman in Tim Burton’s films. Keaton’s character looks slightly psychotic, hearing the gravely voice (a la Batman) of his character telling him to do things. Seriously, can this movie be real-life? If not, I guess I’ll settle for the movie’s release on October 17, 2014. Read more…
Tags: Batman, Birdman
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 31, 2014 in Videogames 
Modern videogame covers are always hampered by tons of logos, ratings, and various other text designed to help you buy a product. But for collectors who want a nice-looking product with a bit of thought behind it, the cover is a wasted opportunity. So I’m liking this recent trend of alternate box art printed on the reverse of the regular cover; more games should have this small bonus. Bethesda has a poll up right now to pick an alternate cover for The Evil Within. “Asylum” (pictured above) is currently winning, but I think “Piercing Eye” looks striking as well. Consider giving it a vote? Read more…
Tags: Bethesda, Horror, The Evil Within
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 31, 2014 in Videogames 
When THQ exploded, its various gaming franchises, studios, and other assets were bought up by various other developers (except for Vigil Games, sadly). Crytek bought the rights to make a sequel to Homefront, the game about North Korea invading the US that got mixed reviews. I’m guessing they thought that they could do something with the property and make a good game, but after some recent financial difficulties, it seems that plan is no more. Deep Silver has announced their purchase of the Homefront IP, with development of Homefront: The Revolution continuing at a new Nottingham-based studio called Deep Silver Dambuster Studios. It seems that most of the team will be moving to the new studio from Crytek UK, including director Hasit Zala. Glad to see things are still continuing, especially if the game is supposedly still on track for a 2015 release on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. And the new studio will be right at home with fellow ex-THQ studio Volition. Read more…
Tags: Crytek, Deep Silver, Homefront
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 30, 2014 in Videogames 
Though I’m a firm proponent of physical media, I can’t deny some of the potential benefits of a digital future, especially for rentals. While GameFly offers disc rentals similar to Netflix’s mail service, there currently isn’t a similar service for digital rentals — until now. EA has announced EA Access, a subscription service for Xbox One that allows gamers to play multiple EA games for a monthly rate. You won’t own the games, but you’ll have access as long as you keep paying, like a mix of Netflix and PlayStation Plus. The service has launched its beta with FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, Peggle 2, and Battlefield 4, with more games on the way (likely before the full launch). Read more…
Tags: Electronic Arts, Xbox One
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 30, 2014 in Animation, Cinema, Comic Books 
Pretty much no one liked the version of Deadpool that appeared in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Since having their hopes dashed with that film, fans have wished for a Deadpool movie that is accurate to the fourth-wall breaking comic book. Fox was experimenting with the idea, but with not much happening recently, the project seems to be dead. But wait: director Tim Miller’s fabled test footage (animated in CG by Blur Studio) has surfaced, and it’s surprisingly great. Ryan Reynolds returns as Deadpool, but he’s much more fun to watch, cracking jokes and illustrating his enemy’s upcoming death. Can we please have a movie like this? I don’t care if it’s tied into X-Men, I just think it would be fun to watch. Maybe the renewed interest in this test footage will give the project a boost? Read more…
Tags: Deadpool, Fox, X-Men
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 29, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
I’m honestly surprised that Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller finally got around to making Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. It took so long for them to make it I was certain the momentum had died. But it’s finally coming out on August 22, and from looking around LA, the marketing is building up too. Shown off last weekend at San Diego Comic-Con, this red band trailer has got it all: cars, swords, guns, naked women, and one-liners. Oh, and all that sexy black-and-white violence they couldn’t show in a regular trailer. Read more…
Tags: Sin City
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 29, 2014 in Cinema 
Sigh. Even when I heard that The Hobbit would be stretched out and expanded to two, then three films, I held out hope that it would capture my heart the way The Lord of the Rings films did. (After all, I actually liked the original book better than The Lord of the Rings books!) But the first two films have shown just how detrimental many modern filmmaking trends are. The story meanders, the visuals are compromised with excessive CG, and everything feels like a videogame — all setpieces and not enough to justify them. Oh well, let’s return to Middle-earth on the big screen one more time with this trailer for the final film, which has been retitled from The Hobbit: There and Back Again to the much more epic The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. Hey Hollywood? Not everything in fantasy needs to set up massive battles to compete with The Lord of the Rings! And I doubt The Hobbit will somehow out-do the Battle of Helm’s Deep! Read more…
Tags: Peter Jackson, The Hobbit
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 24, 2014 in Videogames 
Back in 2010, when the Tomb Raider franchise wasn’t doing so hot, Square Enix put out Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, a twin-stick co-op game. Though not bearing the Tomb Raider name, it was very well-received and quite fun. There’s a new sequel coming out, this time with four-player co-op; the two new characters are the Egyptian gods Isis and Horus, which seems a bit over-powered, but I’ll go with it. We now know that this game is coming out December 9 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. It’s looking good, but I’ll be honest: I completely missed this announcement during the chaos of E3 2014. So join me in watching the trailer below, because I’m sure many others also missed it. Read more…
Tags: square enix, Tomb Raider
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 24, 2014 in Comic Books, Videogames 
When Sunsoft released Batman on NES — perhaps the only truly good Batman game until Batman: Arkham Asylum — they obviously had to work within the limits of the hardware. Though Batman normally wore varying shades of blue, gray, and black, he was rendered in a bright purple. As they’ve done with previous licensed NES games, collectible company NECA is releasing an action figure of this Batman, complete with mock videogame box. The figure will only receive one production run, so I’d pay attention to NECA for your first chance to preorder this purple Batman. Something about this makes me really happy that someone is reviving these weird color palette versions of popular characters. Read more…
Tags: Batman, NES, Toys
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 23, 2014 in Videogames 
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call is coming out September 16 in North America and September 19 in Europe, which is right around the corner. To help promote this music-focused game, Square Enix is holding a contest for musicians to arrange and perform Final Fantasy‘s Main Theme that has appeared in almost every Final Fantasy game. If you’re selected by original Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu, you’ll win a grand prize: a round trip for two to a Distant Worlds: Final Fantasy concert, a limited edition Nintendo 3DS LL released for Curtain Call, the official soundtracks of all fourteen main Final Fantasy games, a collector’s edition copy of Curtain Call (signed by Uematsu), and a Final Fantasy Static Arts mini figure. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Final Fantasy, square enix
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 23, 2014 in Videogames 
I just don’t “get” League of Legends. I understand why it’s popular and that it can be both fun and competitive, but every time I sat down to play it, nothing clicked with me (which isn’t the game’s fault). But what I can get is why this video, “A New Dawn,” is awesome. Riot Games released this cool trailer for League of Legends; the game has been playable since 2009, so this is likely just to draw more attention to the game. It also serves the function of letting players watch several characters duke it out in fancy graphics instead of the in-game engine. Look, I couldn’t tell you why Fox Girl is fighting Axe Man or what any of their special attacks are. But I can safely say that it’s well-animated and offers a cool fight scene, regardless of your investment in the game. Why not take a moment to watch it? Read more…
Tags: League of Legends
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 22, 2014 in Anime 
After ten months, the guys at Moon Animate Make-Up! have finished reanimating a whole episode of Sailor Moon. The project incorporated 250 artists, but instead of going for coherency, they had each artist animate their part in their own unique style. The result is this mish-mash of styles not unlike Star Wars Uncut. Since Sailor Moon Crystal (now airing) doesn’t always have the best animation or relies on CG, perhaps this will be preferable? With a cartoony look, many of the characters are much more emotive than the source material, sometimes ridiculously so. Read more…
Tags: Sailor Moon
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 22, 2014 in Cinema, Star Wars 
The contest to be in Star Wars Episode VII — a fundraiser for the Force for Change charity — is still continuing, with people from around the world sending in a ton of entries. J.J. Abrams is reminding fans to get their entries in, but what’s more important immediately are the teases Abrams has had in his clips: trickles of information to whet your appetite for Star Wars. The latest is an X-Wing from the movie, and it’s looking good. There’s now one big engine on each wing that looks like it splits with the wings, while the design is sleeker. And unlike the prequels, this ship looks worn down and used, like it actually exists in the world. Good news, right? Read more…
Tags: J.J. Abrams, Star Wars, x-wing
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