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Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 16, 2014 in Videogames 
We all knew Minecraft was big, but I don’t think anyone saw this happening. Microsoft has announced that they have purchased Mojang, makers of Minecraft, for a whopping $2.5 billion. Creator Markus “Notch” Persson will be stepping away from his company and not join Microsoft, feeling that running such a big game/company isn’t as appealing to him as smaller projects that don’t create as much pressure. It remains to be seen what this means for versions of Minecraft on non-Microsoft platforms, such as Sony’s PS3, PS4, and Vita, the latter of which is launching soon. While it’s possible that sales or support could be halted, I’d wager Microsoft will continue allowing Minecraft on other platforms, since the work is already done or mostly done and it’s surely a worthwhile revenue stream. But until Microsoft comments, anything could happen with the property. Read more…
Tags: Microsoft, Minecraft, Mojang
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 15, 2014 in Star Wars 
Throw another log onto the “stand-alone Star Wars film” fire: rumors are now circulating about the possibility of an Obi-Wan Kenobi spin-off film. Apparently, this is now under consideration after seeing recent popularity polls put Obi-Wan higher than Disney had anticipated. Combined with the fact that Ewan McGregor loved playing Obi-Wan (he was probably the best actor in the prequel trilogy, with the lines he was given) and wants to play him again, it seems like this film would have a much easier time getting off the ground than a Han Solo or Boba Fett movie. Plus, if we gave McGregor a better script, I think we’d have some pretty good right there. Time will tell. Read more…
Tags: Obi-Wan Kenobi
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 15, 2014 in Fandom, Hobbies and Collections 
I bet you weren’t expecting this mashup any time soon: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off car crash scene, remade in LEGO! This was done as part of Swebrick’s annual “AFOL vs AFOL” contest (AFOL stands for Adult Fan Of Lego). The theme this time around was to build a scene from an 80s film or TV series — only the catch is that it has to feature a car in it. Lots of excellent models were made (and you can see all of them here), but the one that came out on top was Etzel87’s Ferris Bueller model, featuring: “You killed the car.” Check out the entire contest here and more images below. Read more…
Tags: Lego
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 14, 2014 in Star Wars
Yes, after all these years, Sesame Street is doing a Star Wars parody. Perhaps not the most timely, but maybe with Episode VII on the horizon it actually works out. This parody teaches kids all about self control, but most of the jokes are aimed directly at parents. Yes, Chewbacca is a cookie named Chewy. Obviously! The dessert puns come fast and furious, my favorite being Only One Canoli. Plus, there’s a much happier end for the father-son pair of Vader and Luke, given that this is a slightly more kid-friendly setting. Check out the full video below. Read more…
Tags: parody, Sesame Street
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 14, 2014 in Videogames 
Nintendo has just released Super Smash Bros. for 3DS in Japan, but the US doesn’t get it until October 3rd. To stave off the wait until then, they’ve promised the demo will arrive September 19th, next week. Select Club Nintendo members who have Platinum status, however, are receiving codes for the demo right now, letting them test it out a week early. The demo features one stage (Battlefield) and five characters to play as: Mario, Link, Pikachu, Villager, and Mega Man. The Platinum members will also get extra codes to share with friends, so if you’re not a dedicated Club Nintendo member yourself, perhaps a generous friend can lend you a code. Otherwise, it’s just a short wait until the demo on the 19th, and the full game on October 3rd. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Super Smash Bros.
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 13, 2014 in Star Wars 
Here’s a tip for you: movies don’t start out with music in them. Shocking, I know! Auralnauts decided to remove the music from Star Wars’ classic throne room scene, in which Luke, Han, and Chewie receive medals for their bravery… in total silence. It gets a little awkward, to say the least. This was seen via Rian Johnson’s Twitter feed, in which Craig Mazin linked this with the warning: “When those first dailies come in, don’t freak out.” This is of course referencing Johnson’s upcoming stint as director of Episode VIII and the dailies in which directors pour over the initial shots made for the film. They might be a bit like this, embedded below. Read more…
Tags: Episode VII, Rian Johnson
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 13, 2014 in Cinema 
I don’t know how else to describe this movie, really. Keanu Reeves is back in a Taken-esque film, but instead of a daughter being kidnapped, it’s his dog getting killed and his car getting stolen. Yes, Alfie Allen kicking Reeves’ dog and jacking his car is all it takes to yank this hitman out of retirement. Granted, it is a really cute dog (and a final gift from Reeves’ dying wife, of course). But perhaps this could be a fun romp — Reeves can definitely do the stoic badass role, but I’m not sure if the tough-guy quips always land here. And is Allen getting typecast as “guy who acts like he’s awesome but then gets beat up horribly?” Because it sure seems like it. Check out the trailer below. Read more…
Tags: Keanu Reeves
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 12, 2014 in Animation, Videogames 
Here’s an odd place for Nintendo to show up: the Tokyo International Film Festival! According to Variety, Mario and Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto will be at the festival to debut an animated film from Nintendo, titled “Pikmin Short Films.” The movie is a compilation of three shorts: “The Night Juicer,” “Treasures in a Bottle,” and “Occupational Hazards.” Miyamoto produced the films, although there is no word on who directed it. The film’s debut will be accompanied by Nobuo Kawakami, a producer-trainer at Studio Ghibli and the chairman of Dwango, a telecom and media company in Japan (and owners of popular streaming site Nico Nico Douga). The festival begins October 25th. Hopefully we’ll hear how Nintendo will release the film around then. Read more…
Tags: Nintendo, Pikmin, Shigeru Miyamoto
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 12, 2014 in Star Wars 
Funny: we don’t even know the name of Daisy Ridley’s character yet, but we’re now seeing some leaks of her costume. Above is a leaker’s sketch of her outfit in Star Wars Episode VII, featuring a flip-down visor, a lightsaber, various tools and gadgets, and a blue scarf. Hmm, blue scarves seem to be all the rage these days, eh? I kind of want one, now. Anyway, it’s hard to gather too much from this rough illustration, but it’s nice to see the grungy look is sticking. In other news, Mark Ruffalo recently sent an email to Episode VIII director Rian Johnson, asking him to let him have a part in the film. Then a series of hilarious tweets occurred, embedded below. Read more…
Tags: Episode VII
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 11, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
DC and WB are trying to keep the Batmobile that will appear in Batman v. Superman under wraps. But the thing about shooting out in public is that leaks are going to happen. Some shots have surfaced, as collected on /Film, and while they’re currently unverified, it’s hard to imagine what else this would be from. It seems that the Batmobile has fins that raise up, allowing the driver to enter. It looks like an interesting fusion of the Tumbler from The Dark Knight trilogy and the more stylized, older designs (but in a different way than the similar fusion Batmobile appearing in Batman: Arkham Knight). Check out some more designs below for what we’ll likely be seeing in 2016. Read more…
Tags: Batman v. Superman, Batmobile
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 11, 2014 in Videogames 
Hoo boy, this is already getting confusing. Nintendo is putting out an upgraded 3DS with more power called the New 3DS and New 3DS XL. But since that’s not being released outside of Japan until 2015, any new 3DS models are going to cause confusion. Take some limited edition 3DS XLs announced for release at Gamestop. There are limited run models featuring designs from Super Smash Bros. (September 19), NES (October 10), and Persona Q (no date, but likely November 25, the day of the game’s release). But while these are all awesome, new designs, they are not the “New 3DS XL,” so anyone buying these new models should be aware that the hardware will be outdated sometime in the first half of 2015. The designs are still worth getting, but it’s a weird time to release them. Also, that NES model could have a better design on the shell than just the controller. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, NES, New 3DS, Nintendo, Persona 4, Super Smash Bros.
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 10, 2014 in Videogames 
Both Europe and Japan have the option to buy a limited edition version of Hyrule Warriors that comes with the blue scarf Link wears in-game. But so far, it seemed like North America wouldn’t have that option and would have to go scarf-less. Nintendo of America has offered some good news via Twitter, but it’s unlikely to make very many people happy. There will be a Limited Edition for the US when the game launches on September 26, but it will only be sold in very limited quantities at the Nintendo World Store in New York City. And due to high demand, you can’t preorder it. Read more…
Tags: Legend of Zelda, Nintendo, Wii U
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 10, 2014 in Tech 
In what was one of the worst kept secrets of the mobile phone industry, Apple has announced their latest model of iPhone, this time in two variants. The iPhone 6 has a 4.7 inch screen (1334×750 resolution), while the iPhone 6 Plus has a 5.5 inch screen (1920×1080 resolution). Personally, I don’t see why I would ever want something too small to be a tablet yet too big to be a phone; even the iPhone 6 seems too big when the iPhone 5S feels just right. But I suppose there’s a market that has been demanding phones of this size, so hopefully they’re happy. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus will ship on September 19, starting at $199 and $299 respectively. Read more…
Tags: Apple, iPhone
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 9, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Despite “only” earning $41 million (from a $45 million budget), 2012’s Dredd has a good amount of fans eagerly awaiting a sequel. Lead actor Karl Urban agrees and has been encouraging efforts to push a new film into production. But if that time does come, it may not be a sequel, but a prequel. Speaking at Chicago Comic-Con, Urban suggested that the film might explore how the Judges were established. “It’s more likely that we’ll do the Origins story, with Dredd trekking through the Cursed Earth to find the first Chief Judge Fargo,” Urban said, referring to a 2006 storyline that was meant to tie up various loose threads from previous comics. Read more…
Tags: Dredd, Judge Dredd
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 9, 2014 in Animation, Fandom 
14 years after the last episode, and people still like DuckTales. It’s a shame that Disney hasn’t felt like making the entire series available legally for streaming, considering how low any prospective sales are these days, but there are likely many fans who would gladly watch a few ads to revisit the series. Until then, fans continue showing their appreciation for the classic cartoon with various fanworks. But while not every video is gold, YouTube channel Oh My Disney has redone the opening with real, live ducks. Obviously, coordinating real ducks well enough to perform is difficult, so there’s not a lot of motion. But seeing a real duck with a top hat is still adorable! Read more…
Tags: Disney, DuckTales
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 8, 2014 in Videogames 
The world record high score for Donkey Kong has been heavily documented over the years, particularly via the 2008 documentary The King of Kong, which chronicled the battle between Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchell. Then, in 2010, Hank Chien arrived on the scene and took top spot. Mitchell surpassed him, then Wiebe, and finally Chien retook first place, and proceeded to improve his score twice. Many assumed this was the peak of Donkey Kong play, but now newcomer Robbie Lakeman has beaten all previous records with 1,141,800 points, completed in nearly 4 hours. Best of all? The entire thing was recorded, and you can watch it online. Check it out below. Read more…
Tags: Donkey Kong
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 8, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Whoops, someone hung up some promotional artwork a little too soon. A new poster for Avengers: Age of Ultron has been circulating thanks to Instagram user YeongJip (who, it seems, has had his account taken down by now), and it features a full shot of Paul Bettany’s Vision. And yes, his costume is quite comic-accurate, although it looks like the yellow has been toned down a good deal. He still has his cape, though! We’re in full comic books mode now, folks — getting closer and closer to the final Avengers lineup. Age of Ultron will release next year on May 1st. Read more…
Tags: Avengers: Age of Ultron
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 7, 2014 in Videogames 
If you can’t make a whole movie, well, hey, at least you can make a live-action trailer! Those are all the rage for video games these days! Destiny is out in a few days, so how else to fill the wait than by watching their live-action trailer? Sure, it hardly represents what’ll happen in-game, but it looks cool. And they sure are pushing that whole “play your friends! They’re so cool!” line. I’m still on the fence with Destiny, but I think I’ll let everyone else test it first, and I’ll jump in later if that crowds stick around. If Bungie can make this thing last as long as they say they will, it could be neat. Read more…
Tags: Bungie, Destiny
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 7, 2014 in Television 
The Walking Dead is AMC’s most popular show by a long shot, and one of the biggest shows on TV period. That’s why it’s surprising that it’s taken this long for AMC to start making spinoffs! Yes, AMC has started the process on a Walking Dead spinoff show, and they’re saying exactly zero about it. The only plot tidbit is that it’ll show “what is going on in the zombie apocalypse in other parts of the world.” Could we see outside the US? That’d be nice. All the producers on The Walking Dead are returning to produce the spinoff as well (Dave Erickson, Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, and David Alpert). Maybe it’ll be good? Read more…
Tags: The Walking Dead
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 6, 2014 in Television 
Some mild controversy went through the Game of Thrones world yesterday, when Kristian Nairn, the actor for Hodor (and also a world-tour DJ, yes, really) said that he and Bran (played by Isaac Hempstead-Wright) wouldn’t appear in season 5 of the show. An interview with Hempstead-Wright that showed up later in the day featured the actor stating very plainly that he is indeed filming season 5. So what does this say? Quite simply, Hodor is not in season 5, and Bran is. I also would guess that since Bran’s “book content” has nearly been used up, they are instead going to either a) create filler content featuring only Bran or b) used Bran as a vehicle to display flashbacks, giving show viewers a taste of the complex backstory Game of Thrones has. And I really hope it’s the latter. Read more…
Tags: Game of Thrones, HBO
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 6, 2014 in Television
True Detective season 2 is continuing to move forward, and HBO is beginning to court directors to tackle the various episodes in the season. The first name that’s risen to the surface might surprise you: Justin Lin. Yes, the Fast and Furious director. The details aren’t all set in stone yet, but Lin is currently set to direct the first and second episode of the season, with possibly a few later as well. This will definitely give a different feel overall to this second season! Previously, we heard that Colin Ferrell, Taylor Kitsch, Elisabeth Moss, Michelle Forbes, and Vince Vaughn were all up for the show, with the first three playing the law enforcement leads, and Vaughn being the antagonist. I’m very curious to see how this season will play out! Read more…
Tags: HBO, true detective
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 5, 2014 in Cinema, Videogames 
It looks like that Shadow of the Colossus film is still staggering along. Josh Trank has previously been up to direct the film, but he’s got some other stuff on his plate now that’s a bit more important. Something about Wars in the Stars? Anyway, Sony has now found a new director: the man behind Mama, Andy Muschietti. He could bring an interesting perspective to the movie, so I’m curious how it’ll turn out. There’s still no solid date on the film, but if Muschetti sticks around (he’s also apparently on for The Mummy reboot), we might start seeing solid progress soon. Read more…
Tags: Shadow of the Colussus
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 5, 2014 in Hobbies and Collections 
Unofficially, mind you. Images of Lego’s upcoming autumn Star Wars UCS model have leaked, and the rumors were true: it’s Boba Fett’s Slave I. Since it hasn’t been officially announced yet, the price and release date are unknown, but we can gather plenty of info from the images released. It’ll feature 1996 pieces, 5 minifigures (Boba Fett, Han Solo, Han in carbonite, a Bespin guard, and a Stormtrooper), and plenty of little hidden features. Given the piece count and previous UCS model pricing, most fans are guessing this will run around $200. So get those wallets ready! The set will arrive this fall. More images below. Read more…
Tags: Boba Fett, Lego, Star Wars
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 4, 2014 in Cinema 
After all the insanity, take-backs, and lawsuits, Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight will begin filming in January 2015. The Weinsteins also announced that the film would release in the fall of 2015, and that (just as the teaser said) the movie will be shot on 70mm film, and it’ll be the widest roll out of 70mm in 20 years. Impressive! It’ll also show up on 35mm and DCP later, but it’s the 75mm we’re all here for. I’m excited to see how this finally turns out! Read more…
Tags: Quentin Tarantino, The Hateful Eight
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