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Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 11, 2012 in Star Wars 
I’d like to say that Disney buying Lucasfilm may indeed be the best thing to happen to Star Wars in a long while. Perhaps that’s presumptuous to say at this early stage, but when you’re getting good news like this, it’s had to temper your excitement: Michael Arndt will be writing the script for Star Wars: Episode VII. Some of Arndt’s previous accomplishments include writing Little Miss Sunshine and Toy Story 3 – the former won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. He had already written a 40 page treatment of the upcoming 3 films, so that Disney and Lucasfilm signed him on is no surprise. Now we just need to find a competent director. I wonder who would be up for the job? Read more…
Tags: Disney, Episode VII
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 10, 2012 in Star Wars, Videogames 
Have you ever wanted to see the Mos Eisley Cantina scene re-enacted with the various feathered characters from Angry Birds? No? Why are you backing away nervously? Are you sure you don’t want to see? It’s not that bad, I promise! Well, maybe. Angry Birds Star Wars is out on every mobile platform now, basically, so this animated video has been released to promote it. There’s not much to say – it’s an angrier, featherier version of the Cantina. But I wonder who this will sell on the game? Read more…
Tags: Angry Birds
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 10, 2012 in Cinema 
I really enjoyed the book World War Z, by Max Brooks, so when I heard it got optioned for a movie, I was interested. However, it spent so much time in development hell and so many changes seemed to be happening, I was worried. Not all movies can be exactly like the book, though, so I tried to remain optimistic. The trailer is finally out now, and it seems all my hope was in vain. The zombies roll around in a huge mass, clobbering busses and climbing walls, and the main character seems to have become a bit of an action hero. Not an interview in sight! Read more…
Tags: Brad Pitt, World War Z
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 9, 2012 in Science 
Science and technology are awesome. Don’t believe me? You’re on the wrong site, partner. But check out this: a video of the world’s most advanced prosthetic limb. Nigel Ackland shows off his recent lower-arm replacement that is quite frankly, one of the coolest things I’ve seen in a long while, and shows how far we’ve come with prosthetic limbs. It’s so precise he can type, pour a bottle with ease, or even peel vegetables. And it reminds me of Adam Jensen’s robot arm from Deus Ex: Human Revolution in its simple, elegant design and dark coloring. Read more…
Tags: Deus Ex, technology
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 9, 2012 in Videogames 
The long-titled and frequently-compared-to-Smash Bros. game, Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale, has finally gone gold. To celebrate, they’ve released the intro trailer for the game, so you can see exactly what you’ll see when you start the game up. Pay attention at the end, and you’ll get a glimpse of the final boss too! Can you guess who the shadowy character is? I’ll give you a hint: it’s a former mascot for Sony in the US. Read more…
Tags: PlayStation 3, Sony
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 8, 2012 in Videogames 
Like most console launches, the Wii U is getting a lot of ports to fill out its launch window. A lot of these are pretty much what you’d expect, but Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Wii U Edition is getting some nice exclusive content to differentiate this version. Besides being able to draw on your characters with the GamePad to customize them, there are further customization options to make the Tekken characters look like Nintendo characters. That’s almost weird enough, but the extra content doesn’t end there.
Read more…
Tags: Namco Bandai, Tekken, Wii U
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 8, 2012 in Videogames 
Okay, so Diablo III might not have set the world on fire when it came out earlier this year. The game certainly sold well enough, but between simplified skill trees, a completely unnecessary always-online requirement, and numerous other issues, Blizzard’s highly anticipated follow-up didn’t capture gamers’ hearts. With competition like Torchlight II and the availability of Diablo II, it’s questionable whether gamers will still be playing what many think is a short-lived game years from now. Maybe some additional content would fix that? Read more…
Tags: Activision, Blizzard, Diablo 3
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 7, 2012 in Videogames 
Many gamers remember the N64’s Super Smash Bros. for having a memorable, almost anti-Nintendo commercial that still gets posted in forum threads to this day. Despite being low-budget, it had charm, and watching beloved characters hit each other around was funny. Fast-forward to 2012, and Sony is releasing PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, their take on the Smash Bros. formula, and they have a predictable ad for the United States. But in Russia, the ad is quite different. Read more…
Tags: PS3
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 7, 2012 in Videogames 
I mainly enjoyed Portal 2 for its story and the exceptionally clever sections, not quite as much for its puzzles. They were certainly well-made and the main focus of the game, but the world that Valve built around these puzzle mechanics is what sticks with me most. However, I certainly enjoyed the co-op campaign, which has a much lighter story set around its interesting two-player puzzles. PlayStation 3 owners now have even more puzzles available to them, provided that they also have a PlayStation Move controller.
Read more…
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 6, 2012 in Anime 
A two-minute trailer for J.C. Staff’s upcoming film, A Certain Magical Index: Endymion’s Miracle, premiered at the Dengeki 20th Anniversary Festival. It’s the first hint at the story of the film, since it is not based on any of the original light novels that the rest of the anime is based on. Instead, the film is based on a new story by Kazuma Kamachi, with new character designs by Kiyotaka Haimura. In Endymion’s Miracle, Touma and Index find Arisa, a level 0 girl who is on the run from Magicians. It seems she is an important part of an upcoming war between magic and science.
Read more…
Tags: A Certain Magical Index
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 6, 2012 in Videogames 
Fresh off the heels of the rather-boring “Hearthfire” downloadable content, Bethesda has announced the next bit of DLC for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The main character of the game is a Dragonborn, but this latest content, also called “Dragonborn,” pertains to literally the first Dragonborn ever. He looks pretty tough too! Read more…
Tags: DLC, Elder Scrolls, Skyrim, Xbox 360
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 5, 2012 in Hobbies and Collections, Videogames 
Looking for the perfect figure to top off your Pokemon collection? Well if you weren’t, you are now. This new figure from D-Arts of Mewtwo is.. well… awesome. It’s got a ridiculous amount of articulation and in general looks solid. He comes with a projectile, a Pokemon stand, and if you pre-order in the first wave, a small figure of Mew will come included as well. Sadly, it looks like he’s sold out at most of the usual haunts online, but if you keep an eye out you might be able to catch one. Mewtwo releases in March for ¥3,990. Read more…
Tags: Action Figures, Pokémon
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 5, 2012 in Videogames 
Interested in checking out a new trailer for the upcoming Wii U game from Hideki Kamiya, The Wonderful 101? It’s one of the best-looking games coming out for the system, in my view. It features a bunch of colorful superhero characters (who might remind you a bit of Viewtiful Joe) that team up to fight an alien menace. And we do mean ‘team up.’ The collective combines into a giant sword, a fist, or other objects to tackle your enemies – all you need to do is gather citizens and recruit them to your cause. Check out the trailer here, in 60 frames per second, so you can get a full feel for the fluidity of the game! Read more…
Tags: Platinum Games, Wii U
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 4, 2012 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Ok, your first clear look at Mandarin. There were hints of him in the first trailer for Iron Man 3, but now we have a nice clear image of him. And you know what? Ben Kingsley looks pretty awesome all dressed up like that. I’m impressed how well they adapted the character for the screen – although, is he wearing a graphic tee underneath all that? I’m interested if Shane Black (the new director) can pick the series up after the generally disappointing Iron Man 2, given his close relationship with Robert Downey Jr. Perhaps the magic of the first movie will never be matched, but at the very least I bet we’ll get an awesome villain. Click the image above for a larger version! Read more…
Tags: Iron Man 3
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 4, 2012 in Fandom, Videogames 
One of the most impressive-looking indie games on the radar right now is StarForge. Combining the building of Minecraft with the guns of Borderlands and a heavy dose of random terrain generation, the three-man team looks to be doing a great job tackling the (seemingly) huge job. They’ve started an Indiegogo campaign to help them finish the game, and already have gotten a solid amount of money for the project. I love this era of indie creativity and uniqueness. Although there’s always going to be a few bad apples, the outstanding games more than make up for it. I hope StarForge fulfills their goals! Watch the trailer below. Read more…
Tags: Indie Games, StarForge
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 3, 2012 in Cinema, Videogames 
It’s been quite a while since we heard anything about the Castle Wolfenstein movie. Last news was, Roger Avary, who worked on Silent Hill and Pulp Fiction’s scripts, had been working on a script. Now it seems that Panorama Media and the producer, Samuel Hadida, have gotten sick of waiting and threw their hands up in the air. “You know, Avary, why don’t you just direct it?” He’s directed plenty in the past, so I can see why they’d go this way. However, will a Castle Wolfenstein movie really be a hit with audiences at this point in time? I kind of feel like its relevance has gone way down. Maybe they’re just interested in doing a pulpy, violent action film with no rules or guidelines? Read more…
Tags: Castle Wolfenstein
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 3, 2012 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Sony is revving their engines for The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and of course they’re out hunting down their villain. Given the implied ending of the first movie, people guessed that Electro would be the main villain. Sony hasn’t even bothered keeping it a secret, and they’re apparently looking into having Jamie Foxx play the shocking (haha, no) villain. Foxx certainly didn’t help matters by tweeting that he dressed up as electro for Halloween, saying the “costume fits well.” Is Electro a good fit for the next Spider-Man film? I’m sure there are better villains out there, but I’m still curious to see how they tackle the character. Read more…
Tags: The Amazing Spider-Man
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 2, 2012 in Anime 
Let’s put this right up front: Evangelion. I’m very aware of all its flaws, the pandering to the fans. And I still really enjoy it. I love it, and I’m especially excited about the third remake film, Evangelion Q aka You Can (Not) Redo. Sadly, I won’t be able to see it on it’s release date, November 17th, in Japan – I’ll have to wait for the US release or import the Blu-ray. After being shown a short 30-second trailer last month, we have some fresh video! This new trailer doesn’t help matters, but I can’t stop watching. There’s new footage, particularly of eye-patch wearing Asuka, and new content sprinkled within. I especially love the new music piece from Shiro Sagisu, “The Wrath of God, in All its Fury.” Really haunting! Watch the video below. Read more…
Tags: Evangelion
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 2, 2012 in Cinema, Star Wars 
Still reeling from Disney buying Lucasfilm earlier this week? Yeah, me too. There’s a lot of good news here, some uncertainty, but most of all I’m excited. I’m feeling a little like a fanboy again at the prospect of new Star Wars films – or should I say, the prospect of new Star Wars films that could be good. More good news? George Lucas has made all of us who ever complained about the prequels looks like whiny children. He announced that he’ll be giving the majority of the money from the 4.5 billion dollar Disney deal into a foundation to support education and education issues. Do you think he dropped the mic and strutted offstage after the announcement, too? Read more…
Tags: Disney, George Lucas, Star Wars
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 1, 2012 in Videogames 
Halloween may have been yesterday, but that doesn’t diminish how scary this trailer is. I couldn’t play Amnesia: The Dark Descent, only watch my roommate play it. And while we only made it halfway, I can still visualize many memorable moments of horror, or even just the common moments of wandering around a very dark castle as the character’s sanity slipped away. Frictional Games and thechineseroom’s follow-up, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, looks to be just as haunting as its predecessor, and possibly more aggressive. Read more…
Tags: Horror
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 1, 2012 in Videogames 
Of the PS2’s three mascot platformers – Jak & Daxter, Ratchet & Clank, and Sly Cooper — I least expected Sly Cooper to get brought back. Not many people seemed to talk about the series, though what I did hear was uniformly positive. But lo and behold, the PS3 is getting a fourth installment in the series, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, from Sanzaru Games, the studio that did the HD conversion for The Sly Collection. And of course, while traveling through time, it’s not a bad idea to change your outfits to match the locale. Read more…
Tags: PS3, Sly Cooper
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 31, 2012 in Videogames 
We knew it was coming, but now we’ve got a clearer idea of when: Grand Theft Auto V is coming as soon as Spring 2013. Rockstar North announced on their blog that the highly anticipated game would release for PS3 and Xbox 360. The company made no mention of a PC version, but PC versions of previous games in the series have typically released after the console versions. Read more…
Tags: Grand Theft Auto, PS3, Rockstar, Xbox 360
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 31, 2012 in Cinema, Star Wars 
In news that took me a while to wrap my head around, today the Walt Disney Company purchased Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion in cash and stocks. Disney now owns not only Lucasfilm, but also Industrial Light and Magic, Skywalker Sound, and LucasArts, as well as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and numerous other properties. This is a pretty big deal, and I’m not entirely sure how to take it. What conflicts my opinion even further is the news that Disney is planning a new trilogy of Star Wars movies. Read more…
Tags: Disney, George Lucas, Star Wars
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 30, 2012 in Anime 
Anime studio Shaft really knocked it out of the park with their first non-adapted anime, Puella Magi Madoka Magica. The twelve-episode series was a subversion of the usually light-hearted magical girl genre, mixing daring visuals with haunting music and a dark plot that threw viewers for a loop. Shaft’s next original anime is also a magical girl story, but this one seems a bit more conventional, though still beautiful. Read more…
Tags: magical girl
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