Monthly Archives: June 2015
Meet the Man Who Redeemed Final Fantasy
From the instant it was launched back in 2010, it was clear Final Fantasy XIV had many serious problems. Whether it was the unstable servers, dire user interface or awful quest design that served as the final nail in the coffin is unclear, but what’s a matter of record is the reaction: scathing reviews, an exodus of players and, ultimately, closure. Fans of the series were incredibly disillusioned with what had been put out under the banner of the once-great series. No one questioned Square Enix CEO Yoichi Wada when he said in 2011, "The Final Fantasy brand has been greatly damaged."
The 19 Most Ridiculous Moments in FIFA Movie United Passions
FIFA has been rocked by accusations of corruption, fraud, racketeering, bribery and money laundering over the last week, with multiple members of football's governing body being arrested, and explosive revelations hitting the news on a daily basis.
Mercifully, new film United Passions has arrived to redress the balance, depicting football’s governing body as a noble, honourable and chaste organization, whose (now former) boss Sepp Blatter is a tireless crusader for truth, justice and the honourable ideals of the sport. The fact that FIFA contributed around £17m of the film’s £20m budget is of course purely coincidental to such a narrative approach.
United Passions hasn’t been released in the UK – perhaps unsurprisingly when you read this feature – so IGN had to import a DVD from France. We watched aghast, amazed at the talent the film managed to attract – with Gerard Depardieu as Jules Rimet, Sam Neill as Joao Havelange, and Tim Roth as Blatter himself, and incredulous that such propaganda is actually getting a release in the U.S. today.
BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend Gets an NA Release Date
BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend will release in North America on June 30.
The latest version of Arc System Works’ 2D brawler will be available for purchase on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, as well as PlayStation 3 and PS Vita.
New features coming to Extend include a revamped Guard Gauge system, new additions in Stylish Mode, and the introduction of Remix Heart, a comedic addition to the story mode.
But wait, there’s more. Also coming are two new characters – Celica and Lambda – and a selection of new stages and scenarios.
The first iteration of Chrono Phantasma arrived in North America last year. In our review, we praised Extend’s ability to revitalise a classic, saying “Chrono Phantasma's new characters, changes to existing favorites, and added mechanics breathe new life into BlazBlue.”
The Critically Acclaimed Series Microsoft Published and Forgot
First a confession; I was always far more invested in the Colin McRae Rally series than DICE’s RalliSport Challenge games. The more nuanced handling and deeper gameplay of the Colin McRae games appealed far more to my sim sensibilities.
As a result, the original RalliSport Challenge was a game I dabbled with rather than invested in completely. I still admired a lot about it, though. It was hugely pretty at the time, very easy to pick up and play, and has a really great mix of cars (many of which were rarely seen anywhere else).
Check out the video above for our discussion of the original RalliSport Challenge, and read on below for a quick summary and a little additional insight.
Rumor: Jason Statham Eyed for Bullseye in Marvel’s Daredevil
Marvel's Daredevil may have found one of its season 2 villains in The Transporter star Jason Statham.
According to Latino Review, Statham was seen meeting with Marvel personnel earlier this week. A source at Marvel reportedly told the site Statham is wanted for the part of Bullseye but the information hasn't been confirmed.
Statham was in talks to appear in a cinematic reboot of Daredevil before the rights reverted to Marvel. The action star recently appeared in Furious 7 and can now be seen in the action-comedy Spy.
Previously, Daredevil star Charlie Cox said he wanted Bullseye, Elektra, and The Punisher to appear in the second season. Earlier rumors already suggested love interest and ninja assassin Elektra will join season 2, but there's been no word on whether we will also get The Punisher.
Windows 10 Free Upgrade Allows Clean Installation
It seems the free upgrade from Windows 7/8.1 to Windows 10 also allows eligible users to perform a clean installation of the operating system.
Gabriel Aul, head of the Windows Insider Program at Microsoft, has tweeted the confirmation (thanks to Neowin for the spot).
@dinchy87 @PiotrGoreckiJr Once you upgrade W10 w/ the free upgrade offer you will able to clean reinstall Windows 10 on same device any time
Own a Piece of Game of Thrones’ Opening Credits
Ever want to spin an astrolabe over a map of Westeros and recreate the opening of Game of Thrones at home? Now you can!
According to io9, the special edition release of Insight Editions' Game of Thrones: A Pop-Up Guide to Westeros will come with a fully-functioning model of the astrolabe from the show's opening. Standing 13" tall, the astrolabe rests upon a Stark Direwolf, Targaryen Dragon, Lannister Lion and Baratheon stag. There's no word on the exact release date of the special edition and astrolabe, but it's expected to be available this summer.
Check out some pics of the Game of Thrones-style astrolabe, along with the Pop-Up Guide to Westeros, below:
Spoiler: How Batman Will Make Superman Bleed
Turn away if you're not a fan of spoilers.
Heroic Hollywood is reporting it has the skinny on how Batman will make Superman bleed in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
The spoilerific revelation says that Batman will use a kryptonite-laced spear to slow down the Man of Steel, and it's reportedly what Batman was holding in one of the shots from the teaser trailer (below).
Funko Reveals New Fallout, Skyrim, and Elder Scrolls Pop! Vinyls
A series of new Pop! Vinyls have been announced, and they're going to be of interest to fans of Bethesda RPGs.
Borrowing characters and creatures from Fallout, Skyrim, and The Elder Scrolls online, fans can pick up vinyl figures of Fallout's Lone Wanderer, Super Mutant, Death Claw, and Vault Boy; Skyrim's Dovahkiin, Daedric Warrior, and Alduin; and The Elder Scrolls Online's Breton, High Elf, and Nord, among others.
Check them out below!
Both Skyrim's and The Elder Scrolls Online's will be available in August, while the Fallout vinyls will be available in July. If that is still too far away, why not watch the new Fallout 4 reveal trailer to sate your wasteland cravings?
Poll: What’s the Best Comic Book TV Show?
Last September, we polled you guys and gals about your favorite RETURNING comic book TV show going into the new TV season. Which, at that time, only consisted of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD, Arrow, and The Walking Dead. Needless to say that things have definitely gotten more crowded on the comic book TV series front since then.
Shows like Gotham, Marvel's Agent Carter, The Flash, iZombie, Marvel's Daredevil, Constantine, and Powers hadn't hit the scene yet, turning primetime TV schedules and streaming models into a superhero Shangri-La. So now we have more to play with.