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Posted by Ben Huber on Dec 21, 2014 in Star Wars 
JJ Abrams recently released a video sending his thanks out to all the fans who donated to UNICEF as part of the Force for Change event, which would give fans a chance to be in the movie. The last two videos gave brief looks at alien puppets and the X-wing design in the film, and this time around we’re seeing Chewbacca and R2-D2 show up! As you might expect, R2 looks like R2. Chewie doesn’t have a single grey hair! I know Wookies live a long time, though, so who knows when those start coming in. Make Wookie noises below the jump. Read more…
Tags: Chewbacca, Episode VII, The Force Awakens
Posted by Ben Huber on Dec 21, 2014 in Videogames 
Road trip! Road trip? There’s a fair amount of driving going on in Final Fantasy XV, but of course, there’s plenty of the “fantasy” stuff that you know and love too. There’s some story bits here, gameplay footage, and both English and Japanese versions of the trailer. I’m impressed they got voice actors set up this early, but hey, maybe the game is further along than expected. I’m also impressed by the visuals on display here. I hope that the final product runs well in addition to being stunning graphics-wise. There’s also a demo on the way in the near future! Check out both English and Japanese versions of the trailer below and take your pick! Read more…
Tags: Final Fantasy
Posted by Ben Huber on Dec 20, 2014 in Comic Books 
No really! I promise you won’t be embarrassed! The comic book industry has been making several good steps recently, and when characters have been coming up for costume redesigns, artists have been more conscious about their wider audience. Basically: the new Spider-Woman costume designed by Kris Anka is pretty neat. It looks good and it makes a lot of sense for a costumed crime-fighter. Like a lot of heroes redesigns recently, instead of spandex we’re seeing leather, which can help take a beating in a fight. The costume will show up in Spider-Woman’s second story arc, which will begin in issue #5 and feature art by Javier Rodriguez. Good work, Kris and Marvel! Read more…
Tags: Marvel, Spider-man, Spider-Woman
Posted by Ben Huber on Dec 20, 2014 in Videogames 
Miyamoto has been a spree recently, doing hype interviews for the holiday season and getting folks excited for Nintendo and their latest product: Amiibos. If you’ve been following the Amiibo story (or, even worse, trying to collect them all), you probably know that several Amiibos have already become nearly impossible to find, with no reprints or restocks in sight (Marth, Wii Fit Trainer, and Villager are the main culprits here). Prepare to pay $50 and up if you want them now! However, Miyamoto did mention in a recent AP interview that Nintendo has a way to cover this problem: trading cards. “[…] we have the option, if certain Amiibo figures are no longer available in stores, to release an Amiibo in card form with the same functionality.” This way, you can still get the unlocks and in-game content an Amiibo provides… but without the cool action figure part. Well, it’s something, I suppose. Read more…
Tags: Amiibo, Shigeru Miyamoto
Posted by Ben Huber on Dec 19, 2014 in Videogames 
Uh, ok. File this one away in weird news: Notch, the creator of Minecraft, has bought an enormous mansion in Beverly Hills for $70 million. Why? Because he can. I mean, the place has a built-in candy dispensary! It’s the most that’s ever been paid for a house in Beverly Hills, making it a record-setting sale, as well. Had you ever considered we’d be hearing about this kind of excess in the video game industry… from the creator of Minecraft? Notch seems like a pretty chill guy, all said, though. You could host some pretty intense game jams, there, couldn’t you? Check out the property’s branded website for more images and if you want to dream a little. Read more…
Tags: Minecraft, Notch
Posted by Ben Huber on Dec 19, 2014 in Videogames 
It’s that time of the year, and Steam has officially begun their holiday sale. This’ll be running from now until January 2nd, with new deals each day. If you haven’t been around for a Steam sale in the past, always wait for a game you want to show up on the daily deal, as that’s where it’ll be cheapest. Voting in community choice polls and buying sale items will net you holiday cards with adorable little elves on them, which can create a 2014 Holiday Badge for your Steam profile. Anything to get you to spend more money, eh? Check it out here! Read more…
Tags: Steam
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 18, 2014 in Videogames 
It may be a niche series outside of Japan, but that doesn’t mean Western Disgaea fans will miss out on the next entry. Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance is headed to North America and Europe in Fall 2015. The game is exclusive to PS4, but with a few exceptions, it’s always been a PlayStation exclusive, so no surprise there. Unlike the last game, which brought back characters from the first game, this one once again has an all-new cast. The game is temporarily listed without a subtitle in Europe, so it’s possible the game may receive a different or no subtitle when it eventually releases. Either way, expect quirky dialogue and ridiculously-high numbers as with previous Nippon Ichi games. Read more…
Tags: Disgaea, Nippon Ichi, PS4
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 18, 2014 in Cinema, Television 
Cookie Monster may have already parodied The Lord of the Rings, but has he really confronted the temptation of the One Ring? Sir Ian McKellen joins him in a new video to help explain the word “resist.” But when McKellen shows Cookie Monster the One Ring, he doesn’t see the appeal, since he’s “not much of a jewelry guy.” But a cookie? That could easily be his precious… Read more…
Tags: Lord of the Rings, Sesame Street, Sir Ian McKellen
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 17, 2014 in Videogames 
When Grand Theft Auto V launched in 2013, the heists in the main game were praised as one of the best aspects of the game. However, they weren’t present in Grand Theft Auto Online, the multiplayer mode. The game has been rereleased on PS4 and Xbox One, but the heists still aren’t in. But they’re coming! And despite the long delays — reportedly due to how implementing them in a fun, online way was much more complex than expected — Rockstar is clearly poking fun at themselves and their fans at the start of this trailer. Maybe it’ll all be worth it when they finally arrive as a free update for all versions of the game in early 2015. Read more…
Tags: Grand Theft Auto, Rockstar
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 17, 2014 in Videogames 
If you’ve already run out of stuff to do in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, take note: the first DLC expansion is now available for $9.99 (or as part of the season pass). The Lord of the Hunt adds more beasts to ride, as well as new quests, nemeses, and other bits. It seems to take place in a separate mode than the main game, but that could possibly work to its advantage. And there’s a new skin to dress Talion in, so use that to cover up his stupid face. Read more…
Tags: Lord of the Rings, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 16, 2014 in Videogames 
Though Final Fantasy Versus XIII was reannounced for PS4/Xbox One and renamed Final Fantasy XV back in 2013, it’s still not ready for release. Who knows when this game is actually coming out? I’d say that 2015 looks to be a safe bet, but considering that the game was announced long ago in 2006, there’s honestly no telling when it will be done. This latest trailer is basically the trailer from this year’s TGS, but with new, English voices. There’s nothing really wrong with the voices, and it’s hard to get a read on them in a short trailer. But whatever happened to the people in charge of Final Fantasy XII’s fabulous localization? Even if this game didn’t have British accents, it would help elevate the usual localization. Read more…
Tags: Final Fantasy, square enix
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 16, 2014 in Videogames 
The generation of remasters continues — not that I think that’s a bad thing, mind you. (It’s always a good thing when old games, even more recent old games, are kept available on newer systems.) Capcom has announced that on March 17, 2015, it will release DmC: Definitive Edition on PS4 and Xbox One for $39.99. The port of Ninja Theory’s Devil May Cry reboot will feature enhanced graphics (running at 1080p and 60fps), all previously released DLC, a bunch of new difficulty modes (many of which can be combined with other difficulty options), and other additional content. But for those who still can’t get over the changes to their precious Dante, Capcom is also planning to release Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition in Summer 2015, also on PS4 and Xbox One. Read more…
Tags: Capcom, Devil May Cry, PS4, Xbox One
Posted by Ben Huber on Dec 15, 2014 in Cinema 
Back at Comic-con news broke of a new King Kong film titled Skull Island, which would focus on the original island and a group of adventurers who explore it — and of course, Kong himself. The film has now gotten a new release date (March 10th 2017) and a new title (just so you don’t forget what this movie is about): Kong: Skull Island. Yup. They just added “Kong” on the front. The film will be directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts and will star Tom Hiddleston in the lead role. No real story details are available yet aside from that we’ll see the “mysterious and dangerous home of the king of the apes as a team of explorers ventures deep inside the treacherous, primordial island.” Oh, and this actually takes places in “an entirely new, distinct timeline.” Ok. Read more…
Tags: King Kong
Posted by Ben Huber on Dec 15, 2014 in Star Wars 
Chalk this up to more evidence that JJ Abrams is indeed living up to his promise of more practical effects: the rolling ball droid, BB-8, featured briefly in The Force Awakens teaser, isn’t CGI. In a recent interview, Mark Hamill mentioned the droid, saying, “[…] it’s not CGI, that’s a live prop — I was just amazed.” They also let him drive it around: “I was running it all around at the creature shop up in Pinewood. I’m telling you, it’s an absolute delight.” It’s really great to see how excited Hamill is about being part of Star Wars again. “And not having thought that I’d ever go back there, to go back into that world, is just – I get the chills. It’s just so much fun.” How about you: did you think BB-8 was CGI at first? Read more…
Tags: Episode VII, The Force Awakens
Posted by Ben Huber on Dec 14, 2014 in Cinema 
Ridley Scott is making headline a lot these days, eh? With his latest film, Exodus: Gods and Kings, fully whitewashed and ready to release, he’s also been chatting about Blade Runner 2. Scott has leaned away from the idea of directing it in the past month or so, but he apparently heard back from Harrison Ford on his impressions of the script: “I sent him [the script] and he said ‘wow, this is the best thing I’ve ever read.’ It’s very relevant to what happened [in] the first one.” High praise, it seems. I hope it actually is as good as Scott portrays it to be. In lieu of him, who do you think should direct the film? I’m not 100% sure, but I think a good name to suggest would be Nicolas Winding Refn. Since we can’t replicate the success of the original, why not try something totally unique and different? Read more…
Tags: Blade Runner, Harrison Ford, Ridley Scott
Posted by Ben Huber on Dec 14, 2014 in Cinema 
No, Colbert doesn’t interview Cumberbatch directly. He doesn’t interview a puppet, either. No, he’s interviewing the real live Samug. Er, well, as real as CGI is, anyway. Yes, they animated an entire sequence in which Stephen Colbert interviews Samug (who appropriately busts through the set), and he’s voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch. You may know Colbert is a huge Tolkien fan, so this is probably an interview he put a lot of work into. They discuss making the movie, recent news topics, and even throw a Sherlock joke in there. It’s all very cute. Colbert seems to be ratcheting up the impressive guest list, first with the President and now with Samug. Who’s next? Read more…
Tags: Stephen Colbert, The Hobbit
Posted by Ben Huber on Dec 13, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Perhaps you already ran out and picked up Guardians of the Galaxy. If you did, you can already see this brand new blooper footage! But, if you’re like me and are saving money for the holidays, it’s nice to see Marvel sharing the blooper reel with the internet at large. Although, I will say, blooper reels seem to be getting shorter and shorter — or is it just me? Of course, no modern blooper reel is complete without some “real” bloopers featuring the CGI cast members (aka Rocket and Groot) screwing up a scene too! Those are always seem a bit more forced, just due to the fact that the animation is put over a voice actor’s flubs, but hey! It’s all in good fun. Bloopers below! Read more…
Tags: Guardians of the Galaxy
Posted by Ben Huber on Dec 13, 2014 in Star Wars 
If you watched the Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer and wanted just a tiny bit more… I have good news for you. JJ Abrams and Disney have given Entertainment Weekly the names of several characters that show up in the teaser trailer — on trading cards! In a cute reference to yesteryear (JJ apologizes: “I’m only sorry we couldn’t give everyone a stick of gum.”), they decided to reveal the names on red and blue card line-ups. Most important, John Boyega’s character is named Finn, Daisy Ridley is named Rey, Oscar Isaac is Poe Dameron, the ball-droid is BB-8, and the shadowy villain is called Kylo Ren. Check out all the cards below! Read more…
Tags: Episode VII, The Force Awakens
Posted by Ben Huber on Dec 12, 2014 in Star Trek, Star Wars 
Theme parks are big business these days, it appears! A deal has been struck between the BBC and Paramount to create the London Paramount Entertainment Resort. The park will feature attractions based off of BBC properties like Doctor Who and Top Gear, along with Paramount films such as Star Trek and Transformers. This is a pretty impressive collaboration, but don’t start booking your tickets yet: the park isn’t planned to open until 2020. In other theme park news, Disney chief Bob Iger revealed that Disney’s plans for Star Wars attractions will mainly feature rides themed around the new films, but yet didn’t exclude the possibility of rides based around the prequel and original trilogies. Still early for a lot of these plans, but still fairly interesting! Read more…
Tags: BBC, Disney World, Disneyland, Doctor Who
Posted by Ben Huber on Dec 12, 2014 in Cinema 
The new Mad Max film looks suitably crazy. In fact, it barely resembles a modern film in many ways, with tons of practical effects and some general weirdness that usually gets smoothed out in Hollywood. Who knows if it’ll actually end up being good, but it sure does make for some amazing trailers and visuals. George Miller has done a lot of stuff over the years, but seeing him come back to Mad Max is nice. The movie features Tom Hardy as Max and Charlize Theron as Furiosa (which is a ridiculous but awesome name) who’re both described as people “of action” in the movie’s description. Check out the trailer below! Read more…
Tags: mad max
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 11, 2014 in Videogames 
Square Enix had previously expressed interest in broadening Theatrhythm Final Fantasy to other franchises they own, like Dragon Quest and Kingdom Hearts. So after having no need of further Final Fantasy music collections after the last Theatrhythm, it just makes sense to see Square Enix announce Theatrhythm Dragon Quest. As with the past two Theatrhythm games, this one’s on 3DS, with a release date of March 26, 2015 in Japan. As usual, we don’t yet know if this will be localized for other countries; Theatrhythm has done well in the US, but Dragon Quest has a much smaller fanbase here, with Square Enix often declining to localize both major and minor entries alike. If they do release it outside of Japan, I’d say to pick it up right away, as there’s no telling if the game would perform well enough to justify a sequel like the first Theatrhythm.
Read more…
Tags: Dragon Quest, square enix
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 11, 2014 in Animation, Cinema 
I know that Pixar’s next movie is called Inside Out, but to me, this is a Cranium Command movie. Inside Out is about the emotions that live inside all of our heads and make our decisions; the movie focuses on the mind of a teenage girl. Similarly, Cranium Command was an Epcot ride about the person who lives inside our head and makes our decisions (along with other parts of the body); the ride focused on the body of a teenage boy. Sure, the new trailer for Inside Out is funny and charming. But more importantly, seeing as Cranium Command was closed years ago, this is the closest thing I’ve got to one of my favorite Epcot attractions! Read more…
Tags: Inside Out, Pixar
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 10, 2014 in Videogames 
Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse launched on 3DS this fall, but was delayed on Wii U. However, a tweet from developer WayForward states that the game is in final testing at Nintendo of America. He thinks a 2014 may still be possible, which would be great for those who get a Wii U for Christmas to play. Hopefully it happens, but in the meantime, here’s the latest Wii U trailer. Enjoy those pretty sprites, because the next Shantae game, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, is using hand-drawn 2D graphics instead of traditional sprites. It’s still pretty in its own way, but it’s not the same. Read more…
Tags: Shantae, Wii U
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 10, 2014 in Videogames 
So Paul McCartney wrote a song for Bungie’s Destiny, since he worked on the soundtrack for the game. It’s called “Hope for the Future,” and it’s the ending song for the game. It is a bad, generic song about wanting a better tomorrow, but it can get worse. There’s now this official music video, and it’s really bad. Ghost projects a hologram of McCartney singing the song and just looking ridiculous, as Guardians sit and listen for some reason, while the rest of the imagery tries its best to sell the game. If I didn’t already pass on buying Destiny, this certainly wouldn’t have helped persuade me. Read more…
Tags: Destiny, Music, music videos
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