Monthly Archives: January 2017
Star Trek’s Brent Spiner to Guest on The Blacklist
As the element that gives the show its title, The Blacklist has provided "Red" Reddington (James Spader) and Liz Keen (Megan Boone) with plenty of notable criminals to pursue and that will continue in an upcoming episode featuring Brent Spiner.
IGN has the exclusive info on Spiner's role, which will take place in a February episode of the series.
Brent Spiner
The Star Trek: The Next Generation icon, whose recent credits include Independence Day: Resurgence, Outcast and Blunt Talk, will play a Blacklister with the compelling nickname of The Architech.
New York Times Drops Comics From Bestseller List
Comic books have been unceremoniously dropped from the New York Times Bestseller lists.
When the email subscription for the February 5th NY Times Best Sellers List went out, it included a note saying, “Beginning with the advance BSL edition that will be delivered today for February 5, 2017 there will be revisions to multiple categories in the publication. These changes will span weekly and monthly lists.” Those “revisions” were the removal of the Bestseller lists for hardcover graphic novels, softcover graphic novels, and manga.
This was first picked up on by literary agent Charles Olsen, who posted the news on Twitter.
Graphic novels can no longer be @nytimes bestsellers as of February 5th. No explanation for change, I think we deserve one. Please RT!
Black Panther: Official Cast and Plot Synopsis Revealed
Production has commenced on Black Panther, Marvel Studios announced Thursday. The Ryan Coogler-directed film will shoot in Atlanta and South Korea.
Chadwick Boseman reprises the title role of Wakandan king T'Challa. The cast also includes Michael B. Jordan (Creed, Fantastic Four), Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Danai Gurira (The Walking Dead), Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out, Sicario), Angela Bassett (American Horror Story, Green Lantern), Oscar winner Forest Whitaker (Rogue One), Letitia Wright (Urban Hymn), Winston Duke (Person of Interest), and Sterling K. Brown (The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story).
Boseman's not the only actor making his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Black Panther. Captain America: Civil War's Martin Freeman, John Kani, and Florence Kasumba are back as Everett Ross, T'Chaka, and T'Challa's security chief Ayo, respectively. (T'Chaka's appearance in the film lends credence to the report that the film includes a flashback to the 1990s.) Marvel also confirmed that Andy Serkis will reprise his Avengers: Age of Ultron role as the villainous Ulysses Klaw.
Resident Evil 7 Proves VR Is More Than Just a Gimmick
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard’s 10 hour campaign can be played entirely in virtual reality — every jump scare, every grueling boss fight, every disgusting enemy encounter, experienced up close and uncomfortably personal with the help of Sony’s PlayStation VR headset.
As someone who was initially skeptical about how a full-length, entirely VR-optional game would work in VR, I was surprised to discover that it was actually… pretty good!
So far, most successful or well-known virtual reality experiences have been created specifically with VR in mind: Job Simulator, Batman: Arkham VR, and so on. These games take advantage of VR’s unique offerings to craft moments that wouldn’t be the same played on a screen. Seeing your hands in-game using PlayStation Move or the HTC Vive controllers goes a long way to make you feel physically present in a virtual world, even if you are just sloppily putting together cartoon sandwiches in a comedy game. But while it’s important for developers to identify what some of VR’s specialized capabilities are sooner rather than later, the result has been a lot of games attempting to experiment with the same few ideas, over and over again. It’s easy for VR skeptics to feel unsure about whether these isolated mechanics are enough to carry a full-length AAA game campaign.
Former Rockstar North President Announces New Game
Former president of Rockstar North, Leslie Benzies, has announced a new video game, Everywhere, using Amazon's free game engine, Lumberyard.
Everywhere is the game's temporary title, and there are no further details currently known about the project, including its genre, gameplay, and what platforms it might appear on. However, Benzies did reveal that his studio has a long-term vision for the title, with the goal "to create a platform where players can be entertained, and also entertain others while blurring the lines between reality, and a simulated world."
Benzies also confirmed that his team will use Lumberyard's client and cloud features "to create a new type of game that was never before possible for today’s massive gaming communities.”
8 Mass Effect Andromeda Figures Coming From Funko
With Mass Effect Andromeda nearing release, Funko has unveiled eight new figures based on the game.
The Pop! vinyl collection features characters from Mass Effect Andromeda. There's the hero Sara Ryder, for instance, along with Peebee, Liam Kosta and even the main villain Archon.
Funko actually revealed two of the Mass Effect Andromeda characters earlier this week, along with an Overwatch set of figures. The company also recently released The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt figures.
QuakeCon 2017 Dates Announced
QuakeCon 2017 will return to Dallas on August 24-27, Bethesda has announced.
The largest bring your own computer (BYOC) LAN party in North America is open to the public for free and will take place at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center. A special room rate at the resort is being offered to QuakeCon attendees for $185 per night.
Over two thousand BYOC seats will be available at the event, but other "diverse activities" are being offered for those who choose not to bring a computer, according to Bethesda. Attendees will get sneak peeks of upcoming Bethesda games as well as the ability to attend presentations, tournaments, workshops, and exhibits from leading tech companies.
Accel World vs. Sword Art Online Announced for PS4, Vita
Bandai Namco today announced Accel World vs. Sword Art Online, a new anime crossover RPG from the author of both series, Reki Kawahara. It will launch digitally on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in Summer 2017.
Check out some images from the game in the gallery below.
The original story from Kawahara involves the worlds of Sword Art Online and Accel World, chaotically merging into one. As the merging unfolds, skilled Alfheim Online players from Sword Art Online and Burst Linkers from Accel World join forces to stop the Seven Kings of Pure Color.
Players construct three-person teams composed of favorite characters from both franchises, combining skills like magic and fairy flight from Sword Art and special techniques from Accel World. An online multiplayer mode will let you team up in battle with three friends.
Star Wars: Here’s Every Announcement Poster
As readers surely know by now, the news came earlier this week that Star Wars: Episode VIII will be called Star Wars: The Last Jedi. That of course got fans to speculatin' about the nature of the title -- who is the last Jedi? And also, why is the logo's font in the first poster for the film red?
You'll have to click through the links above for more on those burning questions, but below you'll find a quick slideshow of every Star Wars announcement poster ever released. From the original film (before it was even called A New Hope) to the prequel films and of course up through The Force Awakens, Rogue One and now The Last Jedi, see them all right here:
11 Relaxing Video Games for De-Stressing
Note - this piece was first published in 2017, but we thought you could use some relaxation this week.
When we think about our favorite gaming moments, we tend to think of the high-octane stuff: car chases, escaping heavily-armed guards, racking up a kill streak in the final moments of an online game...
But there’s another side to games, too: the peaceful ones that offer us some much-needed variety and help us de-stress at the end of a long day.
If you’re looking for calmer games to help you unwind, here’s our list of gaming’s most relaxing titles.
Professor Layton and The Unwound Future commands no extensive knowledge of video game logic, which makes it appropriate for both experienced and inexperienced players. Made up of riddles, visual challenges, and brain teasers, it’s great for both long play sessions and short bursts. It’s this engrossing playstyle and the stunning animated presentation that make it an exceptional short-term antidote to stress.