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Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 2, 2013 in Cinema 
Not every poster design gets sent out to theaters. Take a look at these potential Ender’s Game posters focusing on the characters. As “draft” posters, they’re not the finished thing, but you could’ve fooled me. The main stars are present, everything looks futuristic, what’s the problem? We don’t know, since they were leaked, but I’d have been fine with them. Could it be they decided it was a bit weird to only show the male characters’ faces while showing almost all of the female characters’ bodies as well? Actually, let’s chalk it up to that. So whether the ad department was concerned with minor sexism or visual inconsistency, these aren’t your final Ender’s Game posters — but they still look pretty cool. Read more…
Tags: Ender's Game, Science Fiction
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 2, 2013 in Anime, Cinema 
This year, Studio Ghibli is releasing two new films in Japan — Hayao Miyazaki’s Kaze Tachinu (The Wind Is Rising) and Isao Takahata’s Kaguya-hime no Monogatari (The Tale of Princess Kaguya). Once they’re released, Studio Ghibli will have released 21 films since Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind in 1984 (which was actually pre-Ghibli, but is generally considered to be a Ghibli film), including one TV movie. To celebrate their achievement of creating some of the best animated films ever made, Ghibli made this mural for Japanese theaters. Read more…
Tags: Studio Ghibli
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 27, 2013 in Videogames 
Katamari Damacy became a cult classic for good reason: it was an original gameplay concept based on a simple mechanic and a surreal style. Creator Keita Takahashi has since become disillusioned with making games and, after the similarly bizarre non-game Noby Noby Boy (which is more of a toy), he left Namco Bandai to do things like make playgrounds. But alongside Wild Rumpus and Venus Patrol, he’s working on a new indie game called Tenya Wanya Teens, though you’re more likely to find it at indie development gatherings, or perhaps an art installation. Read more…
Tags: Katamari Damacy
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 27, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy is already out on Blu-ray — in fact, I’m looking at my girlfriend’s classy box containing all three films on the shelf. But there was an ad included, mentioning the ability to later buy collectibles that would be included in an upcoming “Ultimate Collector’s Edition” of the trilogy. If this Polish Batman site is to be believed, these are the first images of what’s in the box. We don’t know what is on the nine discs besides the movies, but it looks like there’s at least an art book and a lithograph of some sort. There are toy models of significant vehicles from the series, though I’d argue that their coloring is off. And damn, look at what I assume are individual cases for each movie! There’s some amazing stylized art there, such as the Scarecrow’s mask being mixed with a straight jacket, or Bane’s mask and prison bars. It’s just a shame that Warner Brothers didn’t put this out before people bought the first trilogy set! Read more…
Tags: Batman, Batman Begins, Blu-Ray, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 26, 2013 in Fandom, Videogames 
I love vintage travel posters. I also love Pokemon. So how would it look if vintage travel posters tried to entice travelers into visiting locations in Kanto, the region of Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow? Something like this, I’d imagine. A storefront called Little Pixel Posters has designed such posters, and I want to decorate a room with some of these. It’s a shame you can’t actually visit, but with the way vintage travel posters inspire the imagination for a given city or country, this is the next best thing. Well, besides playing the games and exploring the region virtually. That’s always good too. Read more…
Tags: Nintendo, Pokémon
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 26, 2013 in Videogames 
As Konami continues rereleasing various Metal Gear Solid collections, there’s often one sticking point: the first Metal Gear Solid. It’s not the first game in the series — Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake saw release on the MSX — but it’s arguably the most iconic entry, and it’s only available today in its PS1 form, and only digitally on PS3. So it’s no surprise to hear that Kojima is considering remaking the game. Read more…
Tags: Konami, Metal Gear Solid
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 25, 2013 in Cinema 
On July 19, Edgar Wright is putting out a third film starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost called The World’s End. You may have heard some people calling it the third film in Wright’s “Cornetto Trilogy” or “Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy,” with Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz being the first two films. Of course, despite featuring the same two main actors (and a slew of the same supporting actors), none of the films have any narrative connection. So why are the films a “trilogy” and what does ice cream have to do with it? Read more…
Tags: The World's End
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 25, 2013 in Videogames 
I never got to play a Suda51 game before, so I’ve been checking out Killer7, and it’s delightfully bizarre. Later this summer, Killer Is Dead, the third game in the unique director’s loose “assassin” trilogy, will release, and unlike what I’ve seen of Suda51’s last few games, it’s just as crazy. Supposedly it’s drawing inspiration from James Bond, what Suda51 calls a “Dark Side 007,” but all I see is a guy with a robot arm slicing up robots and then fighting a near-naked dude. The action is stylish and looks fun, so I can’t wait to see this come out on August 27 in the US! Read more…
Tags: Suda51
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 20, 2013 in Videogames 
As much as Microsoft tried to impress with the Xbox One at last week’s E3, they and all the developers working on games for the system couldn’t shake one thing: the shadow of the console’s DRM and online policies. Microsoft hoped to steer the conversation away after Sony showed them up with their support of used games and no online requirements, but very little they said was positive in the eyes of gamers. It’s likely that shareholders also weren’t happy with Microsoft’s stock dropping while Sony’s rose. Microsoft’s narrative even suffered after Jimmy Fallon got a big applause from his audience for mentioning that the PS4 supported used games. Well, it’s finally happened. After all that, Microsoft has blinked. Read more…
Tags: Microsoft, Xbox One
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 20, 2013 in Dr. Who, Television 
Christmas may have come early for fans of classic Doctor Who. In the 70s, the BBC began a shortsighted policy of wiping old tapes for new use. Since all of the serials featuring the First and Second Doctors were in black-and-white, which was considered to have little potential for sales now that color TV was ubiquitous (and a home video market didn’t exist), they were some of the first episodes on the chopping block. (Even some Third Doctor material was wiped, though missing episodes were recovered, even if some were only found in black-and-white.) As a result, these early episodes are only extant thanks to private collectors or copies sent to other countries; anything not found has been reconstructed by fans based on telesnaps, fan-recorded audio, and other materials. Experts like Ian Levine believe that there will never be less than 106 missing episodes, mainly centered on the Second Doctor. And yet, there are now rumors that a whopping 90 episodes have been recovered. Read more…
Tags: BBC, Doctor Who
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 19, 2013 in Videogames 
Capcom’s Ace Attorney series has supposedly seen diminishing returns in the West, with the sequel to Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth never getting a translation. The series jumps to 3DS for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies, and it’s getting an English localization, so that’s good news for fans. However, the trade-off is that it will be a digital-only release, a move that will help meet an exact level of demand and cut costs for physical copies and distribution. But according to Capcom’s Christian Svensson, a physical release is still possible, with enough fan support. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Capcom, Phoenix Wright
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 19, 2013 in Animation 
It might not be the next Disney Renaissance, but after a new dark age in the 00s, Disney has been putting out several solid films in a row. The Princess and the Frog, Winnie the Pooh, Tangled, and Wreck-It Ralph have all done well, so it’s natural to anticipate Disney’s adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Snow Queen, which they’re calling Frozen. The original title suggests a dark fairy tale, and even the changed name conjures up images of frozen wastelands and endless snow. And then, Disney puts out this teaser. Read more…
Tags: Disney
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 18, 2013 in Videogames 
HD remasters of Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2 are due out on the PS3 and PS Vita this fall. In typical fashion, Square Enix is taking forever to finish them — an HD remaster of two Kingdom Hearts games was announced and will release before these two — but the results look promising. Since they look so good, what are the chances of the PS2’s other single-player FF game, Final Fantasy XII, getting an HD remaster? Actually, it could happen. Read more…
Tags: Final Fantasy, PS3
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 18, 2013 in Fandom, Videogames 
Announcing new characters in a Super Smash Bros. game is a strange mix of excitement, nostalgia, and a touch of self-mockery. 2008’s Super Smash Bros. Brawl had a very successful website called the Super Smash Bros. Dojo that gave out daily updates on the game, and some of those updates echoed through gaming communities — “Diddy Kong confirmed for Brawl” or “Sonic confirmed for Brawl.” When Nintendo announced some new characters for the upcoming Wii U/3DS entry, they started a new style of character announcements that many fans have already adopted for their favorite or joke characters. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, Super Smash Bros., Wii U
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 13, 2013 in Videogames 
While WayForward is busy remaking the NES’s DuckTales with Capcom, Sega is also reviving a classic Disney game: Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse. E3 brings us the first footage of the remake, and it’s looking sharp. There may be a few more fans of Magical Quest on SNES, but this HD remake seems like a fun romp through a dark children’s fantasy world. My only question is whether or not the original game will be included as well; I always think that’s a nice touch. Read more…
Tags: Disney, Mickey Mouse, PS3, Sega, Xbox 360
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 13, 2013 in Videogames 
Since Team Ninja’s Tomonobu Itagaki left Tecmo Koei, his baby Ninja Gaiden has been going through a rough patch. Ninja Gaiden 3 was critically panned, and while a Wii U version fixed some things, it still didn’t match up to the first game in the revived series that had justified two updated versions since its original Xbox release. Enter Keiji Inafune, creator of Mega Man, who has left Capcom and is now working on new projects, including Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z. Read more…
Tags: Koei Tecmo, Ninja, Ninja Gaiden, PS3, Xbox 360
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 12, 2013 in Videogames 
One of the most impressive tech demos of the week was Quantic Dream’s The Dark Sorcerer on PS4. It’s not supposed to be a game, but it could be expanded sometime in the future. In the demo, the titular dark sorcerer tries to summon a demon using dark magic while his goblin helper looks on. Soon it is revealed that the scene is being directed (with partial green screen in the background) and the characters are acting, though the goblin is really a goblin. Only a few stunning minutes were shown at Sony’s E3 press conference, but now the entire 12-minute demo is available to watch, and it’s pretty stunning. Read more…
Tags: PS4
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 12, 2013 in Videogames 
With all of the major press conferences out of the way (thanks for nothing, Square Enix), E3 is starting to stabilize as journalists get their hands-on impressions. But there are still some announcements trickling out, especially for games that may have been a bit too small to trumpet from the heavens (er, stage). One such game is Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millenium Girl, a 3DS remake of the first Etrian Odyssey game. Atlus made and published the game in Japan, but not every game makes it over. However, since the series does rather well for Atlus USA, they’ve announced that they will be publishing The Millenium Girl in the US this fall. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Atlus, RPG
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 11, 2013 in Videogames 
Both Microsoft and Sony announced a lot of major exclusives yesterday, which leaves Nintendo in a catch-up position with its already underperforming Wii U. With the 3DS finally taking off, what did Nintendo have to show during its first online-only E3 press conference? Click to find out! Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, Nintendo Direct, Pokémon, Wii U
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 11, 2013 in Videogames 
This was briefly covered in Sony’s press conference, but the footage has now surfaced online. After years of waiting and many empty promises, Square Enix has finally revealed a full trailer for Final Fantasy Versus XIII, with new cutscenes, new graphics, and lots of gameplay showing its completely revamped combat system. Furthermore, the game is now known as Final Fantasy XV; it’s no longer a spin-off, but the next installment of the long-running series. The online excitement right now is palpable, as people are practically cheering in the streets. The game has so far been revealed for PS4, with no word of an Xbox One or PC release. Read more…
Tags: Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, PS4, square enix
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 11, 2013 in Videogames 
Microsoft came out strong today, showcasing 13 console exclusives and even showing off multiplatform games playable on Xbox One. Sony, however, has an advantage in that it doesn’t have a horrible used game/online DRM policy, as far as we know so far. With that said, let’s get into what they announced during tonight’s last conference. Read more…
Tags: Playstation Vita, PS3, PS4, Sony
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 10, 2013 in Videogames 
Just like last year, Ubisoft got Aisha Tyler to host their E3 press conference. Wearing a shirt with the hashtag #girlwood on it, Ubisoft didn’t have much to show, but there were a few major new reveals. Click through to see what was said about hot games like Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Rayman Legends, and Watch Dogs, as well as all the new games. Read more…
Tags: PS3, PS4, Ubisoft, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 10, 2013 in Videogames 
The E3 press conferences from non-platform makers generally have fewer announcements than their Big 3 friends, often retreading a few announcements, but there’s still some worthwhile news. With a new console generation about to happen (or already happening, if you’re satisfied with a Wii U), Electronic Arts has more than usual to show, for both Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Read more…
Tags: Dragon Age, EA, Electronic Arts, PS4, Xbox One
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 10, 2013 in Videogames 
Microsoft just finished their Xbox One press conference, and we’ve covered all the important game reveals at the event. Much was revealed, but the conference was lacking in many details, so if you see something below that interests you, be sure to wait for more info that is sure to be revealed as E3 2013 begins fully tomorrow. Click below and let’s see if Microsoft can make up for their disappointing Xbox One reveal a few weeks back! Read more…
Tags: Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox One
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