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Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 30, 2014 in Cinema, Star Wars 
After much speculation, we now know the stars who will be warring in Star Wars Episode VII. As expected, Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), and Kenny Baker (R2-D2) all return. The newcomers are John Boyega (Moses, Attack the Block), Daisy Ridley (an unknown), Adam Driver (Adam Sackler, Girls), Oscar Isaac (Llewyn Davis, Inside Llewyn Davis), Andy Serkis (Gollum, The Lord of the Rings), Domhnall Gleeson (Bill Weasley, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), and Max von Sydow (who’s been in tons of stuff). Read more…
Tags: Disney, Episode VII, J.J. Abrams, Star Wars
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 30, 2014 in Videogames 
Nintendo ducked out of the E3 conference game last year, declining to host a big conference at the event in favor of a longer digital broadcast of Nintendo Direct, a series of mini-conferences with smaller, spread out announcements released throughout the year. This year seems to be the same, with Nintendo planning to air a Nintendo Digital Event — why not Nintendo Direct? — on Tuesday, June 10, 2014 at 9AM PT. Furthermore, there will be online coverage throughout the show from Nintendo Treehouse, the legendary localization department that’s worked on some of Nintendo’s best games. But that’s not all that Nintendo has planned. Read more…
Tags: E3 2014, Nintendo, Nintendo Direct, Super Smash Bros.
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 29, 2014 in Videogames 
I can’t blame you if you haven’t purchased a current-gen console yet. Yes, the PS4 and Xbox One are no longer considered “next-gen,” but that doesn’t mean everyone has made the switch from their PS3 and Xbox 360 yet. That’s why it’s good to hear about plans like this one. Bungie’s upcoming sci-fi MMO-FPS Destiny will be released on all four of the previously mentioned systems, which means many players may pick it up on last-gen consoles. But if you upgrade your system, you won’t lose all your progress. Read more…
Tags: Bungie, Destiny, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 29, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
We all knew that Warner Brothers and DC wanted a piece of that sweet crossover pie that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been enjoying. But instead of doing several related movies as origin stories (like Man of Steel) and leading into a big team-up, they’re starting with the second movie in their new franchise: Batman vs. Superman (which should really have an official name by now). After many, many rumors since 2013 about a big team-up movie, Warner Brothers’s president of worldwide production Greg Silverman has confirmed that the third film in this series will be Justice League. And it will be directed by Zack Synder. Here’s where I begin to sigh. Read more…
Tags: Batman, DC Comics, Justice League, Man of Steel, Superman, Warner Brothers, Zack Snyder
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 24, 2014 in Videogames 
Nintendo’s Satoru Iwata had previously said that the next Ace Attorney game would be totally different, and now we know why: it’s set in Japan’s Meiji era (1868-1912). The main character is no longer Phoenix Wright, but his ancestor, who has a new sidekick as well. The game is for 3DS, so hopefully Capcom will still bring this over. (I’m nervous ever since they declined to localize Ace Attorney Investigations 2.) I just wonder how they’re going to localize the game now that it’s very clearly, unavoidably set in Japan. You can’t just say that sushi are hamburgers now. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Ace Attorney, Capcom, Phoenix Wright
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 24, 2014 in Anime 
Most fan-made anime versions of Harry Potter seem to focus on how perfect the series would be for a romantic comedy, set in Hogwarts with attractive characters. Very few people go crazy with their mash-ups, like this new video from Nacho Punch. Take Harry Potter, then mix it with Akira to get a cyberpunk 80s anime version of everyone’s favorite wizard. Sure, I don’t think Akira is actually cyberpunk, but it’s got a lot of the visual cues from similar cyberpunk anime from the late 80s and early 90s. Beyond the parts that mesh well, I laughed at the superficial changes, like adding “cyber” or “neo” to words to indicate how futuristic things are. Read more…
Tags: Akira, harry potter
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 23, 2014 in Videogames 
Final Fantasy fans enjoyed Theatrhythm Final Fantasy when it was released on 3DS in 2012. Maybe a part of that was that the 3DS was just starting to gain momentum, but some of it had to do with how fun it was to tap out rhythms to your favorite Final Fantasy music. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call, the sequel, is releasing in Japan this Thursday, so of course Square Enix is just now announcing that it will come to America like we still live in the dark ages of localization. But hey, it’s coming out in North America sometime this year, and with more characters (over 60) and more songs (221!) than the original game. In my ideal world, this sequel has every original song, every DLC song, and then even more new, exclusive songs so that I never have to put the original game into my 3DS. It’s a lot to ask considering Square Enix made a game just designed to separate you from your money, but hey, I can dream. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Final Fantasy, Music, square enix
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 23, 2014 in Videogames 
I wrote this yesterday, and then BioWare releases a gameplay trailer for the game. I should complain about other games we’ve barely seen anything of, just to see if developers will release more info! (Looking at you, Half-Life 3.) Yes, there’s a full trailer of Dragon Age: Inquisition, and it’s all looking pretty awesome. Varric returns, which is great, and there are certainly dragons. It seems that the game is still coming out in 2014, since we have a release date: October 7. This is another of those cross-generational games, as it will release on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC. But enough talk, just go watch this trailer and hope that it satisfies you better than Dragon Age 2 did! Read more…
Tags: BioWare, Dragon Age, EA
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 22, 2014 in Videogames 
The third Dragon Age game is supposedly coming out in Fall 2014, but we still haven’t really seen anything. I wouldn’t be surprised if EA featured Dragon Age: Inquisition at their E3 presentation in June, but until then, we’ll just have to take it on faith that it’s still on track. As if to prove it, this box art has been released. It has some interesting composition, and it’s just good to see a game box for a fantasy game that has some color in it. Pale blue, red/orange, and is that some bright green I see? It’s not just browns and grays! Read more…
Tags: BioWare, Dragon Age, EA
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 22, 2014 in Cinema 
Got an hour to spare? Then head over to this playlist: A Timeline of World Cinema. While the production quality is sometimes a little amateurish, this is a great way to learn about the various periods of film, from its inception as clips and shorts all the way to the present day. As my college major was TV and Film, there’s a lot here that I knew, but there’s a lot I didn’t know. There’s certainly a lot to say about movies beyond the Western films that dominate the medium! Read more…
Tags: Retro Movies
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 17, 2014 in Videogames 
In incredibly stupid news, Bungie has fired longtime collaborator Martin O’Donnell. The man has worked with Bungie since 1997’s Myth, but he is most well-known for composing the music to Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, and Halo: Reach — all of the Halo games made by Bungie. His last work for the company was this fall’s Destiny, for which he composed with frequent collaborator Michael Salvatori and former Beatle Paul McCartney. O’Donnell tweeted that he was terminated by Bungie’s board of directors “without cause” on April 11. Bungie issued a statement saying goodbye “as friends,” but that seems pretty optimistic after firing someone for no reason. It’s a real shame, but I’m sure O’Donnell will land on his feet. As the composer of one of the few memorable, hummable soundtracks in 21st century Western console games, he’s well-known for his craft. I’d imagine many developers would love to have him on board to create more wonderful tracks. Read more…
Tags: Bungie, Destiny, Halo, Music
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 17, 2014 in Science 
It seems that Curiosity has a new, exciting mission. The Mars rover has arrived at the Kimberly and will be drilling below the surface. Why? Because of the harsh climate of Mars, any signs of organic life are difficult to find. Researchers are hoping that by going beyond the crust, they’ll be able to find other signs of organic life. Even if they don’t find anything, the researchers hope to discover more about what conditions were like in the past, in a time period when scientists believe life did exist. This isn’t the first time that Curiosity has drilled, but it’s the first time that it’s going below the surface, so hopefully the rover can discover something useful! Read more…
Tags: Mars, NASA
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 16, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Renowned composer Hans Zimmer composed the soundtracks to Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy of films and also Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. Naturally, fans have wondered whether or not he’d return to score Batman vs. Superman (or whatever WB ends up calling it). Zimmer had previously mentioned he likely wouldn’t do it, since he’d fear producing the same kind of output instead of anything new. However, it seems like he’s had a change of heart. Apparently after he finishes scoring Nolan’s Interstellar, “head over to where Zack is shooting his movie and just hang out a bit and see if we can come up with any ideas.” It’s good news for fans of the composer, and if Ben Affleck’s Batman is presented in any similar manner to Christian Bale’s Batman, it might be interesting for him to reference his previous score. Read more…
Tags: Batman, DC Comics, Man of Steel, Superman, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 16, 2014 in Fandom 
Let me step that headline back for a moment. Some fans mustered up their best Muppet impersonations and recorded their version of Jesus Christ Superstar, the 70s musical about everyone’s favorite son of God. In Muppet Christ Superstar, Kermit is Jesus, Gonzo is Judas, Miss Piggy is Mary Magdalene, Fozzie is Simon, Pepe is Pilate, and Rowlf is King Herod. I kind of can’t believe anyone would make this, but that’s what makes the Internet a wonderful place. My only issue is that even though most people would cast Kermit as Jesus, Rowlf should have been Jesus, since he’s basically Muppet Jesus. Read more…
Tags: Music, The Muppets
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 15, 2014 in Videogames 
Any experienced gamer knows that videogame graphics aren’t as important as gameplay, no matter how good they are. And yet, I think there’s a place for graphic-heavy games. Sometimes I’ll play a game just to absorb the art, or to listen to the music, or to find out where the story goes, and I think that’s alright. So even if Child of Light didn’t look to be a fun JRPG (from Ubisoft, not a Japanese studio), I’d likely still play it for the gorgeous artwork that looks like they painted watercolors into the game. Watch this trailer and just absorb the detailed backgrounds before the game comes out on April 30. Read more…
Tags: Child of Light, RPG
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 15, 2014 in Videogames 
It seems that the intriguing Rain World won’t be limited to PC, Mac, and Linux. As I had hoped, the indie game about a lovable “slugcat” exploring the ruins of an ancient civilization will be coming to other platforms. Thanks to Adult Swim Games, Rain World will be released on PSN (which could be either PS3 or PS4), PS Vita, “and well beyond”. Ideally the game will hit Xbox One and Wii U, but even if it just hits some PlayStation platforms, I’ll be happy. I want to plug my PS4 into some good speakers and hear that wonderful music fill my living room.
Read more…
Tags: Aliens
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 10, 2014 in Videogames 
As rumored, Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us is getting a PS4 release. First released in June 2013, the original version pushed the PS3 to its limits, using what Naughty Dog learned from making the Uncharted trilogy, and won tons of awards. However, it’s not surprising that Sony would like the game to have a longer tail when it comes to sales, and putting it on their new system will help. The Last of Us Remastered will run at 1080p and is targeting a frame rate of 60fps; all the DLC will be included, as well as a commentary track. Those are all the details shared so far, so it’s not yet clear if there will be any other improvements. It’s a tough proposition for many gamers, though. Read more…
Tags: PS3, PS4, the last of us
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 10, 2014 in Anime, Cinema 
You just can’t keep Lupin the Third down. Originating in 1967 as a manga about a gentleman thief, there have been three anime series, countless movies and specials, and one cheesy live-action film. There’s a new Lupin III live-action film on the way to Japanese theaters on August 31 (around the release of The Tomb of Daisuke Jigen, a new anime film in the franchise), and it’s looking better than the last one. Images of the actors have been released, and they look pretty close to their cartoon counterparts. Jigen in particular Since FUNimation often licenses Lupin III movies, maybe they’ll pick this one up at some point? Read more…
Tags: Lupin the 3rd
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 9, 2014 in Videogames 
Nintendo just held a Nintendo Direct on the upcoming Super Smash Bros. game for 3DS and Wii U, and boy, did they really spill the beans. Director Masahiro Sakurai light-heartedly hosted a 40 minute presentation that led off with the long-anticipated release date for the two games. While exact dates were not given, we finally know that the 3DS version would release in Summer 2014, while the Wii U version won’t be out until Winter 2014. Still, that’s earlier than I expected it to be finished, so that’s a good sign. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, Super Smash Bros., Wii U
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 9, 2014 in Battlestar Galactica, Cinema, Television 
Most stories don’t need a modern reboot, at least not in the manner that Hollywood has been constantly remaking any semi-notable IP the last several years. But I’m partway through the fourth season of SyFy’s 2003-2009 reboot of Battlestar Galactica, and I’m thoroughly impressed with what they made. I don’t feel the need to go watch the original 1978 series, but I’m very happy with what they made for modern audiences. Of course, that story ended, and a few spin-offs not withstanding, its story has come to a close. Guess it’s time to reboot it again! Read more…
Tags: Battlestar Galactica
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 8, 2014 in Videogames 
Both the PS4 and Xbox One promised many ways to stream and share footage of gamers playing games, but not all of that functionality was there at launch. While it was easy to record footage on both consoles — Xbox One’s version is called Game DVR — it wasn’t always as easy to share it with everyone you wanted to. As the largest video site on the internet, YouTube was where most people wanted to upload their videos. With the latest update to the Xbox One’s YouTube app, you can finally share your game videos on YouTube instead of just within the Xbox One’s video app. Other improvements include allowing YouTube videos to run in Snap mode, the ability to earn achievements, and the addition of YouTube channels to the OneGuide. But really, the most important thing is the ability to easily share game footage. That’s crucial in the modern gaming landscape. Read more…
Tags: Microsoft, Xbox One, YouTube
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 8, 2014 in Hobbies and Collections 
Wil Wheaton has sure gone places, moving away from Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s Wesley Crusher to become a geek icon. He co-created Tabletop, a web series about board games, with fellow geek icon Felicia Day. Each episode features Wheaton playing a different tabletop game with various guests, explaining the game, testing it out, and having a good time. After two seasons running on Geek and Sundry with funding from Google, Tabletop is striking out on its own. Wheaton is crowdfunding a third season to take full control and stabilize the show: producing more episodes, increasing production values, and releasing episodes more consistently. As with most crowdfunding ventures, there are plenty of rewards, ranging from a digital high-five to an exclusive episode to signed board games. Wheaton is asking for $500,000 for 15 episodes, but if the campaign hits $750,000, they’ll make 20; if $1 million is raised, the team will launch a brand-new show about RPGs (such as Dungeons & Dragons). The campaign has already hit $400,000 in only a few days, so that last idea is entirely possible! Read more…
Tags: Board Games
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 3, 2014 in Cinema 
After playing Black Widow several times in Marvel’s films, it seems like Scarlett Johansson wants to continue being an action star. She’s starring as Lucy in Lucy, a new sci-fi superhero movie that’s directed, written, and produced by Luc Besson (The Fifth Element). After bad guys put drugs inside of her, intending for her to smuggle them, the drugs leak into her system, giving her superpowers. (That’s how drugs work, right?) Morgan Freeman is also there, which is fine by me, because I could listen to that guy’s voice forever. Anyway, check out this trailer for what could be a really fun movie when it releases on August 8, 2014. Read more…
Tags: Science Fiction, Superheroes
Posted by Bob Muir on Apr 3, 2014 in Tech, Television, Videogames 
As rumored, Amazon has been working on a set-top box that will stream video and play videogames. Now they’ve announced the Amazon FireTV, which does that! The box uses a quad-core 1.7 GHz CPU, dedicated GPU, 2GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, and a dual-band wireless radio with two antennas (for streaming 1080p over WiFi) to try to outperform Apple TV and Roku. Naturally, it has access to Amazon Prime, but there are all the usual video and music streaming apps, plus more specialized ones like Twitch and WWE; users can compare prices between various apps to see where it’s cheapest to watch a movie. The remote is also special, with a microphone included that allows you to search content with your voice. Or you could use Amazon’s bells and whistles to have it predict and cue up what it thinks you want to watch.
Read more…
Tags: Amazon
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